1 - Housing
(Pro) Roommates
When the stars align and you get good roommates, they become friends for life. Or at the very least become sources of good memories. Roommates also offset the cost of living making things a little cheaper.
(Con) Roommates
When the stars don’t align, they can become a nightmare.
(Pro) Housing
The cheap/subsidized housing can get you into high demand areas so you can make good money or do the things you want.
(Con) Housing
Housing can be hit or miss between different locations and different companies. Some companies have amazing housing they can provide. Others have terrible or nonexistent housing. In areas where you need or desire to secure your housing, rooms can be astronomically expensive.
2 - Lifestyle
(Pro) Nomadic Lifestyle
Friends/Community
You make lifelong friends from all over with many different kinds of backgrounds. These friends can introduce you to new ideas, new things, new places. They become like family, there for you when you need and you for them.
Experiences
Those same friends can also help lead you to new experiences. Returners can tell/show you secret spots. Drag you along on adventures you never would have imagined. Even on your own, lots of places offer discounts to seasonal workers. You can get hundreds of dollars worth of experiences for “cheap” or free.
Travel
Seasonal work allows for more travel than a lot of others get. There tends be some downtime between seasons. This can vary between different places, varying from days to start the next job to 1-2 months.
(Con) Nomadic Lifestyle
Constant Packing and Unpacking
Only being in a place for 5 or so months at a time means that really, you’re constantly packing up and moving. A lot of people move MAYBE once a year or every few years, you’re moving two or more times a year. On top of this, unless you have a vehicle. You’re limited by what you can bring with you on the buses or planes, limiting the amount of stuff you can have.
Constant Revolving Door of Friends
The issue with all the friends you make. Is after the season everyone goes their separate ways. The goodbyes don’t really get easier. Some you’ll run into in other parts of the world or country. You’ll make plans with others. Some you’ll never see again.
Limited Access
Depending on where you go you may or may not have access to things you’re used to. Groceries can be hard to come by in really remote places, or are expensive. Gyms are hit or miss. Services like Uber and such might be nonexistent.
3 - Finances
(Pro) Low CoL
A lot of seasonal jobs have some cost saving benefits. To entice more people they offer subsidized or free housing. Some offer free meals. As mentioned earlier, there are also often discounts provided.
(Con) Low Wages (Sometimes)
The reason for this are a lot of seasonal jobs don’t really pay that much. Depending on the job you take, you might make enough to get you season through the season. Some areas are very, leave with as much money as you came with. Others make you just enough to your first paycheck. Sometimes you might lose money. Situations vary.
(Pro) High Wages (Sometimes)
The flipside is, depending on the job you do you can make high wages. FoH service industry makes a lot of money in these areas. Enough to pay off debts, save, make retirement. If you find the right jobs in the right locations 6 figures is possible.
(Con) Startup Funds Needed
Despite all this, you do need some funds to start. The first cost is travel. You need to be able to get to the job and start it. Any certifications you may need can also be barriers. Depending on the pay schedule you also need a cushion for the start of a new season as in some places it can be upwards of a month before receiving your paycheck. Assuming you make it through.
Pros
- Roommates
- Nomadic
- Experiences
- Friends/Community
- Low CoL
- Incentivizes Minimalism
Cons
- Roommates
- Nomadic
- Revolving door of friends
- Need startup funds per season
- Packing/Unpacking
- Limited Gym access