How can an employee turn a part-time, seasonal job into a full-time, permanent finance career?

By taking more chances to embody the kind of accountability they’re looking for. Because most finance firms need someone who’s proactive in situations where others would just do the bare minimum and call it a day. So if you’re working in a bookkeeping firm and you notice a recurring issue in reconciling accounts, that’s your opportunity to step up and suggest a process improvement and show the team how it saves time or reduces errors. That’s going to impress your team a whole lot more. They’ll see you as someone who’s quick on their feet when it comes to spotting risks and maintaining clean records, for one. But also someone who’s actively looking to make their firm better.

Learn the exact finance software, ERP modules, or reporting dashboards your team uses inside and out. Take the time to explore advanced features, shortcuts, and reporting functions that even some full-time employees may overlook.

When you can complete tasks more efficiently, generate accurate reports with ease, and troubleshoot minor issues independently, it signals to management that you are ready to handle ongoing responsibilities. Mastering these tools shows initiative, technical competence, and dedication, making it clear that you bring long-term value and deserve a permanent place on the team.

I’ll put it this way: the fastest way I’ve seen people move from seasonal to permanent is by showing they understand the bigger financial picture behind the job. For example, if you’re staging or managing properties, dig deeper into how those improvements affect value and return on investment. That initiative proves you’re thinking like a finance professional, not just filling a temporary role.

Know your why. Understand why you are pursuing the opportunity and think through how you can use the experience to grow. What you’re willing to put into a job reflects what you will get out of it. Regardless of the length of a role, strive to be the best you can be while you’re there. Remember, you are always building your brand. Be inquisitive, hungry and coachable.

Turning a part-time or seasonal role into a full-time, permanent finance career often comes down to demonstrating value beyond the basic requirements of the job. Employers look for individuals who show initiative, adaptability, and a genuine interest in contributing to the organization’s long-term goals. One specific piece of advice I give is to treat every temporary role as an audition for your future career. Even if the position is entry-level or short-term, the way you approach it can set you apart. Show up with professionalism, reliability, and a strong work ethic; these qualities are noticed quickly in finance, where accuracy, trust, and consistency are critical. Go beyond your assigned tasks by volunteering for additional responsibilities, offering to support projects, or finding ways to improve processes. For example, if you’re working in a seasonal bookkeeping role, look for opportunities to streamline reports, identify cost-saving measures, or help prepare financial data more efficiently. This kind of initiative signals that you are not just filling a temporary gap, but actively contributing to the company’s success.

Networking within the organization is also vital. Build relationships with managers, senior finance staff, and colleagues by asking thoughtful questions, seeking feedback, and showing a willingness to learn. Many permanent roles are offered to people who are already “proven” within the company because employers prefer candidates who understand their systems, culture, and expectations. Position yourself as someone invested in the company’s growth, not just your paycheck.

Finally, make sure your skills match the trajectory you want. Use the part-time job as both a learning experience and a springboard: pursue certifications, sharpen technical skills like Excel or financial analysis, and stay updated on industry trends. When an opportunity for a permanent role arises, you’ll not only have the track record of strong performance but also the credentials to compete effectively.

In short, the best way to turn a temporary finance role into a career is to treat it like the foundation of something bigger. By exceeding expectations, showing initiative, and aligning your skills with long-term opportunities, you transform yourself from a seasonal hire into a valuable asset the organization will want to retain.

Turning a seasonal role into a full-time position often depends on how you approach the opportunity. Don’t limit yourself to the tasks outlined in your job description. Look for areas where you can add value, whether it’s streamlining a process, assisting a colleague, or suggesting improvements. Employers notice initiative, and it signals that you’re invested in more than short-term work.

Finance is a field where precision and reliability matter, so show consistency in your performance. Meeting deadlines, producing accurate work, and maintaining professionalism every day sets a strong impression. If you’re viewed as dependable and solutions-oriented, you stand out when management evaluates long-term needs.

Finally, make it clear you want to grow. Express interest in full-time opportunities and ask for feedback on what skills you should develop. Sometimes, letting leadership know you’re serious about a career path is the catalyst for turning temporary employment into a lasting role.

Treat the role as a live internship rather than temporary work. The biggest mistake I see people make when working a seasonal/temporary job is treating it casually. In other words, they don’t give their best because they know they will be gone in a few months.

However, you can easily turn a temporary job into a permanent career by building transferable skills and showcasing them in ways that go beyond the tasks you are paid for. For example, if you are working temporarily in a retail bank branch, think beyond processing transactions. Maybe you can volunteer to help with reporting, shadow colleagues in lending, or sit in on financial planning meetings.

Those extra steps you take demonstrate initiative and curiosity. Most importantly, they allow you to create a solid story to pitch to top management or future employers: “I started in a temporary role, but I used that time to build strong analytical and client-facing skills that directly connect to finance.”

Such positioning is powerful in job interviews because it shows that you weren’t just hoping for a promotion; you were already acting like a professional in finance.

In making the shift away from part-time, seasonal work and into full-time work in finance, take a mindset of providing measurable value. In every role I have had, employees who identify an opportunity for an enhancement in a financial process, take ownership of the improvement, and achieve measurable results are recognized. An example of this would be improving the efficiency of reporting or refining a budgeting process that leads to demonstrable savings or better analytics.

Employers are looking for employees who show they can add value to the organization. Whether that value is added through increased profitability for the organization, reduced errors in processing, or improved client satisfaction, your ability to quantify the impact and communicate it provides better readiness for a full-time role in finance.

My advice is to treat every seasonal role like it’s already a career audition. In finance especially, managers are watching for people who show initiative beyond the job description. If you’re hired for basic tasks, look for ways to add value i.e., ask thoughtful questions about client strategy, volunteer to take on small projects that free up your supervisor’s time, or find ways to make a process more efficient.

I’ve seen employees start part-time and move into permanent roles simply because they made themselves indispensable. The transition happens when leadership realizes you’re not just filling a seat, you’re contributing to growth. In my own career, I’ve rewarded people who approached short-term work with that mindset.

So the tip is simple: act like the job you want, not the one you have. It signals you’re ready for the next step.

An employee can develop a permanent career in finance from a seasonal part-time job by volunteering to do the tasks permanent employees loathe doing during their seasonal period. Every finance department has its boring tasks; nobody wants to reconcile old accounts, update client databases, or clean up chaotic filing systems. Seasonal workers who work on these jobs emerge as vital since permanent workers recall how much easier their work was.

Focus on problems that waste the company’s time and money during peak periods. Document exactly how much time your solutions save and hand those numbers over to management sometime before your contract ends. The idea is to be so valuable in solving problems that the permanent staff dread having to deal with that you go from being temporary help to being a permanent asset they can’t afford not to have.