This was a busy PCS year across most of the services. Thousands of families moved. Thousands of spouses left jobs they loved behind.

Now, the search begins. But finding a job in a new town can be daunting, and, take a very long time. Our family has heard from friends around the country, both veteran and civilian, who are still out of work after six months of plastering their resume around town.

And for many, the future looks bleak.

Hopefully, the impending holiday seasons can help turn things around for many of us.

Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas bring with them merriment, mischief and extra jobs – as haunted house staffers, pumpkin pickers, Black Friday cashiers and exhausted, holiday season extra help. Every business from costume shops to UPS to malls typically hires more hands to lighten the load.

Retailers are the biggest employers but this may be a time to look for an unusual job that will lift your spirits as much as it fills your wallet. Every mall in America needs to hire staff to tend to the jolly old elf. Haunted hayrides, houses, cornfields and the like all need a crew to scream their way through the night. Nonprofits may be hiring hourly help to handle the extra casework. Moms and dads will definitely be hiring childcare workers to tuck the kids in on New Year’s Eve.

And sometimes, seasonal jobs turn into fulltime work for good employees.

So, if you are still looking for a job after a PCS, don’t despair. Holiday hiring is coming. Begin Googling local companies and search their online, careers pages to find out who is hiring and when. Tussling with the holiday shopping crowd may not be your dream job, but eventually the job you need may turn into a job you love.