It's a serious challenge to ramp up a seasonal operation from hibernation to full-combat mode every year. A huge part of that challenge is assembling a seasonal crew.

Hiring off of resumes doesn't quite cut it -- the seasonal world is fairly unique: Many of these employers are at the "end of the road" and so have to provide housing; seasonal operations have just a few months to pay the bills for the whole year; and there is a lot of planning and training that goes into staffing up from scratch each and every year.

Your availability, in addition to standard resume-type information, is critical to these folks in making seasonal hiring decisions. It might sound great to you to grab a job for June and July, then travel and visit family in August, but that kind of schedule can put an employer in a real bind come August. Your dates can be a deal-breaker.

To sort all of this out in order to make the best hiring decisions, employers ask you to fill out THEIR application form.

We've been asked why Cool Works® doesn't come up with a standardized form that job seekers can submit to many employers at once. Among the reasons why we don't do that are:

• One size does not fit all. A Ski Resort is different than a Camp which is different than a remote lodge in Alaska.
• These employers want to know that you really want to work for them. Filling out their application form, as opposed to shotgunning a resume to a lot of employers, is your way to sell yourself, and their way of knowing that you are committed.
• It's a complicated and difficult task to evaluate candidates and make hiring decisions. Whether it's charts on the wall, files in the drawer or tracking systems wired to online applications, those decisions flow from the application that you fill out.

A well crafted resume should still be part of your plan. It can help guide you through any application form and be a nice supplement to if you wish to submit it as well. Most seasonal employers also have some career opportunities and your resume may well be the ticket for selling yourself for those jobs.

When you are ready to hit the streets in search of a "real job" your seasonal work can add a lot of depth to your resume. It is not unusual for a sharp individual to have a few seasons under their belt by the time they graduate from college, having worked from the front-line up to a management position.

While living the seasonal dream you can acquire life experiences, friends and impressive resume ammo that your friends with high-powered internships could only hope for. These employers typically promote from within. Seasonal management positions pay better, will teach you more than a business class, will broaden your base, expand your skills and your network, and then the season is over. It can be a very nice way to try out some jobs in some beautiful settings and add depth to your resume and yourself.