Despite the crummy economy recently, many retailers are going to be adding seasonal workers to their employment rosters this holiday season. In fact, 18% of all retailers recently said that they were going to need extra help this holiday season with temporary workers. This is great news to the slew of unemployed workers who are out there currently looking for a job. The bad news is that there are a lot of applicants for just a few jobs. One recent study said that there were as many as six applicants per job opening currently in America.
Currently in the US, there are 15 million people unemployed, another 5.9 million underutilized or under-employed, and another 9.2 million part-time workers looking for jobs. To say that this holiday season’s job hunt will be brutal is an understatement. But, there are a few ways that you can set yourself out from the crowd and land that dream Christmas job this holiday season.
- Start Earlier. You need to start looking for your holiday job or second job this Christmas season now! Many of the nation’s retailers are starting their sales and holiday promotions. A lot of them are not waiting for Black Friday. If you wait until Thanksgiving to start looking, you will be left out in the cold. Start now!
- Be Flexible. If you want to set yourself off from the other job applicants, be flexible with your schedule. If you have a wide range of hours that you can work, then you will be more likely to get hired. Many retailers may not know how much help they need on any given day. So, it might work to your advantage if you mention to the interviewer that you are willing to be “on call”.
- Look At Stores You Frequent. One of the best places to find a job are at the stores that you frequent. Employers value workers who already know about their products and services. Then, they do not have to spend as much time training you on their businesses and wares.
- Look Beyond Retail. Most people only think of retailers needing extra help during the holiday gift giving season. But, there may be more opportunities at service oriented firms or shipping services. Service companies I have known friends who get jobs at package shipping companies or delivery services who need the extra help moving the tons of boxes that they receive as people ship gifts around the country and around the world.
- Make A Great First Impression. You would think that I would not have to say something like that, but sadly I do. Many young people think that they do not have try hard to land a part-time job during the holidays. They think that there are a lot that will be just handed out, but that’s not true. For once, employees need the employer more than the other way around. If you arrive early for your interview, fill out your application neatly, dress well to the interview, have a firm handshake, look the manager in the eye, have confidence, etc. you will stand out above 90% of your competitors. And, if you don’t think that this is a competition between you and the other 10% of America that are currently unemployed, you are making a tragic mistake.
If you follow these tips, you will have a leg up on most of your competition this holiday season. While there may be only a few seasonal part-time jobs around this Christmas season, there are still a few to be had if you approach your job search in the right way. Good luck.
A few bonus tips….
- Go back to where you have worked before.
- Think about food service related jobs.
- Consider outdoor seasonal jobs at ski resorts, etc.
- Look for a job helping people with their taxes.
Do you have any tips to landing a great Christmas job? Share them with us in the comments section.
{ 1 comment }
Everybody wants to make extra income, especially when you can do it at the comfort of your own home.
The only way that I can see possible for people to be making part time income would be through the Internet.
I know six first steps to make part time income.
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