Hiring Opportunities for the 2010 Holiday Season - Hire Imaging

Hiring Opportunities for the 2010 Holiday Season - Hire Imaging Photo by Kevin Dooley Wanted: Reindeer, must fly Flying reindeer wanted Position involves transportation of both physical and human assets. Applicant must have current pilots license, and must have antlers no less than 2 meters in span. No red nosers need apply. Good pay, seasonal work, and liberal benefits. Apply to iwanttobeonsantasreindeerteam dot com. (from Kevin Dooley, Flickr) I’ve spoken with many people who are seeking seasonal employmentâ€"either because they are unemployed or just hoping to earn some extra income over the holidays. The good news is that companies are hiring. The not-so-new-news is that the economy is still rough; competition will be fierce. With October’s arrival, it’s the perfect time to pursue   seasonal employment; waiting till November or December may find you scrambling to find the best fit. The outplacement firm, Challenger, Gray Christmas estimates that between 500,000 and 600,000 seasonal retail jobs will be created this year, which is up from last year. Tory Johnson, CEO of Women For Hire and Good Morning America’s Workplace Contributor, says that some of the giant retailers are hiring. Here are a few and their seasonal hiring predictions: JC Penney will add 30,000 holiday jobs, beginning in mid-October through the shopping season. ToysRUs will add 45,000 jobs, including 10,000 for their 600 new pop-up express sites. Macy’s plans to add 65,000 seasonal jobs. Things Remembered will hire about 3,000 part-time seasonal workers for its personalized gift retail operations. Wal-Mart doesn’t give out specific numbers, but says it will hire about the same number of holiday employees as it did last year. Johnson’s advice is to walk through your local mall or shopping areas. Many opportunities exist where there are no advertised openings. Do a bit of cold-calling; ask! Be ready to fill out an application, and follow up on your status. She also advises being flexible for days/times you’re willing to work. She says it’s a good idea to double up, because most seasonal jobs pay minimum wage to $12 an hour (average), with part-time hours most likely. To optimize your income, you may want to juggle more than one seasonal position. Perhaps you’re not thrilled about working retail. Johnson says that there are home-based seasonal work opportunities with reputable companies as well. They range from gift advisors to sales, customer service, technical support and collections. Here are some: Alpine Access (750 seasonal openings) VIPdesk (600 seasonal representatives) Convergys (800 seasonal gift advisors) Arise (6,000 seasonal agents) Johnson warns that you should research these jobs. Each company varies in training, and employees versus contractors or incorporated agencies. She says to visit their websites for details on technical requirements (computer, Internet access and phones, etc.) as well as sought-after skill sets. She also cautions that you may have to reapply for seasonal-versus-full-time openings. Other potential opportunities include shipping and security services, as well as sitter servicesâ€"all which increase in demand during the holidays. Allied Barton will add about 1,000 security guards for the holidays. UPS plans to add 50,000 national hires (driver helpers, package handlers, etc.). FedEx has not revealed numbers, but would be a logical bet for ramped-up staffing needs. Care.com and SitterCity.com are two trusted caregiver sites cited by Johnson. Here’s the link to the Good Morning America’s segment with Tory Johnson, and a more complete listing of opportunities and related advice. Companies are hiring for the holiday season! Do your homework, get out in person where you can, be prepared with résumés and ready to complete applications, be flexible and get a jump on the competition!