Whether you are out of work or just need to supplement your income during the holiday season, now is a great time to begin looking towards companies who traditionally hire seasonal workers for the Christmas holidays. If you wait until November or December there is a strong possibility that all of the seasonal jobs might be filled so begin looking now!
While we may think of seasonal jobs as the domain of retail stores, there are open positions for people like me who prefer to not deal with frazzled shoppers during the holiday season. Let’s see who’s hiring seasonal workers for the 2012 Christmas and holiday season!
Warehouse
- Amazon is hiring more than 50,000 seasonal workers at its U.S. fulfillment centers. Considering that Amazon only has 69,000 full and part-time employees around the world, that’s a major addition.
Retail & Fulfillment Centers
- Macy’s is always great at hiring seasonal workers, and this year is no different. Macy’s will hire 80,000 seasonal workers at it’s Macy’s and Bloomingdales stores, call centers, distribution centers, and warehouses.
- Toys R Us says that it will hire 45,000 temporary workers, up 5,000 from last year. Some of these employees will be over night workers in its warehouses.
- Target plans on hiring between 80,000 and 90,000 seasonal workers this year, down from approximately 92,000 last year.
- Kohl’s plans on hiring a total of 52,700 seasonal workers, up from 40,000 in 2011. They also plan on hiring an additional 5,700 individuals to work in its distribution centers.
- Wal-Mart plans on hiring 50,000 seasonal workers and they will also ask existing staff to work extra hours.
- Also try just about any national retailer, especially clothing stores.
Distribution
- All of the delivery companies (UPS, FedEx and DHL) have to deliver your Christmas presents and online order on time, and they need extra people to do so. Analysts expect these companies to hire more than 70,000 seasonal workers to get packages out on time.
When applying for a seasonal job, treat the application process exactly the same as you would were you applying for a permanent position. Be sure to have your resume information match the information that you enter on your application.
If you are completing an application in store, be prepared to be interviewed on the spot. That includes being dressed appropriately, having multiple copies of your resume, and leaving enough time to be seen by multiple individuals.
If you are already working and just seeking to supplement your income, that’s fine! Be honest about your general availability and never over promise on the amount of free time that you have available. Also, be sure to play up your strengths and knowledge from your current job that is applicable to the job for which you are applying.
If you are looking for a permanent job, getting your foot in the door as a seasonal worker might be the ticket. Many companies keep a small percentage of seasonal workers as permanent employees. Toys R Us traditionally keeps approximately 15% of seasonal workers after the holidays. Be a model employee and be sure to let your manager know that you are also interested in a permanent position.
Good luck with your job hunt!