How to Increase Chances of Getting a Holiday Job
Hospitality, Customer Service, Retail Sales Top Positions for Season
Nov 9, 2009
Despite the high unemployment rate, holiday jobs are available this year, but competition is fierce according to a survey conducted by Career Builder.com. Hiring managers still need workers (nearly one in five employers say they do), but with the unemployment rate hovering at around 10 percent, expect fierce competition with the jobless for seasonal work.
Popular Holiday Jobs
The positions that are hot prospects for seasonal work include:
- customer service
- retail sales
- administrative/clerical
- hospitality
- shipping/delivery
- inventory
- technology and accounting/finance.
According to Career Builder’s survey, of those hiring seasonal employees in the 4th quarter of 2009, 41 percent will hire 1 to 10 employees, 17 percent will hire 11 to 20, 17 percent will hire 21 to 50 and 25 percent will hire more than 50.
Hourly Wages for Seasonal Work
The economic slump means that managers are looking to trim budgets; nearly 15 percent of those surveyed said that they plan to decrease pay for seasonal workers (the bright side: 12 percent said they will increase pay).
What can seasonal workers expect in their paychecks? Forty-four percent of hiring managers expect to pay $10 or more per hour and 12 percent expect to pay $16 or more per hour. Thirty-four percent of hiring managers plan to pay between $8 and $10 per hour and 20 percent expect to pay between $6 and $8.
Increase Chances to Get a Part Time Holiday Job
Here’s some CareerBuilder tips on getting a leg up on the competition:
- Apply early. If you start looking in December you probably are too late.
- Do research. Don’t apply to a company without knowing a thing or two about it. With the Internet it's easy to do some preliminary research before you go into an interview. Familiarize yourself with the company’s products and services.
- Get enthusiastic. According to the survey, nearly half (48 percent) of employers say they were turned off by a candidate who lacked enthusiasm during their interview.
- Dress professionally. Are you interviewing with the Gap? Dress in an outfit from that store – or at least stay away from clothing that comes from a competitor. The survey revealed that 11 percent of hiring managers said that candidates who interviewed for a job in a competitor's ensemble were ultimately not considered for the open position.
- Have a flexible schedule. Almost half of the managers surveyed said they were likely not to hire a person who refused to work certain hours. Remember, seasonal hours fluctuate and you need to be flexible.
While competition for holiday work may be fierce, get a jump on landing these seasonal jobs by applying for the job ahead of the pack, knowing the company, showing enthusiasm to work, dressing the part, and maintaining an open mind about scheduling.
Source: CareerBuilder.com
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