Holiday employment scarce for students
Many employers are not opting to hire as many seasonal workers as in previous years.
Shadae Lee
Contributing Writer
Normally the holiday season provides an abundance of job openings for student employment seekers. However many employers, including retailers and shipment companies, are not opting to hire as many seasonal workers as in previous years. Employers are keeping current employees and giving them additional hours if necessary, VCU Career Center manager Sue Story stated in an e-mail. UPS, one of the nation’s largest shipment companies, is usually one of the key places to land a job for the holiday season. But according to UPS manager Sandra Moorey, the chance of hiring employees for this holiday season is unlikely.
“I have noticed a decline of seasonal employment this year,” Moorey said. “We plan on keeping our existing staff and have no plans to hire anyone during the holidays.” According to Christine Jefferson, a Burlington Coat Factory sales associate, seasonal employment offers limited hours and might end before expected. Holiday work offers extra spending money, networking opportunities and experience, which possibly can lead to a permanent job, according to Story.
Christine Golden, an exercise science major and Panera employee, said she plans to work during her time off from school over the holiday season. “I feel bad for the people who don’t have jobs,” Golden said. “We have people come in here and asking if we’re hiring. I was lucky. I had already been working here before college.”
Some students have made other plans for the holiday break. Jillian Gonzalez, a fashion merchandising major and Tropical Smoothie employee said she plans to head home to Virginia Beach and will not be working. “I used to work at home but I think I just need a break from this semester,” Gonzalez said. “I know that sales aren’t up for the holiday (season) because I’m a fashion merchandising major.
If you’re trying to get a seasonal job, you probably won’t get one because stores already know how many employees they need and have already filled those positions.” Recently snagajob.com released a list of tips seasonal job seekers could use to land a job with companies that are hiring during this year’s holiday season. Snagajob.com suggests employment seekers should apply for a job everywhere including restaurants, hotels and warehouses.
Seasonal job seekers also should be flexible with availability. “In this challenging economy, we encourage everyone to continue their job search,” Story stated. “Holiday time is no exception.”
For more information on companies currently hiring seasonal workers, visit www.snagajob.com/seasonal-jobs.
