Holiday jobs are a win-win situation for everyone involved. Employers get temporary positions filled while seasonal workers earn extra money.
Great for moonlighters, stay-at-home parents or retirees, a holiday gig can increase income when it’s needed most. Also, many companies offer generous discounts to holiday employees.
Temporary gap-fillers
While some advertised holiday jobs could evolve into permanent positions, most are offered to help employers – particularly retailers – fill the gap during the busy holiday months.
Fortunately for Omaha-area residents, there is no shortage of companies that seek extra help for the holidays.
Retail positions available
Most people think of work in a busy retail store when they envision a holiday position. While that’s certainly one viable option, there are more from which to choose. For those who want a retail position, places like Target and Wal-Mart, and almost every retail store in area malls, seek seasonal employees.
These holiday workers can expect to help with stocking, customer service and just about everything else that goes into running a store.
Holiday hiring soars
“The holidays are our busiest season,” said Kelsey Bugjo, Public Relations & Corporate Communications Director of Omaha Steaks.
She said it takes a lot of additional people to successfully pull off a busy holiday season. Places like Omaha Steaks typically hire seasonal help for call center personnel, warehouse workers, data entry and logistical support.
“We’ll add 4,000 additional employees, both full- and part-time all across the company,” Bugjo said. “It’s not limited to the call center. We’ll even be hiring for maintenance positions.”
If you want to keep holiday weight gain at bay, consider a physical seasonal job. UPS recently announced it would hire around 95,000 seasonal delivery workers during the holidays. Package handlers are constantly moving and generally enjoy a good hourly wage.
Possible perks & benefits
The obvious benefit of a seasonal position is extra income for holiday expenses. Some temporary jobs come with more benefits than others. You should weigh the benefits before taking a position, just like with a full-time job. Seasonal employee benefits can go far beyond a retail discount.
“We offer a re-hire bonus,” Bugjo said. “Seasonal workers are eligible for bonuses for attendance, productivity and referrals.”
That’s in addition to the discount Omaha Steaks employees receive.
Flexible schedules offered
Most companies offer seasonal workers flexible hours. So those who may have not otherwise applied because they only want to work a couple evening hours may still be hired.
A holiday job can also help you to get valuable work experience. You can either add to your pre-existing skills or diversify what you list as work experience.
It’s also an excellent way to get a feel for a company’s culture before you decide if it’s somewhere you might like to work permanently. Some seasonal employers do offer permanent positions to those holiday employees who are a good fit.
Expect to work hard
Many employers try to make their seasonal jobs sound like a real barrel of laughs. But it’s important to remember a seasonal job is still a job – you’re expected to work.
Holiday workers must arrive on time and do their jobs, just like everyone else. You may find yourself tasked with chores none of the regular employees want to do.
An irate customer doesn’t know or care whether you’re seasonal or permanent. If dealing with throngs of bargain shoppers on Black Friday makes your skin crawl, a holiday retail position may not be for you.
Area firms seeking help
Here is a brief list of some Omaha area employers that already seek extra help for the holidays. Contact any you’re interested in for more information.
- Alorica
- Cabela’s
- FedEx
- Gordman’s
- Hayneedle
- JC Penney
- Jo-Ann Stores
- Kohl’s
- Nobbies
- Old Navy
- Omaha Steaks
- Oriental Trading Co.
- Petsmart
- Target
- Toys R Us
- UPS
- Walmart
- Younkers
This isn’t an exhaustive list. If there is a company not listed that you’d like to work for through the holidays, check if they’re hiring.
Check out the OmahaJobs.com job fair calendar for more options.