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You may be figuring that part-time jobs for your teenager during the holiday shopping season will be hard to come by.
Good guess.
Several surveys indicate retailers will follow a "go slow" hiring approach during the last three months of the year as nervous consumers continue to rein in spending. And despite a recent spurt in retail sales, few retailers "will take the risk of eating into slim profits" by adding workers, noted the job-placement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Last year, retail employment grew by 384,000 from October through
December, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As for the upcoming holiday season, Challenger, Gray predicts hiring "might improve slightly" over last year, "but only because 2008 saw the lowest seasonal employment growth in 20 years." Manpower Inc., another leading job placement firm, predicts much the same.
While hardly merry forecasts, Challenger noted that job seekers should be prepared to be on standby because the hiring surge could come later than normal this year if the economy continues to improve.
"Retailers may conduct interviews (in October) and prepare a list of candidates that they will call only when it becomes obvious that more manpower will be needed," the firm said.
Job-placement firms expect retailers such as Best Buy and Target will be hiring sales clerks and shelf stockers. Opportunities also may exist at grocery stores and catering companies.
There's a caveat to all this: A lot of out-of-work adults will be looking for seasonal job opportunities too.
Brittany Cline has run head-on into that workplace reality. The Raytown (Mo.) South High School junior is looking for work for Christmas break to earn money for college and a car. Having already applied to about 20 places, she's learned that "it's hard to find jobs that have openings. Most adults have the jobs due to the increase in layoffs."
That said, the early bird typically gets the worm.
"The key is separating yourself from the pile of applicants the store will see" by Halloween, said John Challenger, chief executive of Challenger.
Teens or college students coming home on winter break may be able to land a holiday-season job by following these suggestions:
Start looking now. Ask friends already working at companies that could need holiday workers. Consider familiar places where you shop, and talk to a manager about the application process. Are online applications required? What about teacher recommendations? Does the company offer employee discounts?
College students who held internships and other career-development jobs over the summer should reconnect with their supervisor about filling in during the holidays while full-time workers are on vacation.
Submit the job application only after a second set of eyes has reviewed it. They'll catch the mistakes you might miss. You'd be surprised at how many applications are tossed because of typos.
Dress appropriately for an interview, be on time, be enthusiastic and show some interest in the employer by asking questions. I can't emphasize enough the need for a prospective teen applicant to be prepared with a question or two when the interviewer asks if there's "anything you'd like to ask."
Be flexible in terms of hours and type of work. One of the biggest mistakes, according to hiring managers, is demanding a specific schedule. That attitude may be an interview killer.
Don't burn bridges. If you interview with a prospective employer but don't get hired, remember to write a thank you note to the person you interviewed with. Such thoughtfulness could pay off if a late opening occurs or if you reapply in the summer.
One additional motivator for your young worker: Good job performance during the high-pressure holiday season could be the ticket to summer work _ and a raise.
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ABOUT THE WRITER
Steve Rosen is assistant business editor at The Kansas City Star. Readers may write to him at: The Kansas City Star, 1729 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. 64108; e-mail: srosen@kcstar.com.
------
© 2009, The Kansas City Star.
Visit The Star Web edition on the World Wide Web at http://www.kansascity.com.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
Good guess.
Several surveys indicate retailers will follow a "go slow" hiring approach during the last three months of the year as nervous consumers continue to rein in spending. And despite a recent spurt in retail sales, few retailers "will take the risk of eating into slim profits" by adding workers, noted the job-placement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Last year, retail employment grew by 384,000 from October through
December, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As for the upcoming holiday season, Challenger, Gray predicts hiring "might improve slightly" over last year, "but only because 2008 saw the lowest seasonal employment growth in 20 years." Manpower Inc., another leading job placement firm, predicts much the same.
While hardly merry forecasts, Challenger noted that job seekers should be prepared to be on standby because the hiring surge could come later than normal this year if the economy continues to improve.
"Retailers may conduct interviews (in October) and prepare a list of candidates that they will call only when it becomes obvious that more manpower will be needed," the firm said.
Job-placement firms expect retailers such as Best Buy and Target will be hiring sales clerks and shelf stockers. Opportunities also may exist at grocery stores and catering companies.
There's a caveat to all this: A lot of out-of-work adults will be looking for seasonal job opportunities too.
Brittany Cline has run head-on into that workplace reality. The Raytown (Mo.) South High School junior is looking for work for Christmas break to earn money for college and a car. Having already applied to about 20 places, she's learned that "it's hard to find jobs that have openings. Most adults have the jobs due to the increase in layoffs."
That said, the early bird typically gets the worm.
"The key is separating yourself from the pile of applicants the store will see" by Halloween, said John Challenger, chief executive of Challenger.
Teens or college students coming home on winter break may be able to land a holiday-season job by following these suggestions:
Start looking now. Ask friends already working at companies that could need holiday workers. Consider familiar places where you shop, and talk to a manager about the application process. Are online applications required? What about teacher recommendations? Does the company offer employee discounts?
College students who held internships and other career-development jobs over the summer should reconnect with their supervisor about filling in during the holidays while full-time workers are on vacation.
Submit the job application only after a second set of eyes has reviewed it. They'll catch the mistakes you might miss. You'd be surprised at how many applications are tossed because of typos.
Dress appropriately for an interview, be on time, be enthusiastic and show some interest in the employer by asking questions. I can't emphasize enough the need for a prospective teen applicant to be prepared with a question or two when the interviewer asks if there's "anything you'd like to ask."
Be flexible in terms of hours and type of work. One of the biggest mistakes, according to hiring managers, is demanding a specific schedule. That attitude may be an interview killer.
Don't burn bridges. If you interview with a prospective employer but don't get hired, remember to write a thank you note to the person you interviewed with. Such thoughtfulness could pay off if a late opening occurs or if you reapply in the summer.
One additional motivator for your young worker: Good job performance during the high-pressure holiday season could be the ticket to summer work _ and a raise.
------
ABOUT THE WRITER
Steve Rosen is assistant business editor at The Kansas City Star. Readers may write to him at: The Kansas City Star, 1729 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. 64108; e-mail: srosen@kcstar.com.
------
© 2009, The Kansas City Star.
Visit The Star Web edition on the World Wide Web at http://www.kansascity.com.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
