If you are a front-line employee engaged in customer service, the holiday season may conjure up more than images of chestnuts roasting on an open fire. You may be seeing your blood pressure rise as your patience with your customers plummets. Of course, it makes perfect business sense for your boss that “the customer is always right.” From the viewpoint of front-line staff, however, this may feel like the addition of insult to injury during a time of the year when people sometime seem to abandon all sense of propriety in their quest for that holiday bargain.

So, in the spirit of healthy blood pressure levels for everyone who must serve customers this holiday season, here are a few survival tips to keep you going even when you want to drop-kick Santa’s elves right through the automatic doors:

• Smile. Perhaps the customer was treated badly in another place of business just prior to visiting yours. They may come in with a negative attitude, but you can smile and greet them in an upbeat and helpful manner. The first 5 seconds of your interaction with a customer will determine the tone of the rest of the transaction. Be proactive and positive.
• Listen. Many times a disgruntled customer simply wants to be heard. Conversely, nothing (nothing!) will make an already irritated customer completely irate faster than an employee who seems to blow off their concern, or who clearly doesn’t care. Practice active listening, which entails good eye contact, repeating the key points that the customer is explaining, acknowledging the customer’s frustration, and resolving to find a solution to the customer’s problem.
• Offer resolution. There should be something in your employers’ policies for dealing with frustrated customers or difficult situations. What is your company’s return policy? Can a customer get an upgraded exchange when a product is defective? Know what your options are, and offer the customer a solution in short order.
• Don’t engage in the conflict. Stay personally detached from the customer’s gripes, while doing what you can to serve that customer well. This can be difficult in cases where the customer makes it personal by insulting you. Stay above the fray and keep in mind that your hourly job is more important than one cranky customer. If someone gets rude and you feel that it is bordering on abuse, feel free to refer that customer to one of your co-workers with a statement such as, “Perhaps I can find someone who can serve you better, since you are having some difficulty right now.” Then go discuss the situation with a co-worker, and have them start ‘fresh’ with the angry customer. Sometimes that is all that is needed to derail a nasty conflict.
• Think about the other 99%. Most of your customers are nice people. They appreciate the service you offer them and come to your place of business because they like it. It is difficult, in the face of a rude customer, to not let that 1% get the best of you. Try to picture the smiling faces of happy customers. It will help get you through the day. You can’t make everyone happy, and while it is your job to give it your best effort, you have to realize there will be that 1% who will be determined to be unhappy despite those efforts – expect it, but don’t dwell on it.

Finally, keep a sense of humor. No matter what, the conflicts that you will inevitably encounter this holiday season are, in the scheme of things, utterly laughable. The fate of the world will undoubtedly remain unchanged by whatever transpires. Focus on what is really important to you this holiday season, and the rest will melt away all that much faster.

It’s not too late to find a seasonal job. Be sure to check out our seasonal jobs portal that lists all the companies hiring this holiday season!

Surviving Holiday Shoppers originated from HourlyCareers.com; where you'll find the best part-time jobs now hiring in your area.

With unemployment still sitting at record high levels, where is the best place to look for a second job you ask? Well, you’re in luck as we’re about to share with you the best places to find part-time jobs during the holidays. Consider these part-time hourly jobs when you begin your holiday job search this year.

Resort Jobs

How about a cool ski resort job? A ski/ride pass often comes with the job of working at ski resorts. These fun winter time jobs include ski patrol, instructors, groomer and lift operators. If you’re lucky enough to live near a mountain there just might be some unique job opportunities working at one of the local resorts. Most of these jobs are considered hospitality jobs and/or customer service jobs. Either way, consider a job at a resort this holiday season for something different.

Security Guard Jobs

A security guard (or security officer) is a person who is paid to protect property, assets, or people. As shopping malls see an increase in holiday shoppers the need to hire additional security guards increase. Most companies that hire security guards only require a high school diploma or GED along with a valid driver’s license with a clean background. Would a background check on you come up clean? According to the BLS, employment of security guards is expected to grow by 14 percent between 2008 and 2018. Grab one of these jobs now and it might become a permanent job due to the number of people retiring and the needs increase.

Package Handlers

Santa can’t deliver all the holiday packages on his own. That’s where UPS, FedEx and other small package shipping companies come in. Usually from early November until Christmas, these small package carriers are busting out some overtime and are looking for young energetic people to help deliver their packages.

The Job Openings:

• FedEx has announced plans to hire 20,000 temporary seasonal workers.
• UPS has said that they are hiring tens of thousands of temporary workers. The pay ranges from $8hr to $20hr for these seasonal jobs.

Sitting Jobs

During the holiday season many people travel and others work long hours. Both circumstances create an opportunity for those looking for sitting jobs. Whether pet sitting or house sitting there are plenty of sitting job openings during the holiday season.

Pet Sitting Jobs- Do you love animals? When a pet resort wont do, many pet owners turn to pet sitters to take care of their pets while they are away from home. Often times the pet is more comfortable being at home and having someone come to the house to let them out for potty breaks and a breathe of fresh air. If you love pets, have a driver’s license with dependable transportation, consider a part time job taking care of pets during the holiday season.

View all pet sitting jobs now.

Babysitting Jobs- Do you love kids? During the holidays many workers have holiday parties to attend. When the parents are out partying, someone has to watch the kids. That’s where you come in. Babysitting jobs are available on both a full-time and a part-time basis. Part-time babysitting jobs can include flexible hours which make it an ideal part time job for teens and college students looking for some extra cash during the holidays.

View all pet sitting jobs now.

Part-Time Retail Jobs

Many retailers have announced plans to staff up on hourly workers for the 2011 holiday season. Apply to retail jobs at employers like Macy’s, Target, Kohl’s, Walmart and other large retail stores. Best Buy announced plans to hire over 11k hourly employees, while Macy’s announced plans to hire over 78k hourly workers.

Big box retailers not your thing? Consider applying to smaller retailers in person. Most of the larger retailers we mentioned above accept online job applications and as you can imagine they must get thousands of job applications for their job openings. Smaller retailers don’t always post their seasonal employment opportunities online and will usually post a help wanted sign in their shop windows. We recommend you dress as if you’re going on a job interview (read: how to dress for a job interview) and visit your local shopping center in search of these smaller employers hiring seasonal workers.

Job Hunting Hint: Be sure to check out your local jewelry stores for seasonal employment. They get really busy during the holidays and most hourly workers forget about them when searching for a job.

Top companies seeking seasonal workers:

• UPS
• Macy’s
• Kmart
• Kohls
• Target
• Ann Taylor

– Find more holiday jobs.

Best Places to Find Seasonal Employment originated from HourlyCareers.com; where you'll find the best part-time jobs now hiring in your area.

Halloween which is right around the corner marks the official beginning of the holiday season – and the holiday hiring season.

A recent survey polled 1,000 hiring managers and found that…

• 51% of hiring managers will be hiring for seasonal jobs this this year – up 8 points since 2008.
• Each hiring manager, on average, expects to hire 4.1 seasonal workers – a 5 percent increase over last year’s 3.9 workers and a 32 percent improvement from a low point in 2009.

So if you want a seasonal job, apply now.

For example, Shutterfly, an online photo-sharing service, announced last week that it’s looking for 1,300 seasonal employees for $9 to $12.50 an hour. Retail giant Toys R Us is looking for a whopping 40,000 seasonal/hourly employees.

Bookmark this page if your searching for a job this holiday season as we will keep it updated with new companies hiring for seasonal jobs.

Seasonal Jobs Hiring Now

Publix just announced it’s hiring 500 seasonal employees for 21 of its stores in Southwest Florida.

Zappos has begun taking applications for 3,000 temporary jobs at its Shepherdsville fulfillment center. The pay for these hourly jobs start at $8.25 per hour for first shift and $9.00 for second shift.

Macy’s a large retailer recently announced that it plans to hire 78,000 temporary workers for the holiday season. Macy’s said this is an increase of 4% from last year, when the retailer hired 75,000 seasonal jobs. These seasonal hourly jobs are to staff Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s stores, call centers, distribution centers and warehouses that store products for online shipping. Most of the seasonal positions are part-time, with evening, weekend and overnight shifts required. The company said these temporary jobs can lead to year-round jobs “in some cases.”

Best Buy will add 15,000 hourly associates (Blue Shirts) while their phone support and distribution centers will add more than 3,000 hourly employees to provide customer support, and manage inventory for our stores and .com channel. These seasonal hires are in addition to the 200 permanent full-time employees that they are adding to their IT team, which were announced several weeks ago.

Seasonal Jobs 2011 originated from HourlyCareers.com; where you'll find the best part-time jobs now hiring in your area.

Shutterfly pays in the range of $9 to $12.50 per hour. If you want to earn an extra $1 per hour you can volunteer for the weekend shift. A retention plan/bonus has also been put into place for hourly employees with exemplary attendance records.

Shutterfly requires that each employee have at least a high-school diploma to be eligible for these seasonal jobs. On the job training is provided so don’t worry if you don’t have any digital-press, photo or bindery work experience.

After you’ve finished your seasonal job with Shutterfly, the company helps place workers in other jobs.

Seasonal Job Openings

Shutterfly is now hiring in it’s Phoenix, AZ and Charlotte, NC locations.

• Warehouse Workers
• Photo Operator (Seasonal)
• Bindery Equipment Operator (Seasonal)
• Digital Press Technician (Indigo) (Seasonal)
• iGen/Indigo Digital Press Operator (Seasonal)
• Seasonal Customer Service Representative – Customer Service Center
• Apply Now!

Seasonal Jobs at Shutterfly originated from HourlyCareers.com; where you'll find the best part-time jobs now hiring in your area.

Read on the learn the secret benefits of landing a seasonal job this holiday season.

As with most things in life, the early bird gets the worm. Most employers will begin hiring hourly workers in early fall. So even though it’s not the dead of winter it’s not too soon to begin your job search for a seasonal job. Many companies begin hiring seasonal employees in September, so you may also have a wider selection of opportunities the earlier you start. The competition is tough so the earlier you start the better your advantage in beating out the procrastinators.

Benefits of a Holiday/Seasonal Job

Though the holiday season lasts only a few months, the benefits of holiday employment can last you far into the future.

Extra Income
One obvious benefit is the extra income you earn to buy gifts for others or yourself, pay off debt, take a much needed vacation, or just save for a rainy day. The list can go on and on.

Discounts
Many companies offer their employees a discount on company merchandise or services, ranging anywhere from 30% off of store items to free meals while at work. Employers like Bed Bath & Beyond and Babies R Us offer store discounts for employees. These company perks can make your holiday shopping less expensive and less time consuming. Or, you could just buy more fun things for yourself.

Expand Your Resume
A holiday job can also help you expand your resume with additional work experience. It shows potential employers that you are eager to work in your free time, even if the position does not last year round. If you don’t work full-time, like most students or stay at home parents, seasonal employment can help keep your resume current and fresh.

Seasonal to Permanent
If you are looking for a permanent full-time job, holiday work can provide that much needed foot-in-the-door to a great company. If this is your goal, consider the long term opportunities at the company when searching for a position. Once you get the job, ask about the hiring process for permanent full-time positions. Let your boss know that you are interested in staying on after the holiday season. Remember to work hard and show your boss that you are a valuable, indispensable employee.

Getting Started

Start Early and Don’t Give Up
As previously mentioned, the earlier you start your holiday job hunt, the better off you will be. Planning early takes some stress off your job search. You will be competing with fewer people for more positions the earlier you start looking. Don’t panic if you get off to a late start, companies may add jobs into late November if the season is proving busier than expected.

Be Flexible
Holiday job seekers need to have flexible schedules because employers want to fill the gaps in their regular schedule. Holiday store hours tend to change from the regular “10 to 9″ that most people are used to during the rest of the year. Stores open earlier, close later, and require their employees to stay longer to organize inventory after a busy day. Be prepared to be flexible with your schedule before you start applying to holiday positions.

Apply Online
The traditional “pavement pounding” job search is time consuming and inefficient. Applying for jobs online is faster, easier and you can apply to as many different companies in your local area as you want in just a few minutes. You can also apply any time of day or night, without the constraints of store hours. Getting started right away is as simple as entering in your zip code to find jobs in your area.

Remember the early bird gets the worm – or, in this case, the great holiday/seasonal job.

Secret Benefits of Seasonal Jobs originated from HourlyCareers.com; where you'll find the best part-time jobs now hiring in your area.

If you’re an individual who takes great pride in your work and values working in a team oriented environment, Home Depot wants to talk to you about their seasonal employment opportunities.

So, if helping people comes as naturally to you as smiling, and you want to work at the leading home improvement specialty retailer, then perhaps one of the following seasonal positions may be right for you.

Home Depot is now hiring for the following seasonal job opportunities:

• Sales Associates provide fast, friendly service to customers by answering questions and helping with home improvement plans.
• Lot Associates assist customers by loading their vehicles and maintaining a pleasant and clean store entrance.
• Cashiers provide quick and accurate checkout service to customers at our registers.
• Freight Team Associates members typically work overnight stocking merchandise and organizing the sales floor to create a pleasant and safe shopping environment.

Hourly associates work flexible schedules, including nights, weekends and holidays.

View all Home Depot job openings and apply today!

The Home Depot was started in Atlanta, GA in 1978. The Home Depot now operates over 2,200 stores worldwide and was recognized by FORTUNE magazine as the #1 most admired specialty retailer in the U.S., and the #13 most admired corporation in America.

60k Seasonal Job Openings at Home Depot originated from HourlyCareers.com; where you'll find the best part-time jobs now hiring in your area.

Recent announcements from some of the largest companies that hire temporary part time retail workers (Macy’s, JCPenney, Walmart and Target) have made it clear that collectively they have plans to start hiring to the tune of about 259,000 new jobs.

To hourly workers it’s great news indeed! It was reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that in 2009 retail employment grew by 501,400 workers in October, November and December. That was up 54% from 2008, but still well below pre-recession levels.

“This year we expect to see further gains in seasonal hiring, but it probably will not achieve the levels we saw in 2006 or 2007, when retailers’ holiday payrolls grew by 746,800 and 720,800, respectively,” said John Challenger, chief executive of Challenger, Gray & Christmas. “There is still a lot of doubt about the sustainability of this economy.”

Half of hourly hiring managers are planning to bring on temporary workers this season, up 3% from last year, according to a recent survey by SnagAJob.com, a job search site that exclusively caters to hourly positions. They also are hiring more workers than they did last year. Each hiring manager, on average, expects to hire 3.9 seasonal workers, a 26% increase over 2009.

“These holiday hiring indicators from the front lines of business make us cautiously optimistic that things are turning in the right direction,” said Shawn Boyer, chief executive of SnagAJob.

In addition to retail stores, SnagAJob’s Boyer recommends that seasonal job seekers consider shipping companies like UPS and FedEx, catering companies, seasonal photography jobs, restaurants, security firms and movie theaters that also see a boost in business over the holidays.

2010 Holiday Hiring Season originated from HourlyCareers.com; where you'll find the best part-time jobs now hiring in your area.

We know how hard it is to find a job these days. At times it can be downright frustrating. Leave it to us to look at the brighter side of things. We are about to share with you the positive news we’re hearing from companies that are offering seasonal jobs this holiday season.

First, The Good News
This year retailers and other industries expect holiday hiring to increase by as much as 54% over 2008 levels. Last year, 501,400 seasonal workers were hired in October, November and December, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a 30% increase from 2008, when holiday hiring fell to a 22-year low of just 384,300 workers. Still, the figure is nowhere near 2007 levels, when 720,800 jobs were added.

Nearly half of the hiring managers surveyed by CareerBuilder.com in a variety of fields expect to pay $10 per hour or more for seasonal employees, 9% expect to pay $16 or more per hour, 32% said they plan to pay between $8 and $9 per hour, and 19% expect to pay $6 to $7 per hour.

Companies Hiring Seasonal Workers

Here is a list of 5 companies now offering seasonal jobs for temporary and seasonal workers.

In case you didn’t know… another benefit to working a temporary seasonal job is that most companies offer in-store discounts for people working seasonal jobs. Be sure to ask your employer once you find your seasonal job.

1. Best Buy

Best Buy has announced plans to hire an additional 29,000 hourly workers for the 2010 holiday season. With the forecast of more people opening their wallets for holiday shopping, Best Buy has no choice but to hire more seasonal workers.

Best Buy has already said that Apple iPad and Galaxy tablets are hot for holiday gift items. In addition, Microsoft just launched its new Xbox with Kinect game console. Microsoft expects to sell 5 million units during the holiday season and surely Best Buy will sell some of those units.

Search for local Best Buy Jobs now!

2. Kohls

Kohl’s has reported plans to hire 40,000 employees for the 2010 holiday season which equates to a 20% increase in new hires over the 2009 seasonal hiring trend. Over 30% of Kohl’s sales come in the holiday season.

Kohls: Company Info | Jobs

3. UPS

UPS has announced plans to hire 50,000 temporary employees. Part-time positions are available for the holiday season and often beyond. They’re typically for Package Handlers, working at our sorting facilities. These are jobs tailor-made for energetic, motivated people with holiday spirit to spare.

Search for local UPS jobs now!

4. Macys

Macys has reported that they plan to hire an additional 65,000 hourly workers this year. As a seasonal worker for Macys you will have the opportunity to work a flexible schedule on a temporary basis, including weekends and busy events such as the day after Thanksgiving and the day after Christmas. And don’t forget – just in time for holiday shopping, you will receive an employee discount of up to 20% starting your first day!

Search for local Macys jobs and fill out an online Macy’s job application now!

4. Target

Although Target hasn’t stated the number of hourly workers they plan to hire this holiday season, we know they are hiring. Retail sales are expected to grow in 2010 and Target will need more people to stock shelves and work the cash registers.

Target: Company Info | Jobs

More Jobs

The companies mentioned above are only a handful of companies hiring for the 2011 holiday season. There are plenty more companies that have retail jobs, restaurant jobs and customer service jobs that need to be filled by people just like you.

If you’re ready, why not start your job search now?

Looking for Seasonal Work? originated from HourlyCareers.com; where you'll find the best part-time jobs now hiring in your area.

Hershey Jobs

Hershey is a world-class entertainment & hospitality company built upon a tradition of success that was established by Milton S. Hershey.

At Hershey Entertainment & Resorts, you will find a company that is committed to creating workforce diversity and to establishing and maintaining a stimulating work environment where all employees feel valued and included.

If you’re looking for a seasonal or summer job that offers lots of great benefits and fun all wrapped up in one, you need to consider a seasonal job at Hershey Park. In order to ramp up for another busy season, Hershey Park has already listed hundreds of hourly jobs that range from lifeguards to bartenders. Hershey Park has almost 500 job listings posted online so that you can search for and fill out an online job application for free. Don’t wait, start your seasonal job search with Hershey today!

Available hourly jobs at Hershey include:

• Attendants
• Child Care Workers
• Cooks
• Host/Hostess jobs
• View all Hershey Park jobs

Fill out an online Hershey Park job application at SnagAJob.com now!

Now Hiring – Hershey Jobs originated from HourlyCareers.com; where you'll find the best part-time jobs now hiring in your area.

For immediate release: UPS is now hiring part-time Package Handlers, Delivery Drivers and Helpers! UPS has seasonal full-time jobs during the day as Driver Helpers Thanksgiving–Christmas! Weekends off!

Now hiring driver helpers- Work in your own neighborhood – no driving required. Varying hours 8AM – 8PM. Driver picks you up near your home and drops you off there at end of day. This temporary seasonal job is great for college students on break and people looking for extra work!

UPS Job Openings

Part Time Package Handler – Seasonal Job
Working part-time as a package handler is ideal for working students and anyone looking for some extra cash! Working as a UPS Package Handler pay about $8.50 – $9.50 per hour. If you can handle lots of walking, lifting packages weighing in at 25-35 lbs (sometimes 70lbs.) and possess excellent customer service skills, please apply today.

Full Time City Driver
UPS Freight is now hiring individuals to work as Full-Time City Drivers. This full-time job involves the driving of a tractor-trailer and the daily pick up and delivery of freight from numerous commercial and residential customers on a given route.

Full Time Dry Van Driver
UPS Freight Truckload is hiring individuals to work as Full-time Dedicated Dry Van Drivers. This position involves the driving of a tractor-trailer for the over-the-road delivery of freight to two or more locations.

UPS also has many part-time (seasonal and permanent) jobs near you 4 shifts – day/twilight/night/sunrise – consistent hours)!

Monday to Friday With Weekends Off! UPS Actively Promotes From Within. It is the entry job for most UPSers. If interested in the Part-time Package Handler position, we strongly urge you to apply for night (approx. 10PM -2AM) or sunrise shift (approx 3:30AM – 7:30AM) openings for greatest opportunities.

Browse all of our seasonal jobs that include UPS Package Handlers and Driver Helpers. Learn What Brown Can Do For you!

UPS is an equal opportunity employer. Tuition assistance programs vary by location up to $3,000/year and are available for permanent Part-time Package Handlers only.

See other delivery driver jobs in your area now!

Now Hiring – UPS Seasonal Jobs originated from HourlyCareers.com; where you'll find the best part-time jobs now hiring in your area.