It’s time to seek seasonal work

It's still ugly out there.

Nearly three years into Nevada's labor-market downturn, local jobs remain scarce. But the holidays are fast approaching, and that means fresh, seasonal opportunities for job hunters. State economists have said they expect an uptick in hiring during the holiday season, but there'll still be many more job seekers than positions available.

So we're here with some important pointers to help you stand out from the competition. Our biggest tip: Begin looking now. And by now, we mean yesterday. Most companies want their holiday staffs in place well before Black Friday, the mad sales dash that happens the day after Thanksgiving.

Need more advice? Read on.

Before you begin looking

Do your research.

Start with job boards such as NevadaJobBank.com, a compilation run by the Resource Partners staffing firm in Las Vegas, and NevadaJobConnect.com, the state Department of Employment, Training & Rehabilitation's placement service. National sites with local listings include SimplyHired.com and SeasonalJobs.com. Also, check out job offerings on websites for businesses that traditionally hire big during the holidays, including Macy's, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target and Toys R Us.

Once you've lined up some prospective employers, be relentless.

Tom Haynie, chief operating officer of employment agency Manpower of Southern Nevada, recommends that job hunters apply for as many positions as possible, and don't wait for the phone to ring with a callback for an interview before you reach out to your next option.

"The people who work the hardest in their search are the people who will find the jobs. You need to be out there looking until you actually land a job," Haynie said.

Before you begin applying, clear your résumé of all inaccuracies. Managers simply won't hire people whose backgrounds fail to mesh with their stated experience. If you've been unemployed a while, you might be tempted to hide that ongoing gap. Don't bother, said Michael Solomon, owner of two Great American Cookies stores inside local malls. Employers could receive a federal tax credit when they hire a worker who's been unemployed for at least 60 days, so that downtime can actually be an advantage in some cases.

Once you're searching

Don't wait until your interview to put your best foot forward. Always look great: Even when you're stopping by a business just to fill out an application, make sure you're well-groomed and dressed appropriately. Depending on the job, nice slacks and a golf tee or button-down shirt should be suitable when you apply. For an interview, a dress shirt and tie work fine; a jacket isn't necessary, Solomon said.

Haynie suggested walking through a store you're interested in working at and checking out what employees are wearing. Don something similar for your interview, and you'll have an easier time looking the part.

Once you land an interview, do a little more research, Solomon advised. Visit the company's website to learn a little about their goods or services. If you can cite some products or discuss a promotion the company launched, you'll give yourself an edge.

"It shows you're serious about this job, and that it's a big deal to you," Solomon said. "You're showing an interest in something that hopefully you and your employer are going to share."

During your interview, make regular eye contact, keep a positive attitude, smile a bit and answer questions concisely, without rambling and going on and saying stuff that's irrelevant because the interviewer didn't ask you about it but you feel like you should say something more even though you're really talking just to fill time because you're nervous. (Deep breath.) Got it?

Also, it goes without saying -- or maybe it doesn't, because Solomon has actually dealt with this -- but never answer your cell phone during a job interview. In fact, turn the phone off altogether. Nothing ruins a job interview like a funky ring tone. It may seem inconceivable to you, but you'll be hard to take seriously with the dulcet sounds of "Baby Got Back" or "My Humps" blaring from your purse or pocket.

Be discreet as well. It really is possible to give out too much information in an interview.

Among the head-scratchers Solomon's heard: The prospect who said he was fired from his last job for keying his manager's car; the former livestock worker who detailed how he prepared horses for stud duties; and the numerous candidates who recounted occasions on which they'd refused to provide customer service above and beyond expectations. Solomon's seen people bring friends along to sit in on interviews (a big no-no, in case you're not sure). Others have told him they don't even like cookies. That's not only impossible for any mortal Earthling to understand, but it's also not something to brag about, considering they'd be selling, well, cookies. It's important to be knowledgeable and enthusiastic about what you'll be promoting, Solomon said.

On a related note, don't say you're in it just for the retailer's employee discount. A study from job-search website CareerBuilder.com said that's a big turnoff among nearly a third of hiring managers.

"A lot of it comes down to your actions during your interview," Solomon said. "Anything that shows you're not paying attention, or anything that you do that I wouldn't want you to do or say in front of a customer, is going to be a deal-breaker."

other big dos and don'ts

If you've been looking a while, don't get discouraged. Boost your flexibility quotient, start looking outside retail and keep your hopes up going into December.

Start with that willingness to be flexible. It's a trait at or near the top of attributes hiring managers seek in holiday help, said Bill Werksman, managing partner of Resource Partners. Holiday operations can run during odd hours -- for example, ramping up on weeknights as consumers leave the office and hit the malls for some quick Christmas shopping before heading home.

Also, note that you're able to be on call. Companies often must bring in temp workers at the last minute to handle an unexpected surge in business.

And don't limit yourself to retail.

According to CareerBuilder.com, a third of all holiday jobs are in retail, but that means the vast majority of seasonal positions lie outside stores and malls. The job-search site's figures show 31 percent of seasonal jobs are in customer service, while 17 percent are in administrative and clerical operations. Shipping and warehousing make up 12 percent of positions, and the hospitality sector, which includes hotels and restaurants, claims 10 percent of seasonal posts.

Consider applying to party and event planners, gift-basket businesses and banquet halls, too. Security companies might need additional staffers to handle the crush of customers at malls and business centers. Be sure you also check with home-based customer-service providers such as Alpine Access and Arise Virtual Solutions. Such companies bring on home-based workers to help with traditional call-center functions such as processing customer orders and handling sales and service issues.

Finally, don't give up.

If nobody's hired you by Thanksgiving, keep looking at least into early December. Some big retailers actually begin some seasonal hiring in December. Home-improvement stores such as Home Depot prepare for springtime sales surges by initiating hiring in the winter.

More importantly, most businesses will draw up their 2011 budgets from October through December, and many of those companies will increase hiring in January and February. Getting your résumé in sometime in December can make your application one of the freshest in the pile when they do begin hiring in the first quarter, Werksman said.

Contact reporter Jennifer Robison at jrobison@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4512.