KILLEEN, TX — With the holidays just weeks away, the shopping season is about to kick into high gear. Retailers are on the hunt for seasonal employees. With low unemployment rates, they are competing for candidates.
“A seasonal job might be good for me because I’m a part-time student, too,” said Beyonce Bowers, a seasonal help applicant from Killeen. She is participating in a program through Workforce Solutions of Central Texas to ensure she is ready for the job market.
She says seasonal help gigs can often blossom into permanent work.
“We have companies that are looking for part-time jobs in hopes to hire full-time, so it’s great job experience to get your foot in the door with any company with a part-time position,” said Sandra Atkins of Workforce Solutions of Central Texas.
Target is one of the major retailers hiring this holiday season. The company is looking to employ 130,000 people.
“We’re pretty lucky...our starting wage rate is $13 an hour nationally. It’s quite a bit above the minimum wage. We definitely have quite an interest from individuals,” said Katrino Garcia, Harker Heights Target Store Director.
Many are offering perks to entice workers to join their team, including discounts and incentives.
Target is holding a national hiring event Saturday, November 2 and Sunday, November 3 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Better Business Bureau says that that holiday help can be a great opportunity. However, they also warn applicants about employment scams.
Here are some tips to avoid a job scam:
- Job seekers should be wary of a company that overpays an employee and asks them to wire the money elsewhere.
- Work-from-home offers are more likely to be scams.
- Some scammers are offering big bucks for simple tasks.
