DAYTONA BEACH -- "Now hiring" has practically become a sign of Christmas coming. Job seekers would be wise to pay attention.
"If (employers) are putting out their Christmas trees, they're gearing up," said Robin McCroskey, a staffing manager for Kelly Services.
Those who wait until after Thanksgiving to apply for seasonal jobs are going to lose out, employers said. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving when retailers usually hope their finances move into the "black" for the year, is usually the biggest shopping day of the year. So, retailers must hire and train in late October and early November to be ready.
Target, for example, started hiring Oct. 17. It doubles the size of its work force during the three-month period between November and January, said Danielle Kushner, a manager at the store on West International Speedway Boulevard.
"A lot of people don't realize how hectic it gets," Kushner said.
But, the excitement is also part of the attraction to working during the holidays.
"A lot of people like the adrenaline rush and the bustle," she said. "Some people thrive on it."
This season looks to be busier than normal, said Carlos Cuesta, regional manager of Manpower. Business for the staffing agency is up by 25 percent, he said.
"The economy is better, and unemployment is down," Cuesta said.
Elyse Hinson, area manager for Spherion, the staffing agency, also noted an "upswing in the requirement needs" by employers.
There are seasonal alternatives for those who don't like retail. Colleges, for example, do extra hiring to prepare for the spring semester, Hinson said.
For the past 12 years, Patricia Peters has worked a seasonal job at Angell & Phelps. She packages candies and does other production jobs for the chocolate maker. While Peters only works from late fall to early spring, Peters earns enough to support herself for the rest of the year.
"Christmas is our busiest time of the year," said Al Smith Jr., the owner of Angell & Phelps, 154 S. Beach St.
"Unlike everybody else, we make what we sell," Smith said. "We do a lot of mail business."
During the holiday rush, "we tend to get a lot of overqualified people looking to supplement their income," Smith said.
But Smith's father, Dr. Alvin Smith, actually provided Peters with her first job outside the home, she said.
He was oncologist at Halifax Medical Center who treated her husband, James, for cancer. When he passed away, Peters was in her early 50s and needed a job. So Dr. Smith hired her to work at his chocolate factory.
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