Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Seasonal stores offer best holiday employment BY JUSTIN CHAPPELL THE GAMECOCK As the semester begins to wind down and the much-antic ipated holiday break nears, finding holiday employment and earn ing a little extra cash becomes the next goal of many students. The sensa tion is all too familiar: You’re walking away from that last final exam feeling on top of the world and — SNAP! — economic re ality sets in and de mands a cure to the pen niless state of your bank account. While there aren’t any un employment agencies for the broke student seeking seasonal employment, some area busi nesses say they are feeling the holi day spirit and are hiring for an ex pected Christmas shopping rush. “Over the holidays, we hire high-school kids, college students and anybody that can drive and get to work on time,” said Spencer’s store manager Sarah Peacock. Despite national economic woes, management at The Gap said it is currently hiring employ ees for the holiday season and will hire about the same amount of seasonal help as in previous holi days. But it’s not a sure-hire situa tion. If it’s shoes that you fancy, Rack Room Shoes in the Columbiana Mall on Harbison Boulevard might dampen your ex citement. “I might hire one or two em ployees, but I won’t be increasing the staff very much,” store man ager Sherri Martin said. The pool of continuous em ployment opportunities offers slim pickings, but some business es seem receptive to college would be employees in search of a few week’s worth of holiday dough. “I usually go home and work holidays at a little cafe in Summerville,” said third-year bi ology student Ashley Hyman. For some students, seasonal employment isn’t an option be cause their choices are limited to a residence hall’s operation sched ule. “I won’t be working in Columbia over the holidays,” said third-year biology student Renee Thomason. “I don’t have a place to stay.” One seasonal-hiring theme does seem to ring true: Chain stores and Christmas-related retail out lets offer the best opportunities for employment. Hallmark manager Renee Wooten said she plans on hiring “six extra people during the holi day season because of business.” Many larger stores such as Wal mart, Target, JCPenney and oth ers provide online applications for job seekers. And while shoppers are busy buying their holiday gifts, third year print journalism student Jen Barclay will have a hand in pro viding consumers a break from the rigors of purchasing by fixing up a good cup o’ Joe. “I’m working at Starbucks in Five Points,” Barclay said. “It’s a great job and a good way to make money for next semester. ” So when you begin the search for that extra source of holiday cash, keep in mind those employ ers whose business centers on hol iday merchandise; they will prob ably be the most likely to ex change a few bucks for a few hours. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com -- ■ ;• ■ ■: v • . ' . \ , ■. From our Family to yours... JOHN BARRS " KRISTY BELL • MIRINDA CHESTNUT • NIKKI DAVIS " ANN FITZSIMMONS CYNTHIA GARRICK • JAN GEORGIANA • SARA GIBBS • MICHELLE GUIOER • DALE GRUEL RYAN HOLTZ • STEPHANIE HUGUELEY • KAREN KEI8LER • SHARON LEWIS • KATHY LORICK QUEEN MYERS * ANGIE NIEMAN • MELISSA OLIVARRI • HELEN POWELL * LAURIE RAUCH GLORIA ROGOZINK8I • ELLIE SEYMOUR • ANNE SHIVERS • CHARLES SMITH • VANESSA SPIRE FAITH SPRATLIN • TRACY WHITE • JIMMY WIDENER * and • FRANCES WOOTEN ... ^ 5jl **^3$ * * Carolina Collegiate Federal Credit Union 710 Pulaski Street • Columbia, South Carolina 29201