If you are eagerly looking for a job this holiday season and you are wondering where you should focus your job search efforts, the best answer would be in retail, grocery stores and even big box department stores.  Jobs in these industries at this time of the year are in high demand.  You must be thinking that everyone knows this and everyone will be applying at the exact same time and to the exact same places as you would.  But the trick is what can you do to make yourself standout from the rest of the applicants?

Make your employment wish list:  Think about the stores you love to shop in or you wish you could shop in.  You may know more than you think about these company's products and services which is crucial in impressing the employer and important in landing the position.  Make a list of the top 5-10 retailers you would like to work for and rank them in order from favourite to least favourite.

Apply online:  Most retailers require that you apply online only so that there is a record of your application in their system. However one's appearance and style are very important to many retailers.  So after applying online, go in person to each of the retailers you applied to and submit the exact same resume you sent online in person.

You made your list now check it twice: Here is where that list you created in step one is important. Take that list that has your favorite retailers ranked in order from favourite to least and flip it over.  You are now going to go to the employer first that you least like because if you mess up with them on your first official try of applying in person you would not feel so bad.  The overall goal is that once you make it to retailer number one on your list, you have mastered your sales pitch and you are also very confident in yourself therefore making a very good first impression with the manager.

Before you go!:  Before you approach the manager of the retailer you wish to work for to make sure you look the part.  Research the kind of clientele and style the retailer caters to. If you don't own outfits that you can wear for when you make your first approach, try and come as close to it as possible with whatever is in your closet.  This will ensure that you standout and you believe in their brand and mission. The best employees for a retailer are usually loyal shoppers.