Winter break is right around the corner and many retailers in your hometown are surely looking for seasonal employees to assist with the madness of Black Friday and the holiday season. This is the perfect opportunity for college students to earn some extra cash.

Mid-October is prime time for hiring holiday helpers, so the sooner you get on your applications, the better. The hiring process can be quite lengthy, so it is best you start applying in October when seasonal job listings are first posted.

The first step is finding the stores that are hiring. This isn’t too difficult at this time of year, as most retailers are looking for extra assistance, but you must know where to look. Job search engines, like Indeed and Monster, are great because they compile all the jobs you may be interested in in your area and even allow you to apply to some jobs directly on the site. If you have a specific retailer in mind that you would like to work for, you can go to the company website and there is usually a tab at the bottom of the page you can click on for career and job listings. Otherwise, it may be a good idea to open Google Maps and look for retailers near your house. Then if you see a store you may be interested in working at, you can go to their careers website to apply. This way, you can ensure you will not have too long of a commute if you are offered the job.

At Iona, you should take advantage of the Gerri Ripp Center for Career Development located on the second floor of Spellman. It is a great resource for resume, cover letter and interview assistance.

After applying to your jobs, you will hopefully hear back about attending an interview. Make sure you prepare by researching the company and practicing basic interview questions online. It is also helpful to know your strengths, which will help you to be more confident. It is also a good idea to have some questions prepared to ask your interviewer.

In the days following your interview, you should try to call the company you interviewed with and ask to speak with your interviewer. A follow-up phone call will show that you are really interested and serious about the role you are pursuing.

The job application process can be a lot, but if you take it one step at a time and get a start on them early, you will be fine. Just keep trying and stay confident!