RALEIGH, N.C. — If you’re in the market for a part-time or seasonal job this holiday season, you are in luck.

According to the National Retail Federation, retailers are looking to hire more than 700,000 employees this holiday season. Some are even sweetening the deal by offering higher wages and benefits for part-timers. However, with the good often comes the bad according to the Better Business Bureau, who says scammers are also looking to take advantage of a healthy market.

To help you snag the job you want and avoid getting scammed, the president and CEO of the BBB serving Eastern North Carolina, Mallory Wojciechowski, sat down with Spectrum News anchor Caroline Blair and offered the following tips.  

• Start the search soon. Retail, shipping, restaurants, and catering companies are common sources of seasonal employment. The BBB says this is the time for job hunters to determine which job suits them best, identify companies they’d like to work for, and begin submitting applications and resumes.
• Work where you shop. Try to identify seasonal employment opportunities at businesses where you shop. The BBB says you will already be familiar with the company and its products. Plus, discounts are often available to employees, meaning significant savings when it comes to shopping for gifts. Quite often, discounts range from 20 - 40 percent for seasonal employees.
• Always be prepared.  Even if you are just picking up applications at stores in the mall, the BBB says to always be ready for an interview. They say to dress neatly and bring a copy of your resume. They also urge job seekers to become familiar with the company’s brand and products. Retail job hunters need to focus on impressing potential employers with their customer service skills because they may be dealing with stressed-out shoppers, long check-out lines, and holiday returns.
• Be flexible. Full-time employees usually have first choice on preferred hours and shifts. Therefore, the BBB says as a seasonal employee, expect to work long, sometimes inconvenient hours, possibly including Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. If this is a second job in addition to your day job, the BBB says to be upfront and clear with your new employer about your available hours.
• Avoid job scams. There are always job scams out there that aim to steal money from victims or use their personal information to commit fraud. The BBB says to try and pick up an application in person or confirm the company website is legitimate if applying online. There have been $3 million in monetary loses so far this year, a 26 percent jump from a year before. And remember, that's just from the victims who reported it. 

To learn more information on seasonal jobs or to find out more about a businesss, visit the BBB’s website.