For those considering earning some money while getting cool discounts on goods like clothes or cosmetics during winter break, The Accolade has sent News editor Irene Park to scour the Brea Mall and Target at nearby Amerige Town Center in hopes of finding which stores have seasonal job opportunities. Here’s what she found.

“Excuse me, where can I find this product?”

“Can I speak to the manager?”

“Do you guys have this dress in another color?”

Those were some of the common questions shoppers asked during a Nov. 3 visit to the Brea Mall, where customers tend to increase significantly during the November-December holiday season.

To accommodate for the higher than normal pedestrian traffic, shops from Levis to Forever 21 tend to hire more staff – commonly known as seasonal helpers.

Guidance registrar Echo Wein, who’s in charge of processing students’ work permit applications, said Sunny Hills students have yet to catch on to the benefits of getting hired only for the holiday period.

“Most students get a [part-time] job at a restaurant or fast food type of place,” Wein said. “Retail is very limited.”

So for those with “limited” interest, here’s a list in alphabetical order of shops that’s still hiring these last two weeks of the fall semester and into the two weeks of winter break:

To apply: Go to forever21.com/us/careers/careers.html or go in person to the clothes and accessories store that’s across from Victoria’s Secret in Brea.

The store supervisor, who went by Elena E., said the store still needs sales associates. The hours usually range from 5-9 p.m. with a pay of $16 an hour; the position can last up to early January. Anyone 16 and older can apply.

“We look more on the availability. … But if their availability doesn’t align with ours, then it’s most likely they won’t get the job,” Elena E. said. “We also look for character, …We’re trying to get as many sales as possible, so we always look for those who are able to go out of their way to speak with the customers to actually get those sales in.”

The training process for seasonal and regular employees isn’t too different, although managerial positions aren’t available as a seasonal job, she said.

“We first train them on the floor so they can get a gist of how everything works, how everything is processed, placed and so on,” she said. “The cashier part comes a few weeks in because working on the floor is very easy and kind of logical to understand, but the register takes a bit more time because it’s a lot of little steps.

“And when it comes to retail, you don’t know what to expect and you don’t know what kind of customers you’re going to get.”

The fringe benefits? Workers get 50% off on select clothes, online discounts and stackable promotions, Elena E. said. 

Here’s one final bonus: “Some associates tend to do a very good job so they also can get offered a part-time position, but it just really depends on how they work [during] big [sales] events,” she said.

To apply: Go to lush.pinpointhq.com/#js-careers-jobs-block or go in person to the cosmetics store that’s nearby Hollister in Brea.

Sorry, juniors and underclassmen. This cosmetics shop offers jobs only to those 18 and older, so most of the hired help is in college, though seniors who meet the age requirement are eligible to apply.

Manager in training who goes by Becky F. said the company has been offering seasonal jobs since its founding in 1995.

The hours can vary based on the store’s needs and employees availability, with most usually working between 4-16 hours per week with a pay of $18.50 an hour; the position can last up to the end of January.

“We look for personality with our seasonal positions, and we’re really big on the vibe of our store and focus a lot on customer experiences and interactions,” Becky F. said. “So, we want people that are able to give other people a really lovely experience and are able to hold a conversation.”

The manager in training said the age limit exists because of California’s labor laws and restrictions on avoiding overworking minors. Also, high school schedules often aren’t flexible enough to accommodate the store’s needed hours.

So what’s the good news? So far, most of the hires are from the Fullerton and Pomona areas, Becky F. said. 

The fringe benefits: 50% off on select products as well as flexible scheduling to work around school schedules along with a program that allows employees to try out two free products every month, she said.

“Depending on what the season ends up like, we are usually able to keep on certain amounts of employees,” the manager in training said. “So it’s always an opportunity to get a potential long-term job.”

To apply: Go to https://jobs.target.com/ or go in person to the cosmetics store that’s next to Bath and Body Works in the Amerige Town Center.

Unfortunately, the store has closed its seasonal applications as of Dec. 5, but students can use this information to apply next year.

Target is also a store that accepts applicants that only are 18 years or older, with a starting rate of $18.25 per hour for seasonal work. 

The jobs include specialty sales, service and engagement and general merchandise and food sales.

Seasonal employee Alyssa Vasquez works in Fulfillment, which focuses on helping with organizing orders and preparing items for shipment.

Her hours tend to vary depending on how busy the store is, with certain days being more hectic than others.

“For Black Friday week, I did 33 hours, but for other weeks and what I’m scheduled for in the future, it’s like 26 hours,” Vasquez said.

Target also offers seasonal employees a chance to stay with Target after the holiday season ends, according to the store’s corporate website.

Although social science teacher Hera Kwon hasn’t worked a seasonal job since 2010, Kwon said she learned a valuable lesson that year being employed at the Glendale Galleria’s Ann Taylor clothing store.

“I thought I would get Christmas presents and a little extra spending money over the holidays,” said Kwon, whose employment started the Black Friday of Thanksgiving weekend and continued throughout winter break. “I ended up using my employee discount and spent my entire paycheck on clothes for myself or shopping inside the mall during my breaks.”

Her advice for those interested in seasonal work?

“Be careful with the employee discounts.”