Careers

Why look for just another job, when you can embark upon a whole new career? Learn about the latest developments in careers for military spouses. With your mobile lifestyle, there are certain portable careers that can offer you and your family stability and future growth. If you have any topics that you would like to see us write about, feel free to email the editor: info@salutetospouses.com
Holiday Help: How to Work for the Jolliest Man

The Christmas holidays bring hustle, bustle and extra expenses. One way to earn some extra cash while displaying the merriest of Christmas spirits is to work with the head elf himself at your local mall.

Jason Edburg, account manager and corporate trainer at Worldwide Photography, said a Christmas-time employee is part of a whole cast of characters who bring the Santa experience to life. The job titles include greeters, photographer, smile-getters and clerks.

Santa himself, however, hails straight from the North Pole, Edburg said. The company begins searching for his support staff as early as September and are looking for candidates “with a heart for the part.”

 “The cast and crew get the opportunity to make the first impression on our guests as well as the last contact in the Santa experience. If you have a willing heart and an attitude of Santatude, we are sure to find a spot on the set that’s right for you,” he said.

You may think the main task of the day on Santa’s set is to deal with screaming children, but Edburg said this job is so much more than the commercial trappings we think of as adults. Santa’s staff are truly part of the memories that families will cherish forever.

 “Children’s wishes are something we treasure as much as each parent treasures the wishes of their children and want to do everything they can to make those wishes come true. When visiting Santa, this is where wishes become a reality,” Edburg said. “As a cast or crew member you will need to be able to react to parents’ needs as they want to get a peak at the wishes of their children with Santa. We are able to capture that moment sometimes with a smile, a whisper, or perhaps a great big hug. Parents get to take these memories home. It’s not just a photograph anymore it’s the annual memories treasured by each parent. Our cast and crew have to be sensitive to those desires and make memories happen.”

And children are not the only ones who experience the magic of Santa. Staff members have also helped Santa orchestrate marriage proposals, early gift giving and other surprises that the public asks for his help organizing during a mall visit.

Edburg said often, staff members return year after year. His company services malls across the nation which means military spouses can return every Christmas despite their location. Potential employees interested in photography work will receive on-the-job training and there is room for advancement each year. If you have the Christmas spirit, Santa may just have a job for you.

“Whether it’s letting a child know it’s okay to give Santa a high five, or keeping the line of children waiting to see Santa in the spirit of the show, a holiday job like this isn’t just pressing buttons. It’s truly becoming part of the magic, no matter what your role is,” Edburg said.

Want more information on working with Santa? Please visit http://www.wwponline.com/employment.aspx

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