Jack Greene, also known as Santa at the Mall at Stonecrest in Lithonia, gets ideas about what brothers Cory (left) and Christopher Bayne want for Christmas this year.
About mid-November, Jack Greene Sr. sets aside his accounting books, fluffs his beard, dons his red suit and heads to the Mall at Stonecrest for his seasonal job. For the next six weeks, just call him Santa.
The retired bookkeeper discovered that he had the voice and spirit to play "the jolly old elf" in a Christmas play.
"I started being Santa in the Christmas season of '92 and have done it ever since," Greene said. "It'srewarding to feel like you're making children happy, and some pretty funny things happen."
Greene remembers one 3-year-old whose older siblings kept putting her on Santa's lap despite her protests. "Finally, she turned to the crowd and yelled: 'Help me! Help me, somebody!' I told them to turn her loose before she had the police on us," he said with a laugh.
Like many mall Santas, Greene is employed by a national supply company - in his case, Event Imaging Solutions Inc./Santa Plus, which trains Santas on how to approach, hold and chat with their young customers. Greene no longer needs the training, but he reads toy catalogs to keep up with the market.
During the season he'll see about 80 children a day at the mall and volunteer at churches and fire stations on his own time. He said that, at 71, being around the music, children and teenage "elves" is "97 percent fun" and keeps him in the Christmas spirit. "The season lasts just long enough for me to stay jolly."
Jack Green puts finishing touches on his Santa look.
Being in business for himself allowed Greene to shift hats and work as Santa for six weeks every year. He said he's been well-paid.
"Depending on the person's realism, experience and location, [playing] Santa can be a pretty lucrative job," said Donald Bieler, marketing director at the Mall at Stonecrest.
But for most Santas, it's not about the money.
"To be a good Santa, you've got to look the part, but, more important, you have to have the right personality. You have to want to listen and be able to read the kids when you're talking with them," Greene said. "When you can get a child smiling, then you know you've done what you set out to do."
Santa could be the ultimate seasonal job for jolly seniors with a great laugh, but there are plenty of other opportunities for those who don't meet the requirements.
"Because of extended hours and more customers, most retailers hire extra help for the holidays. This is their peak season," said Tory Johnson, CEO of Women For Hire, a leading women's and diversity career recruitment specialist in New York City.
For some, seasonal work will lead to permanent jobs.
In 1981, Pete Whitlow took a department store job while he was home from college for the holidays. He said he "fell in love with retail"; today he is regional director of human resources for Macy's Central (soon to become Macy's South), which plans to hire about 700 seasonal employees in northern metro Atlanta alone.
"We're looking for someone 18 or over. It's a plus if you have retail experience, but it's more important to have a customer-focused, willing- to-serve attitude and be flexible," he said.
Santa accompanies Tynesha Manuel, one of Santa's helpers at the Mall at Stonecrest, to the mall's seat of honor.
Applications are available at www.macysjobs.com or in stores. The jobs pay above minimum wage and offer employee discounts on merchandise.
Johnson advised applicants to look early to get the best hours and most working days.
"When you're looking at the mall, major discount stores and electronics stores, dress as you would for an interview, because your first impression counts," she said. "Apply where you like to shop, because one of the perks of retail work is the store discount."
For someone with a car and a clean driving record, pizza-delivery restaurants have job opportunities. More holiday gatherings and busy families increase the demand for fast-food delivery over the holidays, Johnson said. Expect minimum wage, plus tips.
Even if you can't be Santa, you still could deliver gifts with a seasonal job at UPS.
"We hire extra package handlers and driver-helpers for the season. It's a physical job, so our workers need to be able-bodied, be able to lift 70 pounds and work quickly and efficiently," Rodney Jordan, UPS-GA District recruiting supervisor, said. "We'll probably hire about 1,300 to 1,500 people statewide."
Driver-helpers ride with drivers and deliver packages, working five-hour day shifts, five days a week. Package handlers work at distribution centers during the day or evening and earn $8.50 an hour. UPS also hires people with commercial driver's licenses as seasonal tractor-trailer drivers for $14.50 an hour.
"College students like our jobs, because they get a set schedule and can plan their classes around it," Jordan said. To apply online and set up an interview, go to www.upsjobs.com.
If you're the entrepreneurial type, baby-sitting, pet-sitting or house-sitting are good ways to make extra cash, Johnson said. You can list your services on www.babysitters.com or www.craigslist.com or can put up flyers.
"Or you could brand yourself as a 'girl Friday' and run errands, shop, wrap and mail packages for $10 to $20 an hour," Johnson said. "The holidays are a short window of opportunity to earn extra money, so get started now."