March 30, 2011 - WFXL - East Albany’s new Walmart is slated to open in about 6 weeks, but the store is still looking for a few good men and women.
“We've currently already hired about a 100 or 125, so we're still looking for 100 more new associates,” said store manager Andy Carter.
From stock clerks to management, officials say there many types of positions that still need to be filled.
“There are a wide variety. If you go to Walmart.com and click on careers, the positions are listed on Walmart.com”
“The store is opening at a time that is definitely an employer’s market. With nearly 10 percent of Georgians unemployed, Walmart mangers say they've had thousands of people apply already for openings at the new store.”
“We're conducting 25 interviews a day and then we are looking to hire about 50 this week and next week we'll hire 50 also,” said Carter.
With so many potential employees in the pool, you'd think filling a position would be easy. Some hiring managers that's not the case.
“The unemployment level is so high and yet what I am seeing is not a high level of high qualified candidates or even non qualified candidates out looking for jobs,” said Angel Taylor, Vice President of Sales at Cumulus Radio.
Taylor is looking two sales reps at Cumulus Radio. She says not only are resumes coming in slow but the people that are applying are missing the mark. It's at the point that it makes more sense for here to leave the jobs unfilled.
“I would much rather put the work load on myself and my current team members then to have someone fill the position just because they're a person. I want someone who is qualified who is going to represent themselves well, who is going to represent our company well,” said Taylor.
So even if you don't have the education, what's a job seeker to do to separate themselves from the pack, even for an entry level job?
“Everyone needs to have some basic computer skills, basic customer service skills and interpersonal skills because you have to know how to get along with others,” said Judy Jimmerson of Albany Tech.