Fall is here and soon will come the shopping season with retailers ramping up their hiring for the holidays.

For holiday season job hunters, there's no better time to think about turning a seasonal hire into a permanent gig.

Job Front heard encouraging news last week from one Bay Area employment expert that showed month-over-month retail hiring increasing by double digits nationwide in August.

"We've seen holiday hiring trend in the right direction," on consumer confidence and a slowly improving economy, Gautam Godhwani, co-founder and chief executive officer of Sunnyvale online jobs site SimplyHired.com, said last week.

This week, Godhwani offers a few suggestions on how seasonal hires can position themselves to stay on at the job once the season ends.

• Act the part: "Seasonal jobs can often turn into permanent, full-time positions," Godhwani said. "Many employers keep their eyes out for top performers during seasonal periods, so be sure to act the part."

• Be enthusiastic: "Always perform at the highest level possible, show enthusiasm for the job and the company, and get to know other employees," he said.

• State your goal: "Most importantly, express your desire for a full-time position early on so employers can consider you a candidate from the start."

Sanjay Sathe, chief executive officer of San Jose outplacement firm RiseSmart, said showing employers commitment and ability can go a long way toward turning a temporary position into long-term success.

"It's how you present yourself on a daily basis," Sathe said. "A key point is that everybody's watching you. It's critically important to present yourself well."

Sathe said knowing a business's mission and goals is vitally important.

"It's critically important that you understand the business and understand the company's mission and values. This is what people are looking for. It's important to go the extra mile," Sathe said.

Job event for veterans

Job-seeking military veterans, spouses and active-duty personnel can meet employers and find resources at a career fair Friday at McClellan Park in North Highlands.

The free Sacramento Resource and Career Fair will be at 10 a.m. at Lions Gate Hotel & Conference Center, 3410 Westover St. The event emphasizes services for military members and spouses, but job seekers outside of the military are also invited to attend.

For more information, visit the webiste at Diverse Military Career Fairs at www.diversemilitary.com.

Free job fair

Sierra College will host a free job fair Oct. 5 on the Rocklin campus.

The event, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the college's Campus Center, will feature more than 50 employers offering information on part-time, full-time and seasonal positions.

Career professionals will also be available to critique résumés.

Parking is free. Sierra College is at 5000 Rocklin Road, in Rocklin.

For more information, call Career and Transfer Connections at Sierra College, (916) 660-7481 or by email at careerconnections@sierracollege.edu.

Let us hear from you

Is your company hiring? Is your organization hosting a career fair? Is your campus rolling out a job skills program?

Contact Job Front at dvsmith@sacbee.com.

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