Publix Offering 500-plus Seasonal Positions in SW Florida

Publix Super Markets Inc. plans to hire 575 seasonal employees at 41 stores in 12 southwest Florida cities. Temporary employment will run from December 2011 through April 2012 for the following positions: cashiers; front service clerks; grocery, bakery, deli and produce clerks; cake decorators; meat cutters; and seafood specialists.

“Our goal is to always take care of our customers and make their shopping experience pleasurable,” said Maria Brous, director of media and community relations at Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix, which operates 1,039 stores in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee. “This time of year is often difficult to staff due to the dramatic increase in the number of customers. ... Offering seasonal employment affords us the opportunity to maintain our service-level commitment to our customers while supporting economic growth in our local communities.”

Candidates should be 18 years old or older, available to work anytime or at a minimum of every night and weekend, and looking for 25 to 35 hours weekly. Of the seasonal associates hired in 2010, the first year Publix began offering such temporary employment, 94 percent rated their overall experience as “Good” or “Very Good,” according to the grocer. To be considered for the temporary positions, candidates must apply online at separate Publix websites set up for the Cape Coral and Punta Gorda area; the Fort Myers and Estero area; the Naples, Marco Island and Bonita Springs area; and the Sarasota, Venice, and Port Charlotte area.

Publix will promote the job openings through various outlets, among them local career fairs, college campuses, its stores and corporate website, newspapers, and social networking sites.