Hopefuls give tax tryouts a twirl [The Sacramento Bee, Calif.]

Jan. 09--The brother-and-sister act showed up at Mike and Katie Sawyer's offices just about 1 p.m. Friday, quickly slipping into costume and character.

First, the iridescent robes, then the pointy Statue of Liberty foam headdresses -- the better to symbolize freedom from tax worry -- and finally, the brightly colored spinning signs.

Outside, the stage: a nondescript Roseville street corner at West Douglas and Harding boulevards where siblings Renee and Evrick Lofton of Sacramento auditioned for jobs as sign twirlers at the Sawyers' Liberty Tax Service tax preparation franchise.

The Sacramento region's tight job market is finally showing signs of loosening. Friday's national employment report that hiring surged by 200,000 jobs in December struck another positive note.

But finding work around Sacramento is still tough for teens like the Loftons and for the 20 or so others who donned glittery robes and spun signs Friday morning and afternoon for the chance at a $9-an-hour tax-season gig.

Renee is already a seasoned sign twirler at 18, having toted ads for Metro PCS, Titan Insurance and other Liberty Tax offices. Her advice to her younger brother, "Get active with the card. Put your best foot forward."

Evrick is more hesitant, but gets a verbal nudge from Katie Sawyer.

"It's OK," she said. "Nobody knows you."

"But, they'll want to," Mike chimed in.

The Sawyers saw folks from their 40s to just 17, like Evrick -- mothers and students, too -- "the demographics of the Sacramento area," Mike Sawyer said.

"Mostly, they need a job," he said. "The ability to hire people in this economy -- that's huge."

And, on more than one occasion, the Sawyers were able to oblige, hiring six twirlers and another eight tax preparers so far.

"We are hiring people," Katie Sawyer said, dressed, along with the Loftons, in Statue of Liberty garb, coaxing waves and horn-honking from drivers and would-be clients. "What a fantastic thing."

More auditions are scheduled Friday at the Sawyers' Liberty Tax Service office, 1120 West Douglas Blvd., Suite C, in Roseville.

For information, call the office at (916) 771-4030.

Library aids job seekers

Job seekers can find help in their employment search at the Sacramento Public Library.

The library's free Job Seeker programs are being offered through June at its branches across the Sacramento area, providing tips on how to improve interviewing and job-seeking skills and craft and fine-tune resumes, among other advice.

With local unemployment remaining high, "the Sacramento Public Library is providing our helpful resources as learning tools," said library director Rivkah Sass. "We are all in these tough economic times together."

The programs are available at the public library's Arcade, Greenhaven, North Highlands-Antelope, North Natomas and Rancho Cordova branches.

Find program listings on the library's website, www.saclibrary.org, then select the Job Seeker box. For more information, call Sacramento Public Library at (916) 264-2920.

La-Z-Boy job fairs set

La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries is holding job fairs Wednesday and Saturday in West Sacramento in preparation for the opening of a new showroom in the city.

Times are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days at 756 Ikea Court in West Sacramento, next to Sleep Train Mattress Center.

The fairs will focus on building the showroom's sales team. Store owners are looking to fill as many as 10 full-time sales consulting positions.

Sales experience is not necessary, but candidates will be expected to work evenings, weekends and holidays.

Training will start in mid-January.

Applicants should bring resumes, be ready to fill out job applications and be prepared for on-the-spot interviews.

The furniture seller announced in late December that it will hire for 20 positions including managers and designers as it prepares for the February opening of its West Sacramento location.

For more information, call La-Z-Boy at (916) 877-5920 or send email to [email protected].

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 [email protected].

Call The Bee'sDarrell Smith, (916) 321-1040.

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