BUFFALO, N.Y. – Summer may have a few weeks to go, but that isn’t stopping employers from acting now to hire the best help for the upcoming winter holidays.

Businesses that profit from winter holiday retail sales are beginning to hunt for seasonal employees sooner than later, and are often relying on Internet job sites to find the best help, reports the Buffalo News.

Traditional job search methods, such as relying on the classified ads, dropping off resumes and filling out job applications, can be tedious and time-consuming for both employers and jobseekers. However, according to Dean Lucent, director of sales for the Hotjobs link on Yahoo.com, more companies are logging on to the Internet to reduce the time it takes to search jobs and potential candidates to minutes instead of days.

Seasonal employment can also act as a stepping stone for jobseekers who may accept a part-time job in hopes of moving into a better position.

“It's a foot in the door. Even if it's a job they may not want,” Lisa Samar, vice president at the Great Arrow Graphics greeting card company, told the newspaper, adding, “If they're really good, we want them to come back.”