The Red Hook Ikea started taking applications yesterday from Red Hook residents for positions at the sprawling store that will open on Beard Street in August. There is some good news and some bad news for residents with limited job experience or training. We went through Ikea's job listings yesterday and found that the big retailer listed eight job categories for which residents get a three-week head start in applying. About half require very specific job experience, but several appear suitable for entry-level work, assuming the applicants have high school diplomas or GEDs. The eight categories are: Safety & Loss Prevention, Recovery Co-Workers, Food Service, Maintenance, Interior Design, Sales, Logistics and Customer Service. The jobs in Loss Prevention require 5-7 years of experience, Food Service requires 2-3 years food prep experience and certification from a culinary arts program, Maintenance jobs require knowledge of carpentry, plumbing and other trades and Logistics "Co-Workers" (who work in the warehouse) require some technical skills. This leaves Interior Design Jobs working with displays in the store, Sales positions and Customer Service. Interior Design jobs require computer literacy whereas the latter two require "computer aptitude." All require HS diplomas or GEDs. It's not known how many jobs Ikea is filling and how many are full-time and how many are part-time. Instructions on applying are in our earlier post. Ikea filled its management jobs, all of which required significant experience, with employees from outside the city.

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Ikea Starts Hiring Next Week: Red Hook Residents Getting Three-Week "Head Start"