Here’s How UPS’s Twitter Account Is Going to Save Your Holidays

Every Christmas, UPS plays Santa. But last year, it was Santa that got the coal: the shipping company received an unexpectedly large volume of last-minute Christmas packages, creating a backlog that left many children without presents.

This year, UPS isn’t taking any chances. The company is consulting industry forecasts on shipping volume and increasing its fleet of delivery vehicles. Most crucially, it’s planning to double its seasonal hires: this year, UPS will hire 90,000 and 95,000 part-timers, compared to 55,000 in 2013.

To expedite hiring that many temporary employees, UPS is turning to its social media presence. The shipping company has tweeted and used Facebook to promote its seasonal applications since early September:

UBS jobs available across the U.S. include tractor trailer drivers and driver helpers, an outdoor position that involves “continual lifting, lowering and carrying packages that typically weigh 25 – 35 lbs. and may weigh up to 70 lbs,” according to UPS.

The positions might be grueling work, but they also might be a present in disguise: seasonal jobs can turn into full-time jobs, and those can turn into higher-ranking jobs. The temporary work is actually how some of UPS’s top executives got their start, like CFO Kurt Kuehn. Kuehn started at UPS as a Christmas hire, he said during a January call with analysts, according to the Wall Street Journal.