Does it sound like a dream come true to work at GameStop? If so, the impending launch of the Xbox One and PS4 may have just given you the excuse you need to join their team.

GameStop announced today that it plans to hire 17,000 seasonal workers this holiday season in preparation for the Xbox and PS4 launches. Next gen consoles aren’t the only reason GameStop is hiring, however, as it also needs some extra help to deal with what it expects will be a busy holiday season.

“Providing our customers a great experience is of paramount importance when it comes to defining who GameStop is as a retailer and delivering the total value we offer our customers,” said Mike Buskey, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at GameStop. “The holiday season is our busiest time of the year, accounting for approximately 40% of our annual revenue. As we near the 2013 holiday season, and the upcoming launches of the PS4 and Xbox One consoles, it is critical that we attract and retain high quality-talent both in our stores as well as in our consumer electronics refurbishment and distribution centers.”

As you can see above, GameStop is not only hiring employees for its retail locations. In fact, it would be impossible to cram 17,000 new employees into its shrinking number of retail locations. Most of the new hires will instead be assigned to GameStop’s refurbishment operation center or one of its two distribution warehouses. For the former, GameStop is looking for technicians to help refurbish used consoles that can then be resold at its retail locations. For the latter, they’re looking for warehouse workers to help ship out all the orders GameStop’s online presence will undoubtedly receive this holiday season.

So, is there any benefit to working with GameStop? Like with most retail locations, the main benefit comes in the form of discounts – a 15 percent discount to be exact. Those who work as Game Advisors at GameStop’s retail locations also have the ability to “rent” new games and take them home for a few days.

While GameStop may say that it’s only hiring seasonal employees, there’s always the chance that it could turn into a career for some of the new hires. It does happen, but you just have to be hardworking and, more often than not, a little lucky.

To find out more about GameStop’s hiring spree, check out its careers Web site for a list of all open positions.

[Image: Business Wire]