Verizon Wireless Hiring Initiative in Southern California To Add Nearly 450 New Employees By Year-End

IRVINE, CA — Verizon Wireless, the leading wireless provider in the United States, is seeking applicants to fill nearly 450 new positions across southern California before the end of the year to stay ahead of the continuing strong demand for its wireless products and services. Along with a highly competitive pay and bonus structure, the new positions offer a generous benefits package, including health benefits beginning on the first day of employment; merit increases; profit-sharing; dollar-for-dollar 401(k) company match up to six percent of salary; tuition reimbursement; employee wireless phone program; pay incentives for bi-lingual employees fluent in both Spanish and English; and, much more.

"These additional employees will help us enhance the customer experience in our retail locations as we continue to grow, in keeping with our commitment to providing exceptional customer service while delivering the best possible wireless experience," said Marni Walden, regional president for Southern California.

Job openings include: Major Account Manager (business to business sales), Retail District Manager, Retail Store Manager, Assistant Store Manager, Retail Sales Representative, Assistant Sales Operations and Indirect Sales Representative. While not required for all positions, bilingual fluency in Spanish and English, as well as a college degree, are highly desired.

Persons interested in working at Verizon Wireless can learn more about these current job openings by visiting www.verizonwireless.com/careers ; attending the "Fall 2004 Career Expo", organized by "Women For Hire", in San Diego on October 26th (at the Wyndham Emerald Hotel); or, attending "Navigating the Road to Success", organized in partnership with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (at the Orange County Fairgrounds) on October 26th. Job seekers may immediately apply for an opening and schedule an interview with the company by calling 1-877-988-4473.

In addition to being an industry leader in network reliability and total customers, Verizon Wireless is a leader in the workplace. The company was recently named one of Working Mother magazine's "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" for the fourth consecutive year --- the only wireless company to receive the honor. The annual list, published each September, recognizes corporations that offer programs and services that fulfill the needs of working mothers. According to the magazine, Verizon Wireless received this honor because of its healthy and accommodating working environment for women and its respect for employees.

Verizon Wireless also embraces a philosophy of commitment to the community. Its exclusive HopeLine^SM program puts wireless products and services to work to help curb domestic violence by supporting victim services and increasing community awareness of this national epidemic. In 2003, the company awarded more than 2,000 HopeLine wireless phones with one year of prepaid airtime, an in-kind value of $850,000, to domestic violence agencies in the western United States. Additionally, Verizon Wireless awarded more than $400,000 in HopeLine program grants in 2003 to agencies addressing domestic violence in the western United States, including $120,000 in southern California.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless is the nation's leading provider of wireless communications. The company has the largest nationwide wireless voice and data network and 40.4 million customers. Headquartered in Bedminster, NJ, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at www.verizonwireless.com.  To receive broadcast-quality video footage of Verizon Wireless operations, log onto www.thenewsmarket.com/verizonwireless.  

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