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The Ultimate Guide to Getting a Christmas Job

Published on: 2 Mar 2021
Category:

Christmas job

Love it or loathe it, that time of the year is creeping up again. If you want to get some extra income for the festive season, now is the time to start applying for Christmas jobs.

 

It’s never too early to apply

Most businesses hire their Christmas staff throughout September and October. Try to do your research on which companies are hiring early on because it can be very competitive. Research has found that seasonal jobs can receive over 25 applications per vacancy.

 

Where to get a Christmas job

The Retail and Hospitality industries are well known for recruiting for seasonal staff nationwide every year. But don’t forget about the leisure sector, think ice skating rinks, festive characters and Christmas markets.

If you’re not keen on a customer-facing role, logistics and warehouse jobs are also on offer to keep the wheels turning on busy delivery demands.

 

What they are looking for

Flexibility throughout Christmas and New Year is the most important thing as you will be needed to pick up shifts and provide cover for fellow team members. This usually means having to work on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, and sometimes Christmas Day.

As long as you have an eagerness to learn, hard-working attitude, and an enthusiastic approach to work, there’s no stopping you in finding your festive job.

 

Skills to get you ahead

In many cases you will need to learn on the job, so employers will be looking for staff that can adapt well and work efficiently. Don’t panic if you have no experience as most businesses will provide training or an induction, especially if they’re hiring a large group at once.

Employers will typically want to see evidence of you working well as part of a team, providing great customer service, and problem solving. If this is your first job, you can apply experiences from clubs or activities that you’ve been involved in to prove these skills.

 

Further opportunities

As well as getting some extra cash for mince pies, a seasonal job is a great way to earn valuable work experience.

A seasonal job is a chance to get a real feel for what it’s like to work at company or a new industry without the long-term commitment. Even if you don’t enjoy it, the experience can help to shape what you’re really looking for in a job.

If all goes well, and your employers are impressed with your work, it could even lead to landing a permanent job at the company.