Working life story: Tesse Akpeki
Tesse Akpeki has years of experience in governance, having started in the field when it...read more
Many people choose to take on a temporary Christmas job to give them some extra money over the festive season.
Christmas is such a busy time of year for all kinds of companies: manufacturers, transport companies and stores – and many take on hundreds of extra staff to cope. But what are the most common roles and how can you find a good temporary Christmas job?
workingwise.co.uk features a lot of national employers who seek additional staff over the Christmas peak period. Our jobs page is a great source of opportunities in your local area.
Just search the terms ‘temporary’ and ‘Christmas’ on the workingwise jobs page, or look for short term contracts.
Some of the brands that advertise regularly with us include WHSmith, Vodafone, John Lewis and we also have Next Christmas jobs.
Most businesses Christmas jobs are recruited in from mid-September onwards. They can be competitive so apply for lots of options to maximise your chances.
The most common temporary Christmas jobs are sales roles, delivery driving and warehouse jobs. You can usually find opportunities like bar work, waiting tables and cleaning too – and most Royal Mail sorting offices take on a lot of casual Christmas workers.
The recruiters’ top priority is to fill all the shifts they have in the run up to Christmas – but also over the festive fortnight. If you can demonstrate flexibility and appetite to work on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and over New Year you will be a more appealing candidate.
Most temporary Christmas jobs will offer full training, so getting a job is less about prior knowledge of your role and more about showing energy and enthusiasm and being a good, quick learner.
Do try and highlight in your CV any experience or prior roles that you think are relevant to the job you’re applying for. Check our site for useful CV and interview tips.
You should also read the job ad carefully as some jobs have certain requirements such as driving qualifications, access to a vehicle or knowledge of some IT systems.
It is always helpful to highlight skills in customer service as these apply to almost any role. Bring this out in your application and CV, and talk about it in your interview. As you will probably need to learn on the job, include some examples of where you have learnt something new and how quickly you picked it up.
Being a good team player and being seen as reliable and supportive are important too. Make sure you mention these attributes and think up some examples that help bring it to life. Real life stories are a big help in interviews as they help prove what you are saying, and allow you to convey both personality and life experience.
A temporary Christmas job can often turn into permanent employment, especially if your employer sees that you are a responsible member of the team who goes the extra mile. Try to build a good relationship with your team and manager – without letting it distract you from the work you’re meant to be doing!
Started looking for temporary Christmas jobs here: https://www.workingwise.co.uk/jobs/