When your Christmas gift is a full-time job
AJOB doesn’t have to be just for Christmas — it could help you get into a career.
Oliver Baker, 33, started as a Christmas sales assistant at John Lewis’s flagship store on Oxford Street in London and now works in operational support for the High Street giant.
‘I was a student looking to earn Christmas money, but in the New Year I was offered a permanent post,’ Oliver says. ‘I’d made it clear to my managers that I wanted to stay, I worked as hard as possible and was flexible about the hours I would do.’
Now, part of his job involves recruiting seasonal workers.
He says: ‘To increase the chances of being offered a permanent role, seasonal temps should ensure they stand out when it comes to providing good customer service, flexibility and hard work.’ (For vacancies see jlpjobs.com.)
Many employers treat a Christmas job as a long job interview, so ensure you do the same. Liz Flynn, head of human resources at Fortnum & Mason, says: ‘Christmas is the perfect trial opportunity for new team members.
‘If someone performs well during our busiest time, it is a good indication of how well they will work at Fortnum & Mason day to day. Around 30 per cent of the seasonal support team are offered permanent roles.’
Fortnum & Mason hires around 300 Christmas staff for positions in retail, warehouse, customer relations, hospitality and client services staff for its Piccadilly store and The Fortnum’s Arcade at Somerset House in London.
‘We look for team players with natural charisma, enthusiasm, charm, attention to detail and the service our customers expect,’ says Liz ( fortnumandmason.com)
Not all Christmas jobs are in retail. Recruiter PMP Recruitment is looking for 18,000 people as pickers and packers nationwide, to parcel up items and gifts in retail warehouses and distribution sites.
‘These are flexible jobs which suit people seeking a second job to cover the cost of Christmas, or parents looking for work around a family, and 10 per cent are expected to turn permanent,’ says PMP managing director Derek Skelton ( pmprecruitment.co.uk).
HARRODS is also hunting for Christmas sales, waiting and customer service staff (see harrodscareers.com). And Christmas also coincides with a push by Lidl, the first supermarket to pay the living wage, to recruit hundreds more permanent customer service assistants ( careers.lidl.co.uk).
Even if you do not want a permanent role, seasonal jobs can equip you with useful new skills. For jobs in hotels, pubs, and entertainment, see ays.co.uk. For jobs as Santas and elves in Christmas grottos, see greatgrottos.co.uk.