Whether you’re a student looking for some holiday work, are unemployed and looking to enhance your CV with first-hand experience, or simply just want to earn some extra cash, a Christmas job could be ideal for you.
Christmas is not only the peak season for the retail industry but also for the hospitality and some industrial sectors with bookings and celebrations for events such as “the office Christmas party” requiring a wealth of extra staff! As a result, many employers will start recruiting early to face the upcoming increase in demand.
As with any job; skills, personality and experience are still relevant to a Christmas role – just because it’s a temporary role doesn’t mean you can breeze through the door! Listed below are some of the positive reasons for getting a Christmas job.
Extra cash
Seeing pound signs? If you’re a student, working during the holidays will help you earn some extra cash to pay for all those things you’ve been dreaming of… But this doesn’t apply to only students! Christmas is an expensive time of year, so if you need a bit extra in your pocket so you have the flexibility to splurge a little more, a seasonal job is the answer.
Valuable skills
Don’t write off temporary work as a waste of time. Any working environment offers the opportunity to develop valued skills, such as customer service, time management or team building which will support you throughout your career. Temporary work is also likely to draw attention to skills you didn’t know you had, and so there’s plenty of opportunity to evolve your skill set.
Experience
Working in a different environment gives you the chance to gain more experience which will look great on your CV. Who knows, this could give you the potential edge when applying for your dream job!
Motivation
When times are hard, it can be easy to bury your head in the sand. Whether you’re unemployed, looking to get your foot in the door, or just eager to gain experience within another industry, being productive and having a Christmas job can help you to avoid job-hunters’ depression, especially when surrounded by festive spirits!
Training
Free training is often provided with any job so make the most of it and use it to boost those all-important skills and qualifications to pop on your CV.
Employee benefits
Even as a temporary member of staff, you will still find you’re eligible for sick pay and holiday allowance.
Networking
Christmas jobs are the perfect way to meet new people and build up contacts in a work environment. “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” carries a great deal of truth to it, so make sure you make the most of the networking opportunities heading your way.
Perspective
If you’re not entirely sure what you want to do in your career, or are in need of a career change, don’t despair. Working throughout the Christmas period can open your eyes to new job opportunities and prospects. It can also be a great way to discover a career path you really don’t want to continue pursuing!
Becoming permanent
Working hard and proving your skills to your employer and colleagues could not only lead to a greater learning experience and a better reference, but possibly a permanent job! If you’re seen to work well within a company and a position arises within it, it’s likely the employer will want you to come on board full-time. If not, there’s always the chance an employer may request your availability to work during the next holiday season
Courtesy of CV Library.