Whether you’re a student looking for some holiday work, are unemployed and looking to enhance your resume with first-hand experience, or simply just want to earn some extra cash, a Christmas job could be ideal for you.
We recommend you start looking for Christmas roles as early as fall. Yep, we know it seems horribly early, but recruiters advertise their Christmas jobs early on in the year and we don’t want you to miss out on some fantastic opportunities.
Christmas is not only the peak season for the retail industry but also for the hospitality sector, 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 Christmas roles – but just because it’s a temporary role doesn’t mean you can breeze through the door! In order to help you decide whether a Christmas job is right for you, take a look at our list of pros and cons.
Pros
1) Extra Cash
Seeing dollar 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 there’s the flexibility to splurge a little more, a seasonal job is the answer.
2) 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.
3) Experience
Working in a different environment gives you the chance to gain more experience which will look great on your resume. Who knows, a Christmas job could give you the edge when applying for your dream job!
4) 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 avoid job-hunters’ depression, especially when surrounded by festive spirits!
5) 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 put on your resume.
6) Flexible Hours
One of the many benefits to Christmas jobs (apart from the money) is flexible working-hours which can fit around your personal life. Whether you’re a parent who wants to see your children at the festive time of year, or a student eager to maintain their social life, a Christmas job could be for you.
7) Employee Benefits
Even as a temporary member of staff, you’ll still find you’re eligible for sick pay and holiday allowance.
8) Networking
Christmas roles are the perfect way to meet new people and build 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 ensure you make the most of the networking opportunities heading your way.
9) 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!
10) 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.
Cons
1) Study Stress
If you’re studying at college, you might be a little stressed around the Christmas period if you have January exams or coursework deadlines on the horizon. For those of you looking to obtain a Christmas job then, you must ensure your revision and essay writing is well under way before applying, if not it might be best to steer clear from a temporary role this year.
2) Frustration Frenzy
A possible disadvantage of working in temporary Christmas roles is that you may feel inferior to the permanent employees. Having said this, you can overcome this feeling by making the most of your time within the company and proving your skills to your employers.
3) Moving On…
As with any job, it might well take you a few months to settle into your role. However, if you’re in a temporary position, by the time you’re actually settled it’ll probably be time to leave! Don’t let this dishearten you though. If you can adapt and settle quickly that’s a bonus, but either way this temporary role is going to offer career insights for the future no matter what your speed of settling.
4) Unsociable Hours
You might have the benefit of flexitime in temporary Christmas roles, but you could also have some early starts and late evenings ahead of you. After all, someone’s got to cook and serve the Christmas dinners in restaurants.
For more tips and advice when Christmas job hunting, visit our dedicated section!
