That festive time is almost upon us and Christmas is fast approaching. It’s a great time to find a temporary job if you’re keen to work whilst seeking a permanent job or a student who wants to earn some extra money during the holidays.
Retail of course will be the sector where you will find the most temporary job opportunities but there are others you may not have thought of!
Letters to Santa
The Royal Mail sees its busiest time on the lead up to Christmas and need extra staff at their mailing centre where you will be helping to sort the post for over 29 million addresses! Normally these roles are a mix of full and part time on various shifts and involve sorting mail on a sorting frame, getting it into address order. You’ll need to be physically fit for this one, be able to lift heavy loads as well as be able to deal with repetitive tasks quickly and efficiently, but you will be working as part of a team.
In some areas extra postman and post woman are recruited to help with the high demand of deliveries and to excel in this job you’ll need time-keeping skills and the ability to keep to a delivery schedule. A busy job but just think, you’ll be helping to deliver all those letters to Father Christmas too!
Christmas Markets
Many cities now have Christmas markets which operate from chalets style units on high streets and market squares. Here is Salisbury our Christmas Market is one of the most popular in the south and we have an ice rink too! Jobs running the chalets, selling anything from chocolate wine to woolly socks can last 4-5 weeks and offer various hours as they are open 7 days a week. You will also find stewarding jobs, available at the Christmas Market which involve providing support to both customers and the chalet holders, so communication skills are essential with this one. Be prepared to see all weathers though and be happy to be outside most if not all of the time.
Jobs In Hospitality
Hotels and Restaurants can offer some great temporary roles over the Christmas period. Many hotels run events, Christmas parties and Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve Dinners so will be looking to find extra temporary staff to cope at this busy time.
To excel in a job in hospitality you’ll need excellent customer service skills and have attention to detail as well as a good memory! It can be a very fast paced environment where you are taking orders and getting requests from guests adhoc so making sure you act quickly on requests whilst remaining clam and professional is key.
Another role with the hospitality sector which requires excellent customer service skills, attention to detail and team work are front of house reception jobs. Knowing the local area and being able to deal with problems guests might have is also key.
Jobs on the High Street
You’ll find almost every shop on the High Street looking for extra staff towards the end of November. As with the jobs we have already talked about, they offer various shifts over 7 days and many Temporary Christmas Jobs run over into January to help with the January sales. Providing the very best customer service is key here. You must be able to be polite and friendly even if you are tired or under pressure – which is often the case at busy times. Some IT skills are also usually needed as you’ll be operating a computerised till and assisting with stock control. The plus side – you get staff discount (normally the same as permanent staff). So great news for your Christmas shopping bill! Many retailers employ the same staff year on year and can often provide some hours temporary work at other busy times such as the Easter and Summer holidays.
Temporary jobs can also lead to permanent positions, not just in retail but in all industry sectors. Personnel Placements Recruitment Agency provides temporary staff to many businesses here in Salisbury so make sure you get in touch to register as soon as you can if you are looking for a temporary job. We are also at the end of the phone if you need any advice.
