The Great 'Christmas jobs - who's recruiting?' Hunt

Former_MSE_Debs · 6 November 2013 at 5:20PM

Great 'Christmas jobs - who's recruiting?' Hunt

Big retailers will begin recruiting for Christmas temps soon (if they haven't already). So whether you're seeking or hiring, share your pearls of wisdom on where, when and how best to apply and which companies are good to work for temporarily.

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Kirsty1718 · 13 November 2013 at 10:26AM

I've worked for Boots on two occasions at Christmas,with one even leading to a permanent role,albeit in a different store. In my experience I found them to be pretty good to their temp staff,for example you immediately qualify for their staff discount scheme-including the odd double discount days they run-perfect for all those Christmas presents. The pay and hours were also reasonable and in my second role especially,overtime was very easy to come by.
So all in all I'd suggest getting a Christmas job in Boots would be a decent idea-if you're lucky and working the day the soap&glory boxsets go on offer,you can grab one on your break before they run out!

As a quick aside relating to the ever popular s&g sets,in my experience by far the best option is to nip online the day it starts and reserve your set to collect in your local store for free.

Ps. Boots don't accept applications or CV's instore,all their positions are advertised on boot jobs(link from their home page).

scooby088 · 13 November 2013 at 10:41AM

I haven't seen many vacancies advertised by retailers this year, but then again I haven't been looking for those kind of vacancies.

lingolady21 · 13 November 2013 at 12:46PM

I worked at M&S over several Christmas periods. The hours were good, and they were flexible with upping them if you asked. We were well trained, and well looked after, with proper lunch breaks and tea breaks scheduled in. The staff canteen was subsidised so you got M&S food for every meal, in generous portions. I'd highly recommend them. I'm sure the ads were in stores around this time.

Gigervamp · 13 November 2013 at 1:29PM

Isn't it a bit late now? I saw ads for Christmas staff back in Sept/Oct. I know our local Sainsbury finished recruiting a couple of months ago and my DD started her temp job in another supermarket 6 weeks ago.

WatsonNimrod · 13 November 2013 at 2:54PM

There still are jobs out there, Royal Mail seem to still be looking for sorting staff. I did it 20 odd years ago when I was at uni, very good little money spinner at this time of the year

Eleanory · 13 November 2013 at 7:54PM

Gigervamp wrote: »

Isn't it a bit late now? I saw ads for Christmas staff back in Sept/Oct. I know our local Sainsbury finished recruiting a couple of months ago and my DD started her temp job in another supermarket 6 weeks ago.

I had a Christmas job many years ago in BHS. New staff were taken on every week even a few weeks before Christmas. Retailers take on temporary staff as and when they need them.

top_drawer_2 · 13 November 2013 at 8:36PM

I applied awhile back for Argos and had an interview which I was not successful at due to not being "fully flexible" i.e available at a moments notice on any / every day. I applied to a different store and they rang while I was working and despite ringing them back numerous times over several days they were not answering their phone. When someone finally answered the phone, they said they would speak to a manager and get back to me - unsurprisingly they didn't.

Has anyone managed to work a Christmas job around a second (part-time) role?

[Deleted User] · 13 November 2013 at 9:42PM

top_drawer wrote: »

Has anyone managed to work a Christmas job around a second (part-time) role?

Yeah - call centre xmas temp last year for a household name in flying flowers! - It was fun, I worked through a recruitment agency and was weekly paid

Here was my routine
Would get services users up from 7am
9am - 5pm answer inbound telephone calls one after the other was really easy - ok the call centre were a bit lenient with allowing me in later as I was just arriving after 9 and having to whip of the tunic! was allowed to forfit breaks to make up lost time
6pm - Return to care job to begin the put to bed routine
Did this Mon - Fri then Sat morning, training was a full day with assignment start immediately and it provided 50 plus people with temporary jobs during December without having to have interview

Had consistent hours right up to xmas eve - not bad as I only picked up job end of Nov

It came in very handy if not a little crazy, it worked well whilst I had no lunch and tea care call clients and this is what got me into call centre's as I had never worked in one before, but it didn't go down very well with employer no. 1 must say and in the January I found myself without either job... still no regrets

gloriouslyhappy · 14 November 2013 at 8:33AM

WatsonNimrod wrote: »

There still are jobs out there, Royal Mail seem to still be looking for sorting staff. I did it 20 odd years ago when I was at uni, very good little money spinner at this time of the year

I had one of these a couple of years ago and it was terrible! The permanent RM staff saw our arrival as a chance to slack off and go on extended smoke breaks or to the canteen for subsidised dinners while we paid full price and did all the work. On a 12 hour shift, we got one 20 minute and two 10 minute breaks, but at their convenience, so I found my 20 minute break came two hours into my shift and I had no break at all during the last six hours.

Yes, the money was useful, but I was so tired and fed up with filthy hands covered in paper cuts, and 2 hours on night buses getting home, I couldn't wait for the three weeks to finish and would not recommend it if there were any other choice.

Ginger_Nut · 14 November 2013 at 2:22PM

Its all very well applying to Boots Ive applied for a sales assistant job do all there bits required and then 24 hours later they reject you (i dont see why I worked for them for over 5 years) and then you get a 6 month BAN from apply again so that's christmas out then
A lot of the major people are putting a 6 month BAN on you re applying what happens if your in a small town and NO ONE is taking on any one for christmas and you can't drive and the local buses stop at 6pm ...your screwed

Kirsty1718 wrote: »

I've worked for Boots on two occasions at Christmas,with one even leading to a permanent role,albeit in a different store. In my experience I found them to be pretty good to their temp staff,for example you immediately qualify for their staff discount scheme-including the odd double discount days they run-perfect for all those Christmas presents. The pay and hours were also reasonable and in my second role especially,overtime was very easy to come by.
So all in all I'd suggest getting a Christmas job in Boots would be a decent idea-if you're lucky and working the day the soap&glory boxsets go on offer,you can grab one on your break before they run out! As a quick aside relating to the ever popular s&g sets,in my experience by far the best option is to nip online the day it starts and reserve your set to collect in your local store for free.

Ps. Boots don't accept applications or CV's instore,all their positions are advertised on boot jobs(link from their home page).

The Great 'Christmas jobs - who's recruiting?' Hunt

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