6 merry reasons to be a Christmas temp

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Ever considered working as a Christmas temp? Many companies look to take on people over the holiday period to help them cope with the festive rush.

From roles in hospitality, retail, call centres or warehouses, driving and parcel sorting offices, there are thousands up for grabs.

Besides being a way to keep the money coming in, these kinds of short-term contracts can often be a way to gain new transferable skills and useful experience if you need it. Let’s dig a bit deeper into how a festive job could just be the gift that keeps on giving…

1: It’s flexible, festive work

Christmas temp jobs tend to be shift work, which means they can easily fit around other commitments and suit your lifestyle.

There are part-time as well as full-time contracts available, and you might also have the option for weekend, early morning or late-night working.

2: You develop transferable skills

A Christmas temp job is the perfect chance to show future employers that you have what it takes to succeed in a new role. That’s because working in these environments helps develop transferable skills that are crucial for the modern workplace.

Let’s take problem-solving skills, something that permanent job adverts often ask for.

If you’ve worked in a fast-paced retail or hospitality environment chances are you’ve had to deal with demanding customers. You can translate this into negotiation and conflict-resolution skills, learned via your Christmas temp job. This is perfect to add to your CV and mention during job interviews.

3: You hone teamwork skills

As a Christmas temp you may work within a large group. Will you naturally get on with all your colleagues? Of course not. But will it be a way to interact and engage with different types of people? Absolutely.

This can be a fantastic way to flex teamwork muscles. Being able to actively listen and effectively communicate with diverse personalities and types will stand you in good stead if you apply for permanent roles in the future.

And with employers looking for future team members who are a good “fit” within their company culture, practising what it takes to get on with everyone can reap long-term dividends.

4: You get a taste of different sectors

If you’re relatively new to the job market, you might not be 100% sure which sector or role you want to start out in yet.

Taking on a temp role can give you experience in different types of businesses. So, it acts as a taster of what it might be like to work in that sector or career.

The result? It’ll help you hone your preferences of where you might like to work in the future – as well as where you won’t want to spend your time.

5: You make useful contacts

The contacts you make when you’re working in a fast-paced festive environment can prove useful further down the line – long after the tinsel and baubles have been tidied away. So, it makes sense to think of temping to expand your professional network.

And remember if you make a good impression, someone might recommend you for another role somewhere else. At HR GO, we often meet temps who go on to be offered permanent roles based on how they performed in a short-term contract. Here are some tips on how to  turn a temporary Christmas role into a permanent job.

6: You keep Christmas moving

Helping to make sure every card and present arrives at its destination is no mean feat. Work as a mail sorter for example, and you’ll be doing your bit to produce some holiday magic.

Every parcel needs to be delivered, and as a postal walker / delivery driver you’ll be doing your bit to keep Christmas moving, too.

More information

At HR GO, we’re still wrapping up our seasonal vacancies and have lots of jobs on offer. Find out more about temps jobs with Royal Mail Group.