Where do companies advertise for christmas jobs?

[yani]

I'm currently a sahm, but would like to explore working for a few weeks leading up to, during & post christmas.
I've telephoned a couple of supermarkets who say they are not recruiting and looked on jobsite, but there are no vacancies under christmas or seasonal.
Is it a question of going into shops and asking face to face?

[monstermissy]

I've applied for Christmas jobs tonight online at Tesco and boots. Pick a shop and go to the website, most sites have their vacancy section in the small print at the bottom of their home page. Good luck.

[MacAndCheese]

Online generally, they do tend to put a little sign in the window.

You can go in and ask, but you might just get told to go online and do it.

Debenhams and Next are still looking to my knowledge. Good Luck!

[LittleTyga]

Or try www.dwp.org.uk - Good Luck!

[yani]

Thankyou monster. I'll be looking again on Monday.
Do you know if 'they' are open to school hours working only, or would expect total flexibility?
Hope you get a quick response from them.

[yani]

Little tyga - thanks, I checked there, but the only jobs under 'temporary' were for care assistants.
DP suggested Post Office too.

[yani]

Thanks Mac, there is a Next a few miles away, I'll check their website too.

[nancy75]

As an ex retail manager my first words of advice would be hurry up, I would have interviewed Xmas temps by now.
Secondly I would not mention school hours, most shops open extended hours over the Christmas period, they are looking for people who can do a couple of the nights they are open late and usually at least one weekend day. School hours are not the busiest times for most shops.

[LittleTyga]

Look under shop worker - where are you located? I can post a link for you

[monstermissy]

The ones I looked at tonight had all sorts of hours going, its worth looking at. I think you would be really lucky to find school hours in retail on a Christmas temp contract, maybe with weekends thrown in. I've been looking at weekends and evenings which is tough. Boots had about ten around my area, sainsburys had some too, next too. They are going fast tho.

[yani]

Nancy - Thankyou. I could def do evenings and one wknd day.
I have zero retail experience, but scrub up ok and have lots of experience dealing with public.
What would you look for in a strong candidate?

[LittleTyga]

Have you got a hospital near you? Try the NHS website - they are always looking for clerical/admin staff in our local hospitals and will offer flexible working hours - Retail is not family friendly IMO!

[yani]

Tyga - I have pm'd you.
Yes, looked on nhs website, nothing of a non-medical nature at present.

[nancy75]

Yank, I would always look for someone flexible with common sense! When you take on a Xmas temp you are thinking that they might only be there for 6 weeks, you don't want to spend 5 weeks training them.
You need to come across as someone that is happy talking to people, willing to do most things and quick to learn. Customers at Christmas can be hellish, so you need to show you would be able to deal with people that are rude without being too bothered by it, you need to show you can use your initiative, for example if something is sold out you would offer alternatives. It also helps if you have some knowledge of the stock they sell ( not so important in a supermarket but it would be somewhere like a clothes shop).
If you can do evenings that is a plus point, most of the regular staff hate doing the late nights so that often goes to the temps.

[nancy75]

Sorry yani! My spell check drives me mad!

[yani]

Finished wine, so bed time for me!
Didn't expect any replies this late, so thankyou fellow night-owls!
Will do some more searching in next couple of days & report back.

[sleepdodger]

Hi if it's Christmas and retail you'll be in when they need you ie Christmas eve late to tag up sale, boxing day for sales etc, not ideal with dc
Sorry just want you're be prepared

[Trazzletoes]

OP I did a Christmas temp job a few years ago with no retail experience. I loved it and was lucky enough to be kept on.

At interview, make sure you know the brand etc - easy to assume with high street shops but still do some preparation.

Be enthusiastic. There may be some flexibility - when I had my job I was at college for awkward hours which changed regularly. I had my shifts which always fitted around them and the Managers were great. I only had to work 1 Saturday - which was the busiest in the year so completely understandable, and didn't do any shifts directly over Christmas. I was fully prepared to but they didn't ask - I assume because they knew I was at college and lived at the other end of the country and I wasn't pushing for extra hours.

[Oodthunkit]

M&s are advertising at the moment . On their site & job centre

[yani]

Trazzle - Thank you for your lengthy reply. Very humbled that you have the time & energy to offer advice. You and your family have been in my thoughts recently.

Sleepdodger - Good to know those things. I will certainly bear that in mind if lucky enough to be considered for an interview.

Ood - That's great. I'll add m& s to my list of companies to contact tomorrow.

[yani]

Ok.
So this morning I looked at the website of M&S, Boots, John Lewis, Next and Royal Mail.

Of all of them, only Next are recruiting in my area.

So I have applied.

[SugarMouse1]

Try

Leisure Jobs

Indeed.co.uk

or the website of any big shopping centre like Westfield, Bluewater etc

[yani]

Thanks Sugarmouse, I'll try those in the morning.
I haven't heard anything from Next apart from an automated email thanking me for my application - think I can write that one off!
Also hand delivered my cv to another company who are recruiting for a perm job, on paper I am a good fit.
Will keep fingers crossed!