Having a student loan doesn’t always cover all expenses. With Christmas around the corner, many students are looking for temporary work that’ll not only help to fund buying presents for people but also help to top up their loan.
Here are seven top tips to help you find a part-time job over the Christmas holidays.
1. Try Retail/Hospitality Jobs First
Working in Retail/Hospitality often isn’t the most glamorous and usually isn’t a student’s dream job, but it is a job market that is easy to get into. Fast-food brands such as McDonalds and KFC are always hiring extra staff. They are two of the most in-demand industries during this festive period, therefore you’ll find yourself with a good chance of landing a job over Christmas.
2. Hunt whilst it’s Off-Peak Season
Everyone will be looking and applying for Christmas jobs during late November/early December. However, most places are looking for Christmas temps from the end of October. Hit the ground running by applying for jobs as soon as possible. This will put you ahead of the curve and will give you a better chance of landing a job.
3. Availability is Key
It’s a simple thing, but make sure that you state (on your CV or in-person) that you are completely free across the Christmas period. Availability is the main thing that employers look for and they won’t even consider your CV if you aren’t fully available. Once you have the job, then you can negotiate your actual hours afterwards.
4. Look at Larger Chains and Shopping Centres Online
Big brands such as Next and Sports Direct always have Christmas temps, and they often hire masses of people to help during the festive period. Christmas is the busiest time of the year for almost every store, so they’ll always have vacancies. Shopping Centres, such as Victoria Centre, always put up jobs on their website for stores.
5. Check Shops in the City Centre
Many smaller retail shops often put vacancies in the shop window. They usually attach an email address or ask in person for CVs. People searching for jobs often forget the smaller shops, but they are the ones who tend to respond to applications the quickest. Lister Gate and Bridlesmith Gate host many of these smaller retail shops.
6. Make Sure Your CV is Ready
A retail CV is very different from a professional CV. Make sure that it highlights skills that the shop is looking for. Don’t make a CV that is over two pages and make sure that it has the correct grammar. The slightest bit of error will most likely result in it being thrown in the bin. Make sure you have a clean CV that emphasises your skills and gets to the point.
7. Take Advantage of University Help
Universities often have special departments to help students find work. Nottingham Trent University has its own help in all three of the campuses. FutureHub is the most well known and hosts many different jobs you can subscribe to for updates. If you want any extra help, such as with your CV, they have many different drop-in sessions which are available on the website.
By Charlie Vogelsang
Photo courtesy of Bethany Legg on Unsplash