How can I make my Christmas job into a career?
Christmas is a recruitment hotbed, and not just in the retail sector as you might expect.
The end of the financial year means lots of sales people are needed to reach impending targets, and Accountants are needed to help crunch the numbers. Big festive promotions mean more jobs for marketing personnel and colder weather means more mechanical breakdowns leading to more engineering vacancies.
And we haven't even mentioned the Royal Mail needing to process and deliver millions of cards and presents.
Almost every industry needs to bolster its workforce; the problem for workers going for these jobs is that they're often on a temporary basis until the rush has died down.
If you're after a permanent role, there are ways that this needn't be an issue. Prove your value to the company in the short term and they will see your long term potential.
This could begin as early as the job interview, so be prepared to ask a few leading questions such as how they will evaluate your performance and what potential there is to be offered a permanent position.
If the potential employer sees your questions as overly aggressive or out of place, it may be better to look elsewhere for seasonal work.
How to prove yourself
As soon as you start a seasonal job, it's vital you show the boss you're serious about succeeding by conforming to a few simple rules:
- Demonstrate calmness under pressure during busy periods.
- Be 100% reliable; working all the hours you've agreed to and more if possible.
- Volunteer for a variety of tasks; show you're eager to learn all aspects of the business.
- Periodically remind your supervisor of your interest in a permanent position.
Clinching the contract
A boss who is working 80 hours a week during the rush won't have much time to pay attention to your interest in a permanent job. Enthusiasm is one thing, but becoming a pain isn't going to do you any favours. So how can you attract their attention without annoying them?
Speaking directly to the Human Resources department is the best place to start. If you're working for a large company they may get hundreds of CVs through every day so try either going to them in person or at least speaking to somebody on the phone. Getting into personal contact with the people who will play a major part in the recruitment process is a bug plus.
Give your supervisor and the human resources department a summary of your responsibilities and accomplishments as a seasonal worker and explain how much you enjoyed working for the company.
You have to be prepared to be patient until the company calms down after the rush. Try and keep in contact with a few of your old colleagues to see how things are progressing and ask if they will let you know of any job opportunities that arise.
If you aren't successful don't worry just yet. It may just be the case they're not in a financial position to offer you a full-time role at the moment so make sure they're aware you are available for more temporary roles if they become available.