Ahead of Christmas, many companies hire people for temporary roles.

---

Companies hiring for Christmas 2020

Boots – a pharmacy: https://www.boots.jobs/retail/christmas/

John Lewis – a department store: https://www.jlpjobs.com/john-lewis-and-partners/christmas-jobs/

Marks and Spencer –  https://careers.marksandspencer.com/careers-at-m-and-s/in-store/christmas-jobs

Tesco –  https://www.tesco-careers.com/christmas/ 

In Wales… https://careerswales.gov.wales/plan-your-career/features/christmas-seasonal-jobs

Experience sharing Our friend Daansaan shares her experience as a temp worker 我舊年喺 John Lewis做 temporary retail sales assistant，待遇其實唔錯。 Apply後要喺佢個網度做類似啲人格測試，睇你個人EQ高唔高有冇common sense識唔識處理人際關係，要過關先有面試。Interview 唔難，小組討論，傾情境題，都冇咩騎呢問題，打扮企理英文流暢有風度應該就冇問題。 請左之後有兩日training，教你點用佢地個電腦同收銀系統 (which is unnecessarily complicated tbh 不過大公司冇辦法)，講下職安健同防火措施，同埋帶你行哂全棟野話你知邊個部門打邊個部門。部門安排佢會問你preference同 past experience，如果你做咩冇所謂嘅佢會放你去最要人手嘅部門 (通常都係女裝同家品)，佢見你醒目做得野嘅會叫你咩都做下 (我真係個個部門都做過 lol)。落到部門佢會安排一個有經驗嘅 buddy 俾你，你有咩唔明就問佢，不過有可能你個buddy同你成日撞唔啱 shift 或者佢個人求其加是但咁就要靠自己。 工作上要有對舒服嘅鞋，唔可以係運動波鞋，冇記錯一定要係黑色。企到你腳都斷。客人就大部份都nice嘅，不過賤格嘅就一定有…都係得啖笑。越近聖誕越忙，做收銀真係可以全日唔停手。另外佢地個staff canteen嘅野幾好食，重點係好平！平到你唔信！ I worked as a temporary retail sales assistant at John Lewis last year. It wasn’t too bad. After sending in your application, you’ll have to do some kind of personality test on their website. It’s mostly to check if you have enough common sense and social intelligence and if you’re a functional human being. You’ll have to pass it to be considered for an interview. The interview itself wasn’t too hard. Just a group discussion on some scenarios, no bizarre questions. Dress neatly to the interview, be reasonably communicative in English, show enough courtesy, and you should be fine. After you receive and accept an offer, there will be two days of training, when they’ll teach you how to navigate and use their computer system and EPOS (which are both unnecessarily complicated tbh but it’s a big company so can’t be helped), give you the usual rundown on fire and safety rules, then they’ll show you around the entire building and introduce the departments. They’ll ask for your preference and past experience when assigning you to a department. If you don’t really mind what you do, they’ll put you where they need more hands (usually women’s and homeware). If they find you smart and capable enough, they’ll let you try everything (which was what happened to me). They’ll assign you a buddy with experience in your department, it’s up to them to answer whatever questions you have. But if you’re unlucky enough to get a buddy whose shifts are often different from yours or doesn’t give a flip about anything, then you’re pretty much on your own. As for the actual work… I strongly recommend getting a pair of comfortable shoes. Sports trainers aren’t allowed, and iirc they have to be black. There’s so much standing around your legs will literally feel like falling off. Most of the customers are okay, but there are bound to be scumbags… Just don’t take them seriously. The closer it is to Christmas, the busier it gets. If you’re on the till, you literally can’t catch a break. By the way, the food in the staff canteen is pretty good and UNBELIEVABLY CHEAP.

_{Image: Heidi Fin on Unsplash}