Career Corner

5  Tips to Get a Christmas Casual Job

It might be hard to believe, but Christmas is just over 4 months away, and what’s the first thing everyone thinks of when they hear Christmas? Busy shopping centres. 

And what do busy shopping centres mean? Demand for Christmas casual employees! 

Many retail stores are already taking applications for Christmas casuals including: Kmart, Pandora, Aesop, Peter Alexander, David Jones, Portmans, Jay Jays & Smiggle.

So even though Christmas might still seem a long way away, if you’re in the market for a bit of work over the holiday season, it’s go time for applications.

1. Have your resume ready to go. 

You’ll be applying online and in person so have a couple of printed copies on hand. Don’t wait until your favourite stores starts advertising before you update your resume because it might take longer than you realise and you could miss your chance. 

2. Keep an eye out for advertisements. 

Most large retailers recruit through their websites, but it’s still worthwhile keeping an eye out for advertisements in shop windows. Check online job boards and ask your family and friends to let you know if they hear about jobs becoming available, as they might even be able to put in a good word for you. 

3. Don’t be picky with hours. 

The reality of being a Christmas casual is that you will be working while everyone else is enjoying a break. The upside is that you can earn ‘penalty rates’ which means you are paid a higher hourly rate than usual. 

4. Be ready to learn quickly. 

Christmas casuals are brought in to cover a busy period so you need to pick up the role quickly if you want to keep getting shifts. That doesn’t mean you should take shortcuts, but the faster you learn, the better. 

5. Don’t limit yourself. 

Just because you’ve never worked in retail before doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply for a position, and the same rule applies to other common Christmas casual jobs. Don’t narrow your options out of fear of trying something new

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