Employers usually recruit for seasonal Christmas jobs from September right into December. Start here for Christmas job ideas.
A temporary Christmas job is an ideal way of getting that all-important work experience.
Christmas seasonal work could lead to longer lasting or even permanent work in some cases.
Being flexible and adaptable is key. In some Christmas jobs, shifts are long and busy. You might be working on days like Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and possibly even Christmas Day.
On this page, you can find links to some great Christmas job ideas across a wide range of job sectors.
When searching an employer's website for jobs, try adding Christmas or festive into the employer’s search engine.
Check job websites regularly as new vacancies can appear daily. Some Christmas seasonal jobs are advertised for a short period of time.
Sector specific websites to start searching for your Christmas seasonal job
Catering jobs
Hotels, restaurants, pubs, parks, and cafés often recruit extra staff in the run up to Christmas.
- The larger companies advertise vacancies on their own websites, and many employers use catering and general websites such as Caterer.com
- Approaching local restaurants and pubs and handing in your CV is also a good way to find work
- Companies may often recruit in their windows, so keep a look out when you are passing by
Some of the major restaurant/pub chains who recruit over Christmas include:
- JD Wetherspoon
- KFC
- Marston's
- McDonalds
- Mitchells and Butlers (Toby Carvery, Harvester, Miller and Carter and more)
- Pizza Hut
- Stonegate Pub Company
- Whitbread (Beefeater, Brewer's Fayre, Table Table)
Other catering outlets include:
Delivery
Delivery companies often need more staff in the run-up to Christmas to cope with demand.
Delivery of letters and parcels around the UK and beyond can require a mix of full and part time staff as well as shift work.
Companies who may recruit on their own website include:
Hotels
Hotels recruit through general job sites like Indeed, Reed and Find a job.
Here are some ways to find a Christmas job in a hotel:
- Approach hotels and ask about vacancies
- Check out hotels own websites and social media accounts as many advertise this way
Listed are some hotels in Wales as a starting point:
- Celtic Manor, Newport
- Celtic Royal Hotel, Caernarfon
- Hilton
- Lake Vyrnwy Hotel and Spa
- Marriott
- Metropole, Llandrindod Wells
- Premier Inn
- St Brides Spa Hotel, Pembrokeshire
- Travelodge
- Vale Resort, Vale of Glamorgan
Hotel job sites include:
Find hotels near you by searching hotel listings. You can then contact the hotels or find vacancies on their websites.
Examples of listings include:
Retail
Some shops get busier during Christmas. Examples of stores that might get busier and need Christmas staff could include toy stores, supermarkets, clothing and health and beauty stores.
Look for vacancies on online job sites, or approach local stores near you to find out more.
Examples of stores include:
- Aldi
- ASDA
- B and M
- Boots
- Card Factory
- Clintons Cards
- Currys
- Frasers Group (Including Sports Direct, Game, House of Fraser and more)
- Great Grottos Ltd
- H Samuel, Earnest Jones and more
- Home Bargains
- Iceland
- JD Careers (JD Sports, Go Outdoors, Millets and more)
- John Lewis/Waitrose
- Lidl
- Marks and Spencer
- Morrisons
- Next
- Poundland
- Primark
- Sainsbury’s and Argos
- Smyths Toys
- Superdrug
- T K Max
- Tesco
- The Entertainer
Recruitment agencies
Recruitment agencies advertise a wide range of seasonal jobs including catering, waiting on, bar staff and much more.
Contact recruitment agencies in your area or use Agency Central to find a recruitment agency near you.
Safer job searching
Watch out for job scams when you search for jobs on websites. More people are being targeted by online job scams. Find out more about how to avoid the job scams on JobsAware.
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