Thousands of Christmas jobs across the UK you can apply for today

If you’re looking to save up for Christmas then now is the time to start with thousands of jobs on offer across the UK running from now until the big day.

Each year Amazon takes on up to 320,000 temporary staff, Royal Mail adds hundreds of new posties to its ranks and venues across the country take on professional Santas and grotto assistants.

Major retailers are also recruiting right now to help with their Christmas rush.

Working at Amazon can earn you up to £19 an hour – if you manage to bag the overtime rates.

An Amazon spokesman said: “In the run up to Christmas, Amazon’s temporary seasonal team is at the heart of what Amazon does.

“We are currently looking to hire Temporary Warehouse Associates to help us continue delivering packages and smiles to our customers.

“You could be working as a handler, picker or packer helping dispatch parcels; working to the highest standards to make sure we exceed our customers’ expectations.”

The jobs start at £9.50 an hour, or £11.21 an hour on the night shift and overtime rates are up to £19.

Amazon, which is hiring in locations including Barking, Dunfermlines, Allesley, Park Royal, Tilbury, Newport and London, says it offers fixed shift patterns, weekend working, full training, free hot drinks and in some locations transport or free parking.

You can find more information at indeed.co.uk .

Royal Mail is currently recruiting at more than 50 locations across the UK – with jobs in the sorting offices and out on the rounds.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “A Christmas jumper, festive online shopping, a letter headed to the North Pole. There are all kinds of exciting parcels and letters to look forward to this Christmas. Joining as a Christmas temporary worker at one of our mail centres, you’ll be helping to sort these items for 29 million addresses across the UK.

“A mix of full and part time indoor sorting positions on early, late and night shifts will be available from early November through until 23rd December at a number of sites across the UK. To spread festive cheer this season, and make a little extra for yourself too, please search and apply online now.”

Venues recruiting include Sheffield, Nottingham, Leeds, Coventry, Derby, Peterborough, Cardiff, Northern Ireland and Birmingham.

You can find full details on the Royal Mail’s jobs site .

If working in retail is more your thing, there are Christmas jobs currently being advertised at Debenhams, Boots, Poundland, Fortnum and Mason and Smyths. Debenhams is recruiting in Plymouth, Sheffield, Scunthorpe, Leeds, London and across the country as are Game, House of Fraser, Sports Direct, The Perfume Shop, The Range, Matalan and The Works.

You can find all those vacancies on Google.

Harrods in London is in need of someone to wrap Christmas presents . The ad reads: “You will be working within an exciting, unique, diverse department over the festive period to gift wrap a range of items from engagement rings to giant teddy bears!

“By providing excellent customer service you will exceed customers’ expectations and delight them with beautifully wrapped gifts.”

Smiggle is recruiting at locations across the country – including Lincoln and Chelsea.

It’s ad reads: “f you love pens and paper, rulers and staplers, whizzbangs and gizmo’s and all things techno… we’ve created a place that’s well worth a peek, where a smile meets a giggle; it’s got everything you seek! Come along with your friends and visit us in store, we have colourful stationery and gadgets galore. You’ll want to poke, play, investigate and explore!”

John Lewis is also looking for seasonal retail stock assistants and selling assitants.

Their site reads: “Join us this Christmas and help make the difference.

“John Lewis & Partners shops will be recruiting for seasonal temporary Partners across the UK soon! We have opportunities for Retail Sales Assistants, Retail Stock Assistants, Retail Catering Assistants and Retail Foodhall Assistants to become a part of our Christmas family.

“Waitrose & Partners will also be recruiting throughout the season for Supermarket Assistant roles. Register for job alerts today and we’ll email you when our application window opens.”

You can find full details on the John Lewis jobs pages .

Argos is currently recruiting for in-store and delivery roles. A spokesman said: “The festive period is our favourite time of year at Argos. Join us, earn a little extra, and make sure it’s our customers’ favourite time of year too. We’re looking for helpful, holly-jolly and hard-working people who can learn quickly, with a smile on their face. You’ll be dedicated to giving the best possible service to all our customers.”

There are jobs across the country including Sunderland, Fulham, Falkirk, Bootle, Llandudno, York, Salford, Caernarfon, Frome and Plymouth.

You can find all the current Argos vacancies across 11 pages here .

If you’re looking for something more festive – there are plenty going.

On fish4jobs right now there are adverts for a Christmas Grotto Elf and a Santas Claus in a grotto in Cornwall , and Christmas tree helpers in Dorset.

Fish4 has some advice on the best way to get a Christmas job.

It’s never too early to apply

Most businesses hire their Christmas staff throughout September and October. Try to do your research on which companies are hiring early on because it can be very competitive. Research has found that seasonal jobs can receive over 25 applications per vacancy.

Where to get a Christmas job

The  Retail  and  Hospitality  industries are well known for recruiting for seasonal staff nationwide every year. But don’t forget about the  leisure  sector, think ice skating rinks, festive characters and Christmas markets.

If you’re not keen on a customer-facing role,  logistics  and  warehouse  jobs are also on offer to keep the wheels turning on busy delivery demands.

What they are looking for

Flexibility throughout Christmas and New Year is the most important thing as you will be needed to pick up shifts and provide cover for fellow team members. This usually means having to work on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, and sometimes Christmas Day.

As long as you have an eagerness to learn, hard-working attitude, and an enthusiastic approach to work, there’s no stopping you in finding your  festive job .

Skills to get you ahead

In many cases you will need to learn on the job, so employers will be looking for staff that can adapt well and work efficiently. Don’t panic if you have  no experience  as most businesses will provide training or an induction, especially if they’re hiring a large group at once.

Employers will typically want to see evidence of you working well as part of a team, providing great customer service, and problem solving. If this is your first job, you can apply experiences from clubs or activities that you’ve been involved in to prove these skills.

Further opportunities

As well as getting some extra cash for mince pies, a seasonal job is a great way to earn valuable work experience.

A seasonal job is a chance to get a real feel for what it’s like to work at company or a new industry without the long-term commitment. Even if you don’t enjoy it, the experience can help to shape what you’re really looking for in a job.

If all goes well, and your employers are impressed with your work, it could even lead to landing a permanent job at the company.