It’s the most expensive time of the year, but the run-up to Christmas also has plenty of opportunities for short-term work, from Santa’s elves to selling wares at markets
THE FESTIVE season may be a drain on the wallet, but fortunately it’s also one of the best times of the year to make some extra dosh. Practically every shopping centre in the country has to hire a full-figured, bearded gent who looks good in red, ice rinks recruit scores of skilled skaters, while large stores take on extra “loss-prevention representatives” (aka people to deter shoplifters).
The trick to picking up a seasonal job is to imagine you’re applying for a full-time permanent position. “It may be casual employment in terms of the contract, but you shouldn’t be casual about it,” says Jane Lorigan, managing director of Saongroup Ireland, which runs irishjobs.ie and jobs.ie. The next time the company is looking to take on staff, they’re likely to go to the pool of candidates they already know, so don’t underestimate the importance of getting a foot in the door.
ELF AND SAFETY
“Must love kids and animals – especially reindeer!” So reads the job spec for the positions available at the Rathwood Santa Train experience in Co Carlow, which attracted almost 30,000 visitors last year. Rathwood is in the process of hiring 45 elves, with positions ranging from head elf (responsible for ushering children in to see Santa), counting elf (checking people in) and entertainment elf. Other responsibilities include teaching children about “elf and safety”. Applicants must be jolly, friendly, theatrical and in possession of the Christmas spirit.
James Keogh, owner of the Rathwood retail centre, says they’ve hired several elves with theatrical training, but people who don’t have acting experience are also welcome to apply, as long as they can bring enthusiasm to the job. Pay levels vary depending on the successful applicant’s skills and experience. For further information e-mail santa@rathwood.com.
So how does Keogh feel about being one of the largest elf employers in the country? It’s not exactly something he dreamed about in college, but it’s “a brilliant time of the year for us”, he says.
Peak season is also approaching for Santa Clauses, and the casting agency Movieextras.ie is getting plenty of requests for suitable candidates. If you’re not particularly rotund, hirsute or advanced in years, don’t worry. It’s much more important to have a bubbly, jovial personality and experience in entertaining children, for example at holiday camps. Santas can expect to earn between €15 and €20 an hour, but they might be required to work only four or five hours at a time.
HAMPER HELPERS
Interested in a Santa’s workshop-style work environment, but not too keen on donning an elf costume? Then the hampers and gifts game could be just the thing for you. With Christmas orders flying in, mountains of packaging to be done and dispatches to be organised with military precision, gift companies will be ramping up their staff numbers.
Lulu O’Sullivan, founder of giftsdirect.com and the newly launched siopa.com, says that 65 per cent of their turnover is earned in the last three months of the year, so they generally take on between 12 and 15 extra workers around this time of year. Most of the opportunities are in the company’s Glasnevin warehouse, where the hands-on work of assembling and dispatching hampers and gift boxes takes place. O’Sullivan says their Christmas staff tend to be a “real mixture of people”, ranging from housewives to actors. Some of the positions are already filled, but for more information on job openings still available, e-mail info@giftsdirect.com.
Meanwhile, townandcountryhampers.com is a Co Cork-based company celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and cofounder Mary Leahy says things are getting very busy. They’ve already taken on seasonal staff at this stage, but if things get busier than expected, they’ll hire additional people.
Alternatively, if you have a good eye for presentation and are a dab hand at making home-made fudge, truffles, shortcake or other gourmet delicacies, why not try your hand at producing your own line of gift hampers and selling them at Christmas fairs?
Florist wholesalers such as Tip Top on East Arran Street, Dublin 7, are a one-stop shop for all the decorative tools (from straw packaging to ribbons and coloured tissue) needed to give your hampers a professional finish at a low price. Wicker hamper baskets can be sourced in Tip Top for a few euro, while a 100m bulk roll of cellophane will set you back €17.50 (plus VAT). Finally, don’t forget to do some research online and check out the competition in order to figure out a realistic price point for your hampers.
GET YOUR SKATES ON
If you fancy yourself as the next Torvill or Dean, then it’s worth getting in touch with one of the many ice rinks that pop up at this time of year, as people with strong skating skills are always in demand.
Although the bulk of the seasonal positions at Dublin’s 7up Winter Wonderland (which will run from December 8th to January 8th in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham) are already filled, there are still a number of jobs going for experienced ice marshals. The main job of a marshal is to keep the ice safe by making sure people aren’t skating out of control, using their mobiles while skating and so on. There’s also an element of coaching involved and, inevitably, helping people off the ice when they fall.
A spokeswoman for Winter Wonderland explained that the immigration of recent years made it much easier to find experienced skaters to fill the marshal roles, with Polish and Canadians particularly skilled. However, Irish people are beginning to catch up thanks to the wider availability of ice rinks. Contact details can be found on 7upwinterwonderland.ie.
RETAIL
As parents will be only too aware, the Christmas shopping season is already underway. To cope with the rush, retailers are in the process of beefing up their staff. Retail Excellence Ireland estimates that the retail sector will take on as many as 25,000 temporary staff during the Christmas and sale period. Argos alone is hiring 800 seasonal staff across its 41 Irish shops. Given that the retail giant has a number of managers who started off as Christmas temps, this is an opportunity not to be sniffed at.
As well as standard retail roles on the shop floor and in the stock room, retailers are also hiring “front of house” staff to welcome shoppers into their store and add a little bit of Christmas magic. As with potential Santa Clauses, MovieExtras has been contacted by a number of retailers looking for larger-than-life individuals to make customers feel special and “create more of an experience”, the agency spokesman said. The hourly rate for this Christmas concierge role ranges from €12 to €15, but can stretch to €20 at a push.
CHRISTMAS MARKETS
If you’re the type of person who loves giving home-made gifts to friends and family, why not try to make a few bob from your cookery or crafts skills by selling your wares at one of the multitude of Christmas markets taking place around the country this year? It’s not unreasonable to expect to make between €75 to €100 in a day (depending on your product of course), but remember to factor in the cost of hiring a stall.
If you’re in the vicinity of Co Monaghan, the Carrickmacross Christmas Craft Fair on December 3rd is the perfect place to dip your toe in the water as stalls are available free of charge.
The fair is part of a Christmas market weekend taking place in the town’s market square, and people will be selling everything from Christmas candles to home-baking, jams and jewellery. Everyone from the seasoned pro to the craft enthusiast is welcome, but space is limited so contact info@carrickmacrosschamber.com to secure a stall. Emma Gollogly, one of the organisers, says it’s about providing an opportunity to make money, while also encouraging people to shop locally for Christmas presents rather than going north of the border.
Meanwhile, stalls are still available at Mount Juliet’s Christmas village, which will run from December 10th to 23rd. The fair will have up to 40 stalls of artisan produce, gifts, crafts and Christmas fare. One of the big attractions of this event is the footfall – between hotel guests and families turning up for the Co Kilkenny estate’s Santa Train experience, more than 15,000 visitors are expected over the festive fortnight.
In Ballsbridge, the National Print Museum is looking for participants at its Christmas Fair which will run from December 9th to 11th. The museum will promote the event to a wide audience and stalls can be hired for €100, which covers the three days. If you’re interested, drop a line to carlamarrinan@gmail.com.
