Well paid Christmas jobs?

September 11, 2005 5:07 AM

Well paid Christmas jobs?

I'm looking to work this Christmas and New Years. Definitely for the main days and possibly for a longer period around that time.

Any ideas for well paid jobs? A couple of years ago someone offered me site labouring Christmas eve and day for £500 a day, but it never happened.

I dunno how you'd look for something like that - suspect it's just word of mouth?

I suppose the usual suspect is bar work, but I'm not experienced, and might be able to do better money wise.

I'm in London, England if anyone has any specific ideas and could travel.

posted by lunkfish to Work & Money (8 answers total)

Response by poster: Oh yeh..I'm happy to do any sort of work.

I'm experienced at admin to quite a high level (yipee!) and have done retail work. I've got some experience in telephone customer service and I'm happy doing hard physical stuff.
posted by lunkfish at 5:13 AM on September 11, 2005

Christmas tree farms? Retail at places that pay commission? Just a couple ideas.
posted by knave at 6:33 AM on September 11, 2005

I know that in Canada most of the major book stores go on a hiring spree for Christmas, and they pay more flipping burgers. Knave is on to something in regards to commission.
posted by furtive at 6:38 AM on September 11, 2005

^^...pay more than flipping burgers.
posted by furtive at 6:38 AM on September 11, 2005

The postal service goes nuts over Xmas. The manual work isn't well paid, but they might need admin/managers to work nights during December, and you might get better money doing that.
posted by nthdegx at 6:44 AM on September 11, 2005

Work for a caterer. Holiday parties abound, and this is pickup work - you sign on with one or two catering companies, and then work the nights you are available. In the US you can make $100-$250 a night doing catering support. It's service, you set and clear tables, man buffets, carry out food -- but you don't have to be a waiter/waitress because you are typically not taking orders and have nothing to organize.
posted by Miko at 7:56 AM on September 11, 2005

For Christmas and New Year baby-sitting is the obvious choice. You can make an absolute fortune. However, without any qualifications/references you may have some difficulty finding someone willing to hire you at the rate you're looking for.

Do you have any friends who have kids? I doubt parents will want to miss Christmas Eve w/ their children, but they may already be resigned to staying in at New Year. Why not offer them their first New Year out in X years? (In exchange for a hefty wedge of cash.)

As for bar work and a lack of experience? I used to work in a bar and on Christmas Eve/New Year's Eve I assure you WE DON'T CARE. Can you pick up a glass and put it in the glasswasher? You're hired!

</works every Christmas Eve/New Year>
posted by alby at 9:24 AM on September 11, 2005

I second catering. It's easy, everyone's in a nice mood since it's the holidays, and you generally get a couple of days' worth of gourmet meals to take home with you. You get tipped on top of making a nice wage, you get tipped especially well at that time of year, and if you work the days in question you can be paid double or triple the usual wage.
posted by catesbie at 3:01 PM on September 12, 2005