The six things to do NOW to secure your teen a seasonal Christmas job and make £1.6k over the holidays

CHRISTMAS might still feel months away, but teens hoping to earn some extra cash over the festive season should start their job hunt NOW to secure one of the highly-competitive roles. Retailers and other businesses have already begun advertising temporary Christmas roles, while some of Britain’s biggest seasonal employers are preparing to open applications over the next few weeks. Here’s how to bag your teen a job. A Christmas job can be a great way for your teen to earn some cash and it’s not too early to start looking Selfridges, Boots and Poundland already have festive vacancies live, while Royal Mail says applications for its Christmas 2026 jobs will open in September. John Lewis and Waitrose have also told jobseekers to register for alerts now, with their Christmas vacancies expected to appear between the end of September and November. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! Getting in early could be crucial as competition for seasonal jobs can be fierce, with searches for temporary festive work reaching their highest level in nearly a decade last year, according to Indeed. Jack Kennedy, senior economist at Indeed, warned that demand from jobseekers was outstripping the number of seasonal vacancies available. He said: “With seasonal job postings not matching strong job seeker demand for this kind of work, competition to secure holiday roles this year could be more competitive than ever. “So those job seekers looking for seasonal work should aim to secure it sooner rather than later.” And teenagers could pocket a sizeable sum if they land the right role. Selfridges is currently offering £13.45 an hour for some of its Christmas sales jobs. Most read in Money Someone working 20 hours a week at that rate for six weeks would earn around £1,614 before tax. Meanwhile, Boots is paying £13.02 an hour for seasonal store assistants outside selected London locations, while some Christmas barista roles currently advertised by Costa pay up to £14.12 an hour. Remember that younger workers may be paid less than the standard rate, depending on the employer. The legal minimum wage is currently £8 an hour for 16 and 17-year-olds and £10.85 for workers aged 18 to 20, compared with £12.71 for those aged 21 and over. Here are the steps your teen should take now to get ahead of the Christmas jobs rush. Sign up for alerts now Registering for alerts mean you will be among the first to hear when seasonal opportunities open Credit: Getty Don’t wait until December – or even November – to start looking. Some employers recruit their Christmas workforce months in advance so they have time to interview candidates, carry out checks, and train workers before shops and warehouses get busy. CV-Library says September and October were historically the most popular months for Christmas jobs to be advertised on its site, so August is a good time to prepare. Kelly Smallcombe, chief people officer at Meliorem HR Consultancy, said: “If you want a seasonal job, be strategic and plan well in advance. “Applying in December for Christmas work is already too late; retailers and logistics firms open applications in August and September and largely fill roles by November, sometimes earlier. “The advantage goes to whoever moves first with a ready CV. Talk to your friends too, companies love referrals and not all roles get advertised.” For example, Royal Mail is already asking prospective Christmas workers to join its ‘talent community’. It says those who register will be among the first to hear when seasonal opportunities open in September. The postal giant typically takes on extra workers to deal with the millions of extra parcels and letters sent out over the Christmas period. John Lewis and Waitrose are doing something similar. The John Lewis Partnership says there is no single date on which all of its Christmas jobs go live, but vacancies are expected to be advertised from late September until November. Candidates can register for alerts for their local John Lewis or Waitrose shop now. Go to the John Lewis Partnerships Jobs Christmas page and choose your local Waitrose or John Lewis branch, then create an account and set an alert for when jobs go live. Setting alerts on sites such as Indeed, Reed and CV-Library can also stop you missing vacancies. Reed currently has more than 2,400 jobs returned under its Christmas jobs search. Don’t just search for Christmas jobs Spread the net far and wide when searching for roles so you don’t miss any opportunities Credit: Getty One easy mistake is searching only for vacancies containing the word “Christmas”. Employers use a range of different job titles for essentially the same seasonal work. CV-Library recommends also searching terms including “seasonal customer assistant”, “temporary retail assistant”, “store colleague”, “replenishment assistant”, “online assistant” and “warehouse operative”. That can substantially widen the number of vacancies you see. For example, Boots is currently hiring “Store Fulfilment Assistants” for the Christmas period, but Christmas isn’t in the job title. The job involves picking and packing online orders, replenishing shelves, helping customers, working on tills and supporting deliveries. Current vacancies pay £13.02 an hour, rising to as much as £15.10 in some London locations. Previous retail experience is desirable but isn’t listed as essential. Workers can also get employee discounts, discounts at other retailers and access to wellbeing support. Make your availability clear and be specific Clearly laying out when you are free to work can make it easier for employers to hire you for roles Credit: Getty For Christmas jobs, when you can work can be almost as important as what else is on your CV. Businesses need extra staff precisely because evenings, weekends and the days immediately around Christmas are exceptionally busy and lots of workers want to take time off, so simply being available is a bonus. CV-Library recommends being specific about availability rather than simply writing that you’re “flexible”. For example, someone could state that they are available every weekend from October and throughout the school Christmas holidays. Ms Smallcombe said: “Employers often convert strong seasonal staff into permanent hires, or keep them on season to season, so flexibility over the busiest fortnight matters more than the CV.” Katie Emerton, recruitment expert at CV-Library, also advises candidates applying for heavily sought-after jobs to tailor their CV to the vacancy and show relevant skills prominently. She said: “These roles attract such high application numbers because they tick a lot of boxes for today’s jobseekers: flexibility, stability and clear progression.” CV-Library says applicants should use the skills and keywords mentioned in the advert and give concrete examples rather than simply describing themselves as a “hardworking team player”. That doesn’t mean teenagers need years of previous employment. School activities, volunteering, sports teams, babysitting or helping at events can demonstrate skills such as reliability, dealing with people and working as part of a team. Just don’t claim availability your teenager can’t actually commit to, as employers will be building their Christmas rotas around it and may frown on people who can’t fulfil their commitments. Look beyond the obvious roles There are plenty of seasonal roles that are less obvious but worth looking at in the run up to Christmas Credit: Getty Retail is one of the biggest sources of Christmas work, but it isn’t the only option. Online shopping creates additional demand for people to pick, pack and distribute orders, while pubs, restaurants, cafés, and hotels also get much busier during Christmas party season. Here are some of the most in-demand roles to look for this coming Christmas. Retail assistants This is one of the most obvious festive jobs and it can be particularly suitable for people looking for their first paid role. Selfridges has already begun its Christmas recruitment for 2026. Current seasonal sales jobs in Birmingham and Manchester pay £13.45 an hour, with full and part-time positions available. Its seasonal staff can also receive employee discounts. Poundland has also begun recruiting Christmas sales assistants, with vacancies appearing on its own careers website from August. Boots also has Christmas roles available across the country. Indeed puts the typical salary of a UK retail sales associate at around £33,558 a year, although a teenager’s actual hourly rate will depend on their age and the individual employer. Warehouse and fulfilment work Christmas doesn’t just create jobs in shops. Every online purchase has to be packed and sent somewhere, meaning warehouses and distribution centres need a lot of extra hands. Indeed says the average UK warehouse worker earns around £27,117 a year. Royal Mail is one of the biggest festive recruiters and is telling jobseekers to register now ahead of its September Christmas recruitment launch. Other employers to watch include supermarket distribution centres, parcel companies and major online retailers. However, be aware, that some warehouse roles have minimum age requirements due to health and safety and may involve night shifts or machinery, making them unsuitable for younger teens. Hospitality Pubs, restaurants, cafés, hotels and event venues also take on additional workers to cope with Christmas parties and New Year’s Eve festivities. CV-Library says festive hospitality recruitment typically begins in early autumn, with September and October being important hiring months. Indeed currently puts average UK bar staff pay at £13.18 an hour. And Christmas jobs are already appearing. Reed currently lists fixed-term Costa Christmas barista jobs paying between £13.12 and £14.12 an hour, dependent on location. Hospitality work can be particularly handy for college or university students because evening and weekend shifts may fit around their studies. Under-18s should check the individual employer’s age requirements – particularly for jobs involving alcohol. Apply as soon as a suitable job appears – don’t wait Get going on your applications as soon as you see the roles come out so you have first mover advantage Credit: Getty – Contributor Don’t save a promising job opportunity with the intention of coming back to it several weeks later, as these types of roles fill very quickly. Popular entry-level jobs can receive large numbers of applications and employers may close adverts once they’ve received enough suitable candidates – and some may even be closing already. CV-Library advises candidates to apply early because popular jobs can attract strong interest quickly. Selfridges has some Christmas vacancies with closing dates as early as mid September, despite the roles being for the festive season. Some roles appearing online are already closed to new applicants. One current Birmingham Christmas sales advert for 4-12 week contracts closes on September 6, while a Manchester Christmas shop and food sales associate vacancy closes on September 10. Boots also already has numerous Christmas fulfilment roles open around the country. So getting the CV ready now means your teen can apply immediately rather than scrambling to write one when the ideal vacancy appears. Check what hours your child can legally work Once your teen has a role make sure they are legally allowed to work the shifts they’ve been offered Credit: Getty There are extra employment protections for young workers, so parents should check the rules before their teenager accepts shifts. This is important when it comes to stating your availability, as you don’t want to overstate what you can do and then find you legally aren’t allowed. Workers aged 16 and 17 who are above school-leaving age are generally limited to eight hours a day, or 40 hours a week. Different restrictions apply if someone is still below the minimum school-leaving age. During school holidays, 15 to 16-year-olds who are still considered school-age can normally work up to 35 hours a week, while 14-year-olds are limited to 25 hours. They also cannot generally work before 7am or after 7pm. Local councils can have their own rules and may require employers to obtain a child employment permit. Parents should therefore check their council’s rules as well as the age restrictions in the individual vacancy. Comment now