This year for the holidays, I went out of my way to get a second job in order to be able to afford Christmas gifts and to be able to support myself financially after the holidays. This second job has better pay, more opportunities for growth, raises, and chances to gain more knowledge in lots of new areas of the store.
To me, it's important to keep this job past the holiday season because this is a completely new experience for me and there's lots of new blood. I love the atmosphere, the better pay and the newly learned tasks. It's fresh and I'm in love with it, so I'd like to be hired as a part-time employee.
In order to stay past the holidays, there are 5 things that I always keep in mind and tell myself that if I constantly follow these rules, there's no doubt that I'll be able to keep this job.
1. Always arrive on time.
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Call me crazy, but I think this is one of the easiest parts of keeping a seasonal job. Arriving to work on time is simple. I'm a person who likes to leave 45 minutes before my shift starts since it takes me close to 25 or 30 minutes to get there. That gives me enough time to get there, find parking (it's a high volume store so I need to make sure I'm there in enough time to find decent parking), and be able to walk inside, put my stuff away, and clock in for my shift on time. If you're a person who is frequently running low on time, give yourself enough time to prepare, leave on time and have plenty of time to transport yourself there. Doing this reflects so positively on an employee and makes them look like they can be depended on.
2. Do your best without slacking.
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When given a task at work, that becomes a priority over anything else. Sometimes, I'm asked to do two different things from two different people. This won't become a problem with communication. If I have any questions regarding my job, I ask a higher authority to be sure I'm doing it correctly. That, alone, shows that I'm not trying to just barely get by. I care about my job and I'm going to show it and make it obvious that I want to stick around. By keeping a good pace, not distracting oneself, and doing what they're told, it's not difficult to have a good reputation.
3. Don't call out of work, no matter what.
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Calling out of work at the last minute is one of the worst inconveniences for employers. When you're scheduled, your employer is depending on you to show up for your shift on time and staying the entire time. Employers don't have time to lose and don't have the patience for those who call out at the last second and leave them stranded with not enough coverage.
At the very least, it's appropriate and courteous to find someone to be able to cover your shift for you if you decide that you can't show up for it. I'm able to give shifts away when I need to - if it's an absolute emergency - and as long as someone offers to take it, then there's no trouble. Not having a good enough excuse to call out doesn't look good. Other employers look to see how often a potential employee has called out of work with no valid excuse. Easily avoiding this will make for a problem-free atmosphere. Employers like to see that you're taking your job seriously enough to show up, even if it's at an inconvenience for you outside of work.
4. Smile!
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It may seem obvious but smiling at people is so important to do. It might be a conscious thing for most, but for those who don't feel obligated to smile when greeting a customer, it can make you seem like you aren't eager to help them. Smiling can completely turn around who you are to someone and make them feel like you care about what they're about to say to you.
It's insane how much of a difference a smile can make.
5. Stay off of your phone in front of customers.
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This may also seem silly and obvious too, but be sure that your cell phone is away and out of sight when assisting someone. This makes it seem like you're not distracted. When you're distracted by a cell phone, someone else trying to have a side conversation with you, or anything else, it puts a customer into an awkward position. If this were me, I wouldn't know how to react except to ask for the employee to please pay attention to me because I'm right in front of them. It's common courtesy.
These are just a few things that I keep in mind when I think about my seasonal retail job. I really do want to stay on past the holidays, so with these strategies, there's a strong chance that I'll have a good reputation.
If you care about your job, show it. It's not difficult to show that you want a job. Once you have it, you're in. Just be sure that you're dependable and ready for a challenge.
