chances of permanent employment

[stevenm20]

I have an interview session on Friday with regards to a Christmas casuals earlies position. I would be interested to know if people on this forum have ever got permanent positions as a result, and if so, could they offer me any advice as to how I can make myself stand out from other with regards to if a permanent position became available

thanks a lot to anybody who can help me

[cosi1259]

you have more chance of winning the lottery then you have of getting a permanent position

[stevenm20]

you have more chance of winning the lottery then you have of getting a permanent position

thanks for that comment. that's made my week. seriously though thanks a lot for that. much appreciated

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Despite the blunt approach, the previous poster is essentially correct. More so if you are working in a Mail Centre or Outhouse. The outhouses are temporary and have minimal permanent people working in them, just overseers really. Mail Centres have over the last few years been closed down and amalgamated with the majority of colleagues transferring into the newer/bigger MCs, this means that most are fully staffed, or even over staffed.

The only chance really is if you can get into deliveries, this is mainly because turnover is always higher in Deliveries than elsewhere because of the culture and physicalities of the job. Even then its difficult to stand out because in essence the job is relatively simple, and the only way to do so is to work yourself into the ground.

Still it does work, I was a Christmas Casual about 10 years or so ago, and I am still here, albeit with a short gap from the end of my casual contract to a FTC one, then to a permanent.

[stevenm20]

thanks a lot true blue terrier
i am attending a group interview for the early shift at a mail centre 6am - 2pm. would i have a stronger chance of gaining permanent employment on that shift or as like you and the other poster has said, very little chance. i only ask because i love the 6am-2pm shift, and in my last job 6am - 2pm shift was a very high turnover of staff due to sleep patterns etc.

[aaron1986]

I think the chance of getting a permanent job out of an Xmas casual job is nil, or as good as. Best case scenario is being hired by Angard, Royal Mail's casual labour force, on a zero-hour contract.

Turnover's high, but demand for shifts is higher. There's plenty of people willing to be on 24/7 call for a four-hour shift.

[stevenm20]

thanks aaron for that. much appreciated. I will see what happens and hope for the best, but from what has been posted, probably best to continue to look around for other jobs and have this royal mail position as a fall back

[baldrick]

thanks a lot true blue terrier
the early shift at a mail centre 6am - 2pm. would i have a stronger chance of gaining permanent employment on that shift or as like you and the other poster has said, very little chance. i only ask because i love the 6am-2pm shift, and in my last job 6am - 2pm shift was a very high turnover of staff due to sleep patterns etc.

As other posters have said there is no chance of getting a full time permanent position in a mail centre. And where they do use Angard temps it would be more likely on late shifts as that is when most of the work is.
Some experience of working in RM might help if you apply for a delivery job, especially if it shows you can get up and get to work for an early shift.
But you would probably be better off getting a temp xmas job elsewhere if you can.

[jimmynailsalive]

I worked in the Glagow mail centre last January on a casual basis with Angard for 3 months and got a job at first attempt with RM doing deliveries.

It's a 25 hour shift of 9-3pm and suits me so all depends on what your looking for albeit they have only just extended the contract and still not permanent!

[stevenm20]

thanks a lot for the 2 comments. I have got a long list of other opportunities on the go having read the posts on the forum. like I say I do have experience working for royal mail before having done this exact same position a few years ago to earn some extra cash so we will see what happens on Friday

[Throwntothewolves]

I was a Christmas casual last year and am now delivering in a sorting office. I was contacted at the end of my temporary contract and offered the job. I was made permanent within weeks. If you are a good worker then you stand a chance that your line manager will recommend you if positions are available.

[stevenm20]

I was a Christmas casual last year and am now delivering in a sorting office. I was contacted at the end of my temporary contract and offered the job. I was made permanent within weeks. If you are a good worker then you stand a chance that your line manager will recommend you if positions are available.

thanks a lot for that information. I just have to make sure I stick out like a sore thumb and get noticed

[philh45]

I was a Christmas casual last year and am now delivering in a sorting office. I was contacted at the end of my temporary contract and offered the job. I was made permanent within weeks. If you are a good worker then you stand a chance that your line manager will recommend you if positions are available.

On our last day last Christmas management took everyone's mobile numbers-never had a call. Have worked as a Christmas casual for four out of the last five years but never had any other work from RM. Didn't need to apply this year as I now have a permanent job elsewhere but I pop in here from time to time to see what's going on.

[baldrick]

They used to give some xmas temps permanent jobs in my former mc, but not for at least the last 10 years. But managers still tell the temps that some of them might be kept on to get them to work harder.