I know being a casual is the worst. There’s the lack of job security, random hours, and zero paid leave. But what if I told you there’s a type of casual work which is actually pretty amazing?

Enter the Christmas casual. The extremely festive job that’s perfect for uni students. Sure, some of them can have you dressing up as an elf and dealing with children (ew), but some of them can be literal goldmines.

Not sold yet? Here are five reasons why being a Christmas casual is the actual best.

#1 Extra Dolla Dolla Bills

Holiday season is expensive. In the lead up to Christmas you have to organise presents, outfit changes, meals, the list just keeps on going. Not to mention after a month of buying other people presents you need to treat yo self in the Boxing Day sales.

Obviously all the extra buying is going to require some extra money. So, how perfect is it that the Christmas Casual pay check coincides with the exact time of year you want it? So perfect.

#2 Cure for Boredom

If uni were a car it would be very stop and go. Half the time you’re in a mad panic because everything’s due and exams are right around the corner. The other half of the time you’re twiddling your thumbs.

The latter definitely encompasses the summer holiday. Three months of nothing but sunshine and nothing to do. Sure, you could take a summer topic, but who wants to do more study? Alternatively, you could pick up a short contract job for three months. Say, like a Christmas casual.

#3 Christmas Party

Okay, so these can be the worst but hear me out. Free food, free booze and an excuse to dress fancy. What more can you want?

Plus, because you’re only working at the place for another month after Christmas, does it really matter if you get drunk and tell your hot manager that you love him? Well, maybe. But it doesn’t matter as much as if you had to see him for the rest of the year. 

#4 Staff Discount

Most Christmas casual jobs are in the hospitality or retail sector. Those in hospo might be able to look forward to some sweet deals on food or drink, but it’s the retail kids who really win. With a discount from anywhere between 10-50 per cent off on all stock, you’ll become your family’s official gift buyer.

If you’re lucky, that magic lil staff card might not be taken away from you at the end of your contract. So, you can keep milking that discount until you’re on the naughty list next Christmas.

#5 Beefin’ Up That Resume

Uni is the perfect time to build up your resume. And sure, we’d all love to expand it working in the field we ultimately want to be employed in. But let’s be real, sometimes you have to think a bit more creatively and twist your retail skills relevance into the job.

Just think: you’ll learn teamwork, schedules, customer service, all kinds of random things. Then you’ll get to spend the next five years explaining to potential employers all the relevance of your cash handling skills for a job in engineering.

But on the bright side, it’ll be easier than trying to explain the relevance of summers spent partying.

Anne Rathbone is a law student at Flinders University, who spends way too much time with her cat and not enough with actual humans.

(Lead image: The Office/NBC)