Christmas jobs come early at M&S

CHRISTMAS came early for some, but not all, as thousands of people queued yesterday for seasonal jobs at supermarket chain Marks and Spencer.

The unprecedented response to the advertisement for 600 seasonal positions seemed to catch human resources staff at the company a little unawares, as well as some of those waiting to be interviewed.

Sinead Vaughan from Kildare began queuing at 10am outside the Academy Plaza Hotel on Findlater Place, just off O’Connell Street, just as the interviews were starting.

“I was a bit naive,” she said. “I arrived at 10am and just walked straight up past the queue. I thought the queue was for tickets for Croke Park.”

In the latest visual sign of the economic times, not only was the queue of people snaking back onto O’Connell Street all for the positions, but after a two-and-a-half hour wait, Sinead had moved roughly 20 metres up the line.

At that stage, almost all the positions on offer in the Dublin city centre branches were full, with those left waiting in contention for jobs in stores elsewhere in the capital, or even around the country.

The queue had a mixture of young and old, men and women and Irish and foreign nationals.

The positions pay €10 an hour for a 20-hour week, running from mid-October to early January.

Marks and Spencer HR manager Tommy Kavanagh said the response was “unbelievable”.

“Given the current economic climate that we have, this is something we do on a regular basis.

“Unfortunately there are a lot of people looking for this type of work and we are processing the queues as quickly as we can.”

Those who filed into the hotel presented their CV and, if deemed suitable, progressed to an interview stage, the job slots filling up quickly. Those who secure jobs will work on the tills or stocking shelves, or in backstage areas.

Linda said she wanted to get her “toe in the door” with the chain, adding that it would mean “an extra few bob at Christmas”.

Louise Ellison, a child minder from Dublin, said she was “shocked” at the size of the queue. “All walks of life are here, young to old.”

Mark Byrne of Dublin, who had worked with Irish Ferries and recently concluded a period of study, said he was optimistic of getting a job, adding that “it would help get over the Christmas”.

Not everyone was so sanguine, however. One man reproached M&S staff, saying making people queue on the street for hours was “a disgrace”.

Day two of the recruitment drive continues today – 12 weeks to Christmas.