The ability to order something online and have it delivered the next day, or visit a supermarket and purchase all of the food that your heart could desire is often taken for granted. We give little thought to how this is made possible and to how different things are now, compared to what they were in the not too distant past.
Everything we use or consume has travelled along the logistics chain and through a warehouse at some stage in its life cycle before arriving on your door step or being placed in your trolley. It takes over 1.7 million people working in warehousing and distribution in the UK alone to make this seemingly impossible task, possible.
If the industry supports so many workers on any given day, just imagine the staff levels required to support the busiest retail times of the year and more importantly, imagine the opportunities available to those seeking work placements.
It is no surprise that ‘Peak Season’ in the warehousing and logistics industry covers October through to late December, as consumers surge to make their Christmas purchases as early as possible.
As November arrives, Black Friday and Cyber Monday bargains tend to feed the shopping frenzy and create a surge in sales. These deals however, tend to be stock based discounts, only applying to items that are actually on the shelves.
It is therefore up to retailers to place their orders ahead of time to ensure they hold plenty of stock. So, for many warehouses it is in fact the weeks running up to Black Friday that are the most important.
In many cases, peak season can bring 10 – 14 times more order volume than the average ‘off season’ week. For warehouses and retailers alike, as much as 70% of profit is made or lost during this season, so getting it right is paramount to success.
Ensuring that there is enough staff to meet the ever increasing demand calls for early recruitment preparation. Drafting in immense numbers of staff, passing them through interviews, inductions and training, long before children begin writing their letters to Santa, is the only way to ensure the supply chain withstands the pressure.
For job seekers and temporary workers this is quite literally, Christmas come early. This is your chance to get ahead of the peak season recruitment frenzy and become one of the first to secure a seasonal warehouse job.
Get Started Early
The window of opportunity for those hoping to secure a warehouse job this season is sooner than you think. Applications should be made in July and August to provide you with the very best chances of securing a position. Applications made later, in fact right up to December, can still be successful as staff requirements are increased and decreased throughout the season, but there is a lot to be said for getting in early.
Be Prepared
While everyone else is thinking about their summer holiday plans, you should be working on your CV, tailoring it to the industry and the role you will be applying for. We have lots of tools to help you succeed, check out a range of tailored CV templates here, to help you to create a professional looking CV quickly.For some top CV tips check out our “How to write the best CV” blog post here.
Knowledge is power
In preparation for submitting an application it is a good idea to build up an overview of the experience and skills you have gained so far. By adding this to your application you significantly increase your chances of getting the job you want.
Click here to see what top skills you should boast about when you are applying for a new warehouse job.
Register Now
Seasonal work means registering with an agency and registering early. This will mean that while everyone else is trying to get through the door you already have everything in place to start accepting work placements the minute the season starts.
You can find out how to register with Blue Arrow here.
