Seasonal, temporary & holiday jobs in Edinburgh

Temp jobs in Edinburgh Looking for seasonal or temporary work in Edinburgh? It’s a great place to start your travels. Here’s the Season Workers guide to Auld Reekie – from ski to spa and back again...

Finding a job in Edinburgh is relatively easy at most times of the year. There are more than 60,000 students in Edinburgh. But they’re not all interested in seasonal jobs – and the city’s low unemployment rate (2% - May 2007) tips the balance in your favour. That’s just one reason the city is always scooping ‘Top City’ and ‘Best Place to Live’ awards – newspapers, travel magazines and research centres are always throwing prizes at the place. Quality of life rates highly and the city’s accumulative wealth is second only to London in the UK. So it’s a brilliant place to live, work and socialise – and if you can get a job to fund further travels, so much the better.

Seasonal and Temporary Jobs in Edinburgh

So what kinds of opportunities are available for travellers and backpackers? For the best seasonal work, look in the hospitality, marketing and retail industries.

Where to find temporary jobs

  • Register with the agencies: key agencies in Edinburgh include Drake, Renfield, Hays and Reed. Register in person, taking printed copies of your CV (resume) – be prepared to take a typing test!
  • Off the cuff: If you’ve landed without a job offer, then try your luck out and about. In winter and summer shops, bars and hotels often need extra staff – people to help with tours and childcare in summer, retail assistants, waiters and bar staff in the winter. Surprisingly, many shops and bars will accept in-person job applications – and you could make a better impact than by sending in your CV in the traditional manner.
  • Government Job Centres: The government-operated Job Centre has 13 branches in the Edinburgh and Lothian region. It works with a diverse range of employers (including central government, retailers and tour operators) to source permanent and temporary staff, and you can search their current listings online.

Summer jobs in Edinburgh

In Edinburgh, summer is festival season. As well as the world-famous Edinburgh Festival and its Fringe, there are also Film and Jazz festivals. This turns up all kinds of job opportunities for travellers and students.

Christmas retail jobs in Edinburgh

At Christmas, markets, attractions, shops and bars put up adverts for temporary staff to cover the extra rush. You’ll be paid minimum wage (£4.60 under 22 /£5.52 22 and over in Scotland) but you may be expected to work unsociable hours or dates. For the last couple of years, Fort Kinnaird retail park has set up a ‘recruitment cabin’ to fill the hundreds of jobs in its stores.

Ski jobs around Edinburgh (believe it or not)

Edinburgh is on the edge of ski territory so if you’re a qualified coach, look for winter positions teaching on the slopes; try the Polmonthill Ski Centre or Midlothian Ski Centre (where The Big Chill Festival is held in October). Read more about ski jobs in Scotland in our seasonal work country guide.

Finding seasonal accommodation in Edinburgh

Edinburgh University’s accommodation is managed by Edinburgh First. You can rent a room or apartment during the Easter or summer holidays, share with other students or travellers, and enjoy great rates. Alternatively, try searching the various short-term letting boards on the internet; many student houses are let out by their landlords for the summer holidays. The Scotsman runs a student property section as well which is worth a look at.

All jobs in the United Kingdom require you to have the proper permissions to work here. If you are resident (or studying) in the UK, or you have an EU passport, you do not have to seek permission to work in the UK. If this is not the case we have created a work permits and visas section. For the UK we teamed up with the UK Visa Bureau – they help arrange working holiday visas and, if you have British ancestry, they will help you get a UK ancestry visa.

A point worth noting - If your employer puts you straight onto an emergency tax code, then you may be entitled to a tax refund when you finish work.