You
Could you stop someone on the street, get them chatting about the world in which we live, and the kind of day they’ve had? Could you inspire them to make a difference by asking them to support a worthwhile charity? You could. Then you probably ooze confidence and character, the qualities it takes to strike an instant rapport with all sorts of people.
But to do this job for longer than five minutes, you also need to be driven, passionate, friendly, responsible and tenacious, with a real willingness to work in every kind of weather. And all the fun and frolics aside, you also need to be able to focus on serious fundraising.
We don’t ask for any specific qualifications or experience – and people of all ages are welcome to apply. As you might expect, people from all walks of life join Gift, so our workforce is very diverse. Nevertheless, there are some typical backgrounds our employees share.
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Catering/retail/hospitalityLots of people who join us have previously been working on a casual basis in places like bars and shops – but joining Gift is a real eye opener on how enjoyable and rewarding a job can be. We generally pay better too!
Decisions, decisions. Gift is the perfect choice if you’ve just finished uni or school, and you’re thinking about what to do next. Lots of people join us for six months to a year or so. Then, they go travelling, return to studying or move to a new job – with the benefit of some great experience behind them, and a much prettier CV.
Fundraising is sociable, enjoyable and very good for your conscience. It’s also extremely good for our clients. Here, you can develop the interpersonal and influencing skills that employers value so highly. And if you really want to impress them, why not stay a little longer, progress to Team Leader level and develop fantastic leadership and management skills to boot?
We’re also a great stepping stone into the charity sector, which is so hard to break into without valuable experience. Many of our ex-employees now work in campaigning, fundraising and policy roles.
You could even build a career at Gift – did we already mention that all of our managers started as fundraisers?
Street fundraising is a great way to fund your astronomically expensive Gap Year plans. You can join us on a short-term basis to save up before you go away. You’re then welcome to rejoin us on your return or work for us in the university holidays. It’s a way more enjoyable option than call centres, office admin, bars, pubs, restaurants – and the rest. You’ll also pick up some really valuable experience and skills for your CV.
We’re happy to take people on over the summer (and at Christmas and Easter too). You’ll find that summer especially is a great time to be working outside. The rewards match up well against other holiday job options – and it’s more fun and better for your CV.
We’re an excellent choice if you’ve travelled to the UK to live and work (good English and a valid work permit are essential of course).
Not only is fundraising a great job – you’re instantly part of a big social circle, with the chance to meet lots more people on the street. Travelling in our company helps you to see many different areas and cities right across the UK.
You can even ‘transfer’ between different regions, while keeping your job. For example, you could do six months in London, six months in Scotland, six months in Manchester, then another six months in London...
If you like the spotlight then you’ll love fundraising, it’s very much like being on stage or screen. And, of course, talking to complete strangers all day is great for honing your acting skills. Plus, the hours tend to work well when you have to fit in auditions and the like. If you’re a comic, you can trial new material on the unsuspecting public.
We always like to hear from experienced people who can join as Fundraisers or Team Leaders – so if that sounds like you, do get in touch!