Santa Claus

Santa (Rob Williams) gets to know three-month-old Ava Martin. Rob says being Santa shouldn't be an act. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

Santa Claus, a temporary employee of Westaff and assigned to a selection of clients for the season.

Name: Rob Williams

Age: 75

Role: Santa at a shopping mall

Working hours: 21 hours a week in the lead-up to Christmas.

Average pay: $15 hour

Qualifications: Being a parent and grandparent. Worked in schools with young people.

 

Describe how you got this job?

I saw an ad in the paper, answered it and went from there. This is my seventh year now. I enjoy it.

Describe what you do?

I mainly sit there and wave happily to people beaming out beneficence and bonhomie. I try to encourage youngsters to come and tell Santa what they want for Christmas and reward their courage with a lolly. Mainly it is displaying an avuncular and warm personality. They can have their photograph taken with Santa.

How do you prepare for work?

In my case I don't have to put any cushions in to look plump, I am quite sufficient au naturel. I put on the red suit, greasepaint eyebrows, and the beard, which you have to adjust very carefully as it is pretty close to hell after a three-hour shift. Then the wig and the red hat on top. It is absolutely essential to have a fan in the vicinity. The head gear is very, very hot.

What have you had to do to succeed at this job?

I think it shouldn't be an act. It has to be apparent that you are a warm and cheerful sort of person.

What sort of training or experience do you need?

Westaff always have a day-long training session where seasoned Santas demonstrate and there's quite a book of words attached to it. We have to be familiar with OSH and all those requirements. People who have worked in schools or with younger people have less of a problem with the immediate relating-to-children aspect.

The majority of us are grandfathers and it is not strange to have little ones on your knee and hoping to make them enjoy it. But you have to be very careful. A little bit of snuggling - the kids love it - but your hands have to be visible at all times, which is fair enough.

What skills and qualities do you need?

You have to be a good listener. You hear some pretty improbable things from time to time, and in all fairness you are not always working with lovely people, so tact is essential, as well as warmth. I find a little bit of willing suspension of disbelief is important and helpful.

Some kids look at me and I know they can see my own hair is not the same colour as the wig. Then they say, "Are you real?" and I say, "Of course I am real, Santa is real." Depending on the circumstances you can usually get away with it.

Best part of the job?

Knowing you have really helped some little kids to be happy about Christmas. When they come back and say, "Thank you, Santa", that is pretty neat. It is good when parents take the time to say thank you too.

What is the most challenging part of the job?

One of the hardest things to deal with is the parents who insist their luckless offspring sit on Santa's knee for a photo when the kids are scared. Some of the kids are strangers to hygiene.

How do you define success in this job?

I personally feel good when I know there has been quite a good flow of happy children and satisfied parents. I spend five minutes with some children. They yabber away and I listen and it is a really happy time; I love it.

If I wanted a job like yours how would I go about it, and what qualifications would I need?

Its mainly a male thing because it is Father Christmas. I suggest he goes to the personnel department of a big store which has a Santa and enquire about how they get the Santas. Most are recruited by agencies like Westaff.

What advice would you have for someone contemplating a career like yours?

You have got to be prepared to take the good with the bad but it is predominantly good. Be your natural, warm self at all times, don't try to be something you are not. I think it is easier to convey the Santa Claus image with the benefit of age and corpulence. It's not a job for a cynic or someone who feels that children are to be seen and not heard. Someone asked me what Santa wanted for Christmas and I said by the time Christmas comes he wants a good rest.