More than three quarters of students had to find a job over their Christmas break

Students reaped the benefits of Christmas holiday work as more than three quarters found jobs with some earning in excess of 800.

While most people were putting their feet up for a well-deserved rest over the festive period, hardworking students were out gaining vital work experience and much-needed extra cash.

According to a survey of more than 150 students on graduate recruitment website Milkround.com, 76 percent of students found a job for the Christmas break.

The majority of students managed to boost their bank accounts with at least 200 as 30 percent earned 200 to 400 and 25 percent banked 400 to 800. A diligent nine percent were paid more than 800 for their Christmas holiday work.

With so many students putting in the hours, 23 percent took the opportunity to find work relevant to their preferred future career either full time, part time or as an internship. The majority didn't though, with nearly 40 percent settling for a part-time seasonal role and 24 percent returning to a regular holiday job.

Despite a slump in pre-Christmas sales, the retail industry hired the most students: nearly two in five (38 percent) found a job selling merchandise. The service industry was the next closest on 18 percent with 10 percent working in an administrative role.

Among the reasons for students not working during the Christmas break was leaving it too late to find a job: a total of 42 percent said they had not been quick enough to find work. A quarter (24 percent) complained they had too much university work to finish and 22 percent simply did not want to earn during their time off.

Milkround.com spokesman Mike Barnard said: ìThe vast majority of students are getting in paid work when they can to stabilise their finances and gain that vital work experience or network of contacts to ensure they stand out from the crowd when they are applying for full time graduate jobs. The festive and Easter breaks are ideal times to raise cash to spend during term time at a job that fits around their studies.î

He added: ìEmployers will always be looking for graduates to prove they are the right person for a job or scheme. Holiday work is an excellent way of bringing a CV up to their standards and can provide important in answering interview questions about their skills.î