Present wrappers, decoration packers and Christmas tree fellers are all jobs available from Jobcentre Plus - and the results of a poll show how people often use a range of vocational skills at Christmas time without realising how these can be applied to paid work.

The top ‘soft skill’ used at Christmas is budgeting, with 69% of responders saying it was the most important. Careful planning came  joint-second with 40%, in a tie with problem-solving.

In addition, popular vocational skills, such as cooking and crafts, including making cards and decorations, could be applied to vacancies working as Christmas gift wrappers, party hosts and Christmas pudding makers.

Suggestions for jobs which use ‘soft skills’ range from accounting and administration roles such as personal assistants or office administrators, to ‘people skills’ roles including call centre agents and customer service workers.

Jobcentre Plus adviser, Anna-Marie Alderson, says: At Christmas time people use a range of skills that they may not realise they have; and many people could be getting paid for using them all year round.”