Quick question about handing out CVs

I'm planning to go a large shopping mall later on today and hand out some CVs for part-time work (yes, I'm aware it's late for the Christmas period).

I'm wondering, in the unlikely scenario I get interest from more than one store, would it be considered rude to then turn down the stores I didn't want to work at? I'm asking cause I feel that handing in CVs with cover letters is usually only done when you're applying to a very specific employer/role, and so they might not expect me to be applying to others at the same time.

Thanks for the help, a quick answer would be appreciated.

Just a quick word of warning: Christmas Eve may not be the best day to do this. I'm not sure about your area but there is a good chance that many of the stores will close early or be about to close and many staff will be concentrating on finishing up to get home to families, etc. so they may not see this as a priority.

Plus, as Christmas is now upon is, it is unlikely that many stores (larger ones anyway) will be looking for part-time staff as they will be paying off many Christmas temps. Anyway...

When I handed out CVs at my local shopping centre I heard absolutely nothing back from any of them leading me to highly question the effectiveness of such an activity so you are correct when you say it is unlikely, but who knows, you may hear from all of them! A large number of companies much prefer you to search for vacancies and apply for jobs online and some only allow this and do not allow the handing in of CVs to the store.

Generally, whilst handing out CVs, I noticed one key thing...

They all wanted cover letters. Or most of them did anyway. They wanted to know my availability, and for some of them, it wasn't enough for me to tell them - they wanted it written explicitly on a cover letter.

For this reason, I would recommend drafting a general cover letter since the jobs you would be looking for in retail are all pretty similar anyway.

Hope this helps!

Some tips:

Go on a day which is less busy and maybe wait a while since most places will be good on employees right now.

Make sure you dress semi formal and when you're giving them out, ask to speak to the manager and give it to them. Regular employees are likely to just throw it out and while the manager will probably be annoyed, they will also appreciate your confidence.

If you do get a few offers, it's fine to refuse some as long as you have actually signed something ensuring you the place. (Their word doesn't count)

If you get multiple offers but do not have any confirmed yet, you should chose 2-3 places and say that you need time to think. You may say that you want to see which company gives you the best benefits as long as you don't go ' I have an offer from a different company so I'll try them and if it doesn't work, I'll settle for yours'

I'm planning to go a large shopping mall later on today and hand out some CVs for part-time work (yes, I'm aware it's late for the Christmas period).

I'm wondering, in the unlikely scenario I get interest from more than one store, would it be considered rude to then turn down the stores I didn't want to work at? I'm asking cause I feel that handing in CVs with cover letters is usually only done when you're applying to a very specific employer/role, and so they might not expect me to be applying to others at the same time.

Thanks for the help, a quick answer would be appreciated.

Eeek just saw this now sorry.

From my own experience whilst working in a retail store I would highly suggest you apply online. Usually when they take CV's in store they just throw it in the bin, they don't even bother taking a glance at them.

But if you still choose to go in and hand in your CV it would be best to go at a less busy period, that way it is less likely for your CV to get lost when it gets passed over. It would be appropriate to just hand in the CV, don't bother with cover letter.

Also, it wouldn't be rude to turn any organisation down by saying you're not interested in the job they're offering.

The process goes like this:
1. You apply
2. They call for interview
3. They give an offer ()
4. You accept/decline.

Anyways, I hope all goes well for you.