Santa's Hiring! Here's How to Become a Christmas Elf in Finland

If you’ve ever had a secret desire to be a magical creature or to experience Christmas in Santa's village, this short seasonal job (lasting from late November through the end of December) might be for you. It’s an opportunity to take advantage of your skills as a tour guide and entertainer while you become immersed in Nordic culture and Finnish Christmas traditions. Lapland Staff is seeking energetic and outgoing people with excellent social skills and good verbal English to work as elves this holiday season in Finnish Lapland. If you enjoy being around children, playing games, and having fun, you might make an outstanding elf, especially if you don’t mind cold weather.

Related: Why Finland Is Consistently the Happiest Country on Earth (Video)

The elf duties are similar to those of a traditional customer service role - your job is to make sure that all the guests have a magical time! As an elf, you’ll meet visitors at the airport, guide them through holiday activities, tell stories, sing songs, and make sure that everyone stays warm. You might find yourself in a snowball fight or an unexpected situation that requires using your improvisational skills. Elves have busy days, but there’s time to get together with your fellow elves, and many elves form lifelong friendships that bring them back year after year for the magical Christmas experience in Finland.

The opportunity is presented through Amava, an organization that provides opportunities to work, volunteer, and experience the world. Lapland Staff is also hiring tour guides, activity directors, and husky guides (a dream job for dog lovers) for seasonal positions. Contact Amava or Lapland Staff for more information.