Gift Ideas Based on Your Job!

secret santa ideas

So December has truly arrived and we’re all super excited in the Dovetail office. Secret Santa is a common gifting ritual in offices around the country and it’s sometimes really difficult to come up with great ideas. To get you on your way to success, we’ve gathered some winning ideas – depending on, of course, who you’ve got to buy for and we thought it might be fun to brainstorm some ideas based on your job title! :0) 

Over the years, I’ve had a few secret Santa gifts to buy and the most fun ones are when you have a theme or a really small budget to make it that bit more challenging.
One year we were restricted to buy second hand only to make it more interesting and more sustainable. This all takes time of course, so we’ve tried to make a little easier with some ideas below. We’ve tried to gather our favourite local shops to support our independents, but you also can’t avoid the online high street to get you through the Christmas Shopping chaos!

Best Secret Santa gifts we’ve received!

  • Belly Dancing Kit – certainly unique and not for everyone!
  • Rubik’s Cube – if you like that sort of thing
  • For the vertically challenged (that’s Suzi!) – a colleague bought her a step! :0)
  • Personalised Notebooks – with a bespoke message on the cover. (One of Laura’s favourites last year)

Some Fail Safe Secret Santa ideas

  • Sales/Account Managers: How about some travel trinkets? You’re in and out of the office, maybe even driving and flying all over the place. What better gift to receive than something useful on your travels. A portable wash bag with mini refillable bottles, passport holder, travel document pouch, a neck pillow – the list is endless! Or perhaps some stationary!
  • Working from Home Experts: What better thing to get than a gift for the home if you’re spending most of your time there. Brighten up your workspace, or get something a little luxurious for that after work finish. Candles, ornaments, Christmas blankets. Bookends in Christchurch and The Gift and Game shop  on Broadway have lots of great things!
  • Product Developers/Graphic Designers: Of course I’m thinking crafty gifts – Try Hobbycraft or take a look at Hawthorn Handmade with crafting kits galore!
  • Chef’s, Food Technologists, those with manual and production jobs: We thought with this unique skill set coupled with those who are working hard physically every day, what better gifts to give than the gift of FOOD! – Culinary delights, luxury sweets, or something more savory? 
  • For people who’s job you really don’t understand: Vouchers – some might say a cop out – but if you’re like me, you love a bit of shopping, and this could be one of the best gifts you could get! Plus, then you can’t go wrong 😉
  • IT Techs: How about some office games? – You’re often bogged down in lots of technical requests, focusing hard to get the job done. Why not take a moment away from the screen with some jokes or gimmicks to pass the time on anyone in the office on Christmas eve, you can find some just about anywhere! 

Budget Secret Santa Gift Ideas

Great places to shop when you’re on a budget are charity shops, vintage boutiques and we can’t forget TK Maxx for a quality bargain. Personally, I’m a great fan of the charity shop and vintage shops, such as Christchurch Emporium – you’re more likely to find a gift that’s more unusual and unique!

And most importantly, we can’t forget if you’re shopping locally, there are a couple of favourite re-fuelling destinations that are a must, which both happen to be in Christchurch road, Boscombe – M’s Bakery  and Bournemouth Pies  (who also do Hampers!) – both amazing and worth a slight detour.

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