Teens Must Make an Effort to Find a Summer Job
By Amy Winter Saturday, May 29, 2010, 05:41 AM EDT
Summer is almost here. That means teens will be out of school and looking to make money. Will summer jobs be available to them? Last year proved to be difficult with a low percentage of open summer positions. Older and more experienced job-seekers took the traditional summer jobs at malls, restaurants and movie theaters.
It is still a tough market for summer jobs, but this year should be better than the last few years, according to an outlook by Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., a global outplacement agency.
"It is unlikely that summer employment gains among teens will reach pre-recession levels, but we should definitely see increased hiring compared to 2008 and 2009, which experienced the weakest summer teen job growth since the 1950s," says John A. Challenger, chief executive officer.
Teens could have a better chance of earning some money by going the entrepreneurial route. This may include jobs such as lawn care or baby-sitting. In order to find these types of positions, teens need to network and talk to others. That could mean walking around their neighborhood, talking to friends, putting up fliers in the community, etc. Don't just depend on online job postings.
"By getting out from behind the computer, young job-seekers may also find opportunities that don't exist in the digital realm," says Challenger. "Many mom-and-pop stores do not advertise job openings on the Internet. Nor do families looking for baby sitters, lawn mowers or housecleaners. Some of the best opportunities this year may be for the odd-jobs entrepreneur."
There may be more open positions in amusement parks, since many families won't be able to afford fancy summer vacation trips. They could choose to stick closer to home and enjoy nearby entertainment, including movies, water parks, shopping malls, etc.
"Young job-seekers will not compete with other teenagers, but in certain types of jobs like retail and food service, they many compete with recent college graduates or older workers who need to supplement retirement income," says Challenger. "Teens are less likely to face older competition in more traditional summer job areas, such as day camps, neighborhood pools and amusement parks."
Challenger recommends teens start their summer job search with sources such as: reading the local newspaper classified ads, networking with family and friends, and searching online job sites (SnagAJob.com, Teens4Hire.org, GrooveJob.com, SummerCampStaff.com, CoolWorks.com).
For more information, visit www.challengergray.com.
GOOGLE SEARCH YOURSELF
Have you ever wondering what comes up when you type your name into an online search engine like Google? Although it can be an ego boost to see where you are published or mentioned, it can also be a helpful tool for working professionals. You can keep an eye out for online content that you don't want a potential employer to see.
Sixty-nine percent of workers have done a web search of their name, according to a survey by Accountemps, a staffing service that questioned 443 workers.
"While all professionals should protect their reputation by monitoring their online presence, this is especially critical for job-seekers," says Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps. "Many employers now routinely perform Internet searches to quickly learn about applicants' interests, experience and industry involvement."
Accountemps provides tips to create positive Internet exposure:
— Know what sites you are on. Set alerts on Google or another tracking service in order to get a notification when your name is mentioned on a site.
— Use privacy settings. Control who can see your social networking profiles or blogs.
— Add to discussions about your industry. Write appropriate comments on interesting articles in your field. Or maybe you can write columns for industry organizations.
— Stay up-to-date on profiles. Try to stay current on adding information to your professional profile on sites like LinkedIn.
For more information, visit www.accountemps.com.
It is still a tough market for summer jobs, but this year should be better than the last few years, according to an outlook by Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., a global outplacement agency.
"It is unlikely that summer employment gains among teens will reach pre-recession levels, but we should definitely see increased hiring compared to 2008 and 2009, which experienced the weakest summer teen job growth since the 1950s," says John A. Challenger, chief executive officer.
Teens could have a better chance of earning some money by going the entrepreneurial route. This may include jobs such as lawn care or baby-sitting. In order to find these types of positions, teens need to network and talk to others. That could mean walking around their neighborhood, talking to friends, putting up fliers in the community, etc. Don't just depend on online job postings.
"By getting out from behind the computer, young job-seekers may also find opportunities that don't exist in the digital realm," says Challenger. "Many mom-and-pop stores do not advertise job openings on the Internet. Nor do families looking for baby sitters, lawn mowers or housecleaners. Some of the best opportunities this year may be for the odd-jobs entrepreneur."
There may be more open positions in amusement parks, since many families won't be able to afford fancy summer vacation trips. They could choose to stick closer to home and enjoy nearby entertainment, including movies, water parks, shopping malls, etc.
"Young job-seekers will not compete with other teenagers, but in certain types of jobs like retail and food service, they many compete with recent college graduates or older workers who need to supplement retirement income," says Challenger. "Teens are less likely to face older competition in more traditional summer job areas, such as day camps, neighborhood pools and amusement parks."
Challenger recommends teens start their summer job search with sources such as: reading the local newspaper classified ads, networking with family and friends, and searching online job sites (SnagAJob.com, Teens4Hire.org, GrooveJob.com, SummerCampStaff.com, CoolWorks.com).
For more information, visit www.challengergray.com.
GOOGLE SEARCH YOURSELF
Have you ever wondering what comes up when you type your name into an online search engine like Google? Although it can be an ego boost to see where you are published or mentioned, it can also be a helpful tool for working professionals. You can keep an eye out for online content that you don't want a potential employer to see.
Sixty-nine percent of workers have done a web search of their name, according to a survey by Accountemps, a staffing service that questioned 443 workers.
"While all professionals should protect their reputation by monitoring their online presence, this is especially critical for job-seekers," says Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps. "Many employers now routinely perform Internet searches to quickly learn about applicants' interests, experience and industry involvement."
Accountemps provides tips to create positive Internet exposure:
— Know what sites you are on. Set alerts on Google or another tracking service in order to get a notification when your name is mentioned on a site.
— Use privacy settings. Control who can see your social networking profiles or blogs.
— Add to discussions about your industry. Write appropriate comments on interesting articles in your field. Or maybe you can write columns for industry organizations.
— Stay up-to-date on profiles. Try to stay current on adding information to your professional profile on sites like LinkedIn.
For more information, visit www.accountemps.com.
