‘Help Wanted’ for Summer Jobs No Worse than Last Year

SnagAJob.com Survey Finds That Three in 10 Hiring Managers Will Hire Just as Many as Last Year

RICHMOND, Va.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--For teens and college students looking for summer jobs this year, status quo may be as good as they can hope for. According to a just-released survey of hiring managers responsible for summer hiring, jobs will be just as plentiful – or just as hard to get – as they were last year.

“Have a positive attitude. Don’t make all questions about money and time off.”

And given the economy, that’s about as good as you could hope for.

The annual survey, commissioned by hourly job Web site SnagAJob.com and conducted by third-party research firm Ipsos Public Affairs, found that – across the board – hiring levels will be similar to last year. Three in 10 (29%) hiring managers intend to hire the same number of workers. And the number of hiring managers who say they will hire fewer workers is at least trending in the right direction, now at 18 percent versus last year’s 23 percent. As last year, nearly half of hiring managers (47%) do not expect to make any seasonal hires, which is statistically the same as last year’s 46 percent. One bright spot: 6 percent of hiring managers intend to hire more workers than they did last summer, equal to last year.

“Given the year that we’ve had, ‘unchanged’ on the summer job front is pretty good news,” said Shawn Boyer, CEO of SnagAJob.com. “It’s a relief that we’re not again seeing the kind of negative trends that we saw when comparing expectations for last summer with ‘08. Summer jobs will be available this year, but teens and college students must apply as soon as possible to multiple positions in order to stand a chance of landing one. Competition will still be fierce, especially because unemployment remains high.”

Among hiring managers who will make hires, 53 percent say that a young person’s biggest competition comes from another teen or college student like themselves, very similar to last year’s 54 percent. And like last year, youth can expect to face competition from adults who have entered the workforce because of economic pressures, which 29 percent of hiring managers still report as a young person’s greatest competition. Overall, a majority of hiring managers think it will be difficult for teens to find a summer job (54 percent).

Returning workers to summer jobs will have the same competitive advantage as last year. Hiring managers say that they will again fill their positions with 65 percent returning workers and 35 percent new employees. Either way, a positive attitude is the No. 1 attribute hiring managers look for in a seasonal employee, cited by 36 percent of hiring managers, ahead of schedule flexibility (27%) and previous experience (23%).

For those who succeed in landing a summer gig, they can again expect the average pay to be $10.20 an hour.

Boyer recommends that summer job seekers immediately cast their net widely, which includes tapping into the networks of friends and family and being open to all kinds of positions.

“First jobs are a stepping stone to the working world,” Boyer said. “They’re a time to learn about responsibility, work ethic and contributing to a team. Teens, especially, must be willing to accept an entry-level job, work a flexible schedule and emphasize a positive attitude and willingness to learn.”

Via an open-ended question, hiring managers who participated in the survey offered very candid suggestions when asked to give one piece of advice to teen job seekers:

• “Have a positive attitude. Don’t make all questions about money and time off.”
• “Do not take phone into the interview or text during the interview.”
• “Speak well. Don’t say, ‘Umm, Can I get an application?’”
• “Take the ring out of your ear, and cover up the tattoos.”
• “Try to be as outgoing and professional as possible. Maturity is more appealing than a fancy resume.”
• “Before looking for a job, make a conscious decision that you will do any job; then tell your prospective employer that if you are paid $7/hour you will work like it is $14/hour and live up to that pledge.”

For more on survey findings, please contact Stacey Brucia at [e-mail] or 804-381-5132.

Survey Methodology: This online survey was conducted by IPSOS Public Affairs, a third-party research firm, on behalf of SnagAJob.com between Feb. 24 – Mar. 1, 2010. Respondents included 1,033 hiring managers with responsibility for hiring summer, seasonal employees paid by the hour. The margin of error for the entire survey is 3.05% at a 95% confidence level. The margin of error for the sub-population of hiring managers who said they would be hiring summer employees (551 respondents) is 4.17%. Similarly, the margin of error for hiring managers who said they will not be hiring (482 respondents) is 4.46%. This is the third year that this survey was conducted.

About SnagAJob.com: SnagAJob.com, America’s largest hourly job Web site, has helped connect hourly workers with quality full-time and part-time jobs in a wide range of industries since 2000. Headquartered in Richmond, Va., current clients include DISH Network®, Verizon Wireless®, FedEx®, Boston Market®, Chick-fil-A®, Bed Bath & Beyond®, Michaels® and Jiffy Lube®. Learn more about the No. 1 source for hourly employment at SnagAJob.com.