Go Where the Jobs Are

If you are one of the hundreds of thousands of people looking for a job, you may have found yourself standing in line at one of the McDonalds outlets on McDonalds National Hiring Day, April 19. In a one-day effort, they had a goal of interviewing for as many as 50,000 jobs, both hourly and management. This on the heels of good news about lowest unemployment rate in two years – 8.8% for the nation.

Many people may feel that working at McDonalds, or any other fast-food service organization is a step down from their former jobs in other industries. In these tough economic times, joining the ranks of the employed in any job is definitely a step up! An entry-level job can be a step up and a “foot in the door” that can lead to an upward climb to an exciting and rewarding career. The President of McDonalds, Jan Fields, started out cooking French fries at McDonalds in 1977 and is now President of McDonalds, USA. According to Fields, about 30% of McDonald’s management team started out in the same way—working on the line in a service job.

According to a recent article in The Miami Herald, approximately 216,000 new jobs were created in March. Certain industries are leading the pack in new openings. Some areas that were “sure things” for job openings are cutting back. Here are the areas where last month’s jobs were:

1. Service-Industry --- 185,000 new jobs. As the economy improves, so does consumer confidence, boosting sales of all types of products and services. These industries rely heavily on call centers, customer service centers, repair and maintenance, and sales.
2. Temporary jobs –28,000 new jobs. The article wasn’t specific, but temporary work can span all types of industries and can be the best way to get an opportunity to demonstrate your abilities and get hired permanently. Many companies use temporary help to “road test” potential employees without the commitment of hiring and the costs of recruiting, interviewing, benefits, etc. It also relieves them of the formal termination process if the person doesn’t work out. Once you land a temporary job in a company or job that you really like, it’s your time to shine and convince them that they should hire you on.
3. Retail – 17,000. Retail can be tough, but if you like serving people and building relationships with customers, retail can be for you. With the busy summer season coming up, many retailers are gearing up, especially in tourist and vacation destinations. Look for opportunities at the beach, lake, amusement and entertainment venues such as Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando, FL.
4. Hospitality and Tourism Industry – though no specific numbers, this is vacation season, and though the jobs may be seasonal – as few as 9 weeks – this is another opportunity to make some money and gain some experience. Seniors, retirees and students find these jobs just what they need to put some money away for school or supplement their retirement income without a long-term commitment.
5. Construction and Government sector – both lost jobs. Construction fell 1,000 and Government 14,000.

Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a consultant, blogger, motivational speaker and freelance writer for BusinessWorkForce.com. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in Training magazine, Training & Development magazine, Supervision, BiS Magazine and The Savannah Morning News. When she’s not writing, she enjoys singing Alto II with the Savannah Philharmonic Chorus and helping clients discover what they love and spend their life on it. You can read more of her blogs at businessworkforceblog.com and view additional job postings on Nexxt.