SACRAMENTO, calif. — Petco needs dog-grooming assistants. Sports Authority wants merchandise handlers. Jamba Juice can use some juicers. And RiteAid hopes to find a “wellness ambassador.”
From pet stores to pharmacies, the job market for teens is warming up along with the weather.
For teens thinking about a summer paycheck, now is the time to pounce. Hiring is expected to be better than during the pits of the recession, and there’ll be less competition from jobless adults looking for part-time, seasonal work, according to several hiring studies.
“Companies are doing better and have more room to hire teens. It’s not a breakout year, but there’s steady improvement in the job market, and teens will get their share of that,” said John Challenger, chief executive of Challenger, Gray & Christmas in Chicago.
Challenger’s annual study of summer teen hiring, released in April, said there has been a rebound from 2010, when teen hiring hit an all-time low of 960,000 — the lowest level since 1949. Last year, it was up 13.2 percent, as 1.08 million teens landed employment in May, June and July.
This summer? Challenger estimates 1.2 million teens could land a summer job.
But don’t procrastinate: 80 percent of managers in a recent survey said they expect to have their summer hiring wrapped up by Memorial Day, according to , a Richmond, Va.-based website for hourly jobs.
“Get looking now. Do not wait,” said SnagAJob spokeswoman Courtney Moyer.
When it comes to finding a job, there are always the traditional teenage go-tos: fast-food outlets, mall department stores, the snack bar at your community swimming pool. Many communities are hiring lifeguards, concession-stand cashiers, sports and recreation assistants or maintenance aides.
You can get started online. For instance, typing in “Teen Jobs” at brings up nationwide listings grouped by city.
And consider your application — whether you drop it off in person or push “send” from your computer — to be your first impression with a potential employer.
“It might be 30 seconds or a minute long, but it’s essentially a first interview,” Moyer said.
If you’re stopping by an office with an application, show you’re serious: dress appropriately, be friendly and meet the deadline.
If it’s an e-mailed application, be sure it’s not riddled with spelling mistakes. Proofread it several times, Moyer said. And use a standard, non-cutesy e-mail address: i.e., your first and last names.
