Yesterday we began to look at a survey by Harris Poll® that explores what the summer of 2017 will look like for recruiters. Today we’ll look at the rest of those results.
The Types of Jobs Available
Although summer jobs are commonly associated with recreation and outdoor work, many employers whose companies are hiring for the summer say they are hiring for a variety of professional and support positions, including:
- Engineering: 27%
- IT: 27%
- Customer service: 22%
- Office support: 19%
- Sales: 15%
- Manufacturing: 12%
- Banking: 11%
- Retail: 9%
- Research: 9%
- Hospitality/leisure: 8%
Most Unusual Summer Jobs
While lots of people find work as lifeguards or camp counselors, many go off the beaten path to find their summer paychecks. When asked what is the most unusual summer job they have ever had, employees said:
- Being a theme park ride tester
- Wrangling alpacas
- Tagging turtles on a Florida beach
- Being a carnivore keeper at a big cat rescue center
- Getting bitten by mosquitos for pay
- Setting headstones onto grave sites
- Picking up cigarette butts at an arcade
- Delivering telegrams dressed as Groucho Marx
- Flipping college dorm rooms into hotel-like suites for a business conference
- Arranging butterflies to be sold to collectors
When Is the Right Time to Apply?
For jobseekers hoping to secure a seasonal position, get those applications out the door ASAP. Thirty-four percent of employers hiring for the summer say they typically complete their hiring in May—31% are already done (typically finish in April or before). Twenty percent finish in June, 9% in July, and another 7% in August.