You’ve probably seen quite a few Now Hiring signs since summer started, and whether you’re looking for a summer gig or something more permanent, here’s why you need to capitalize ASAP.
Employment on the rise. The job market isn’t as bleak as it was once was with job growth reaching a 15-year high in 2014, and projections of stable or even increased growth throughout 2015. And it’s looking like the economists are going to be right! According to the Manpower Group nearly 25% of U.S. employers expect to add to their workforces during the upcoming months, which evens out to about 16% after adjusting for seasonal variations.
Even more so when it comes to summer jobs. Looking for some extra cash this summer? If so, the time is right with 80% of employers expecting to hire the same, or more, seasonal employees as 2014. The industries expected to add the most summer positions are hospitality and retail, with eating and drinking establishments alone projected to add at least 500,000 jobs this summer season.
Competitive pay. If you’re worried about getting stiffed at your summer job when it comes to your paycheck, think again. Summer employers are expected to pay an average hourly wage of $11.52, up from last year’s $10.39. In fact, 53% of employers plan to pay summer works $15 per hour or more.
Potential for long-term. On average, employers are expected to fill at least 35% of their summer positions with previously hired workers. That means that landing a job this summer could mean you’re set for the next few if need be. Not to mention, work experience is a valuable commodity these days and goes a long way in either turning your summer gig into a full-time job or securing your next position.
Flexible work schedule. Summer means vacation for many whether it’s getting outdoors more often than not or going on trips with friends and family. Since most summer positions are part-time, averaging 27 hours per week, you can still find time for both work and play!
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Not to be confused with Discovery Channel’s shark week, this weeklong celebration is all about the art of Charcuterie. Masters of the craft from Colt & Gray, The Nickel, The Plimoth, and Vesta Dipping Grill will be serving special charcuterie offerings made in-house, sourced from local farms and suppliers. And all you need to do to get in on the action is mention Charc Week when making a reservation (or four). Also part of the event is the official Charc Week tasting party, which will be held on Thursday evening at the Taxi Event Space where each chef will showcase their wares, alongside craft beer and spirits. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased here.
This soon-to-open whiskey and bar/clothing boutique located in Denver will be holding open call interviews for the following positions: baristas, barbers, bartenders, managers, retail specialists, stylists and all hospitality positions. Be sure to bring resumes, referrals and full body picture to the interview. For more information, email [email protected].
The event features a Nationally Sanctioned BBQ Event by the Kansas City BBQ Society, live entertainment, beer gardens, great food, boat rides and much more! Fri. 5-11pm & Sat. 10am-11pm. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for kids (ages 3-12).
You can never have too much wine! Not to mention live music and food. All of which will be available at the Colorado Wine Festival. Twenty-five Colorado wineries will be pouring tastings of their wines and selling bottles. Vendors and food booths will also be stationed throughout the event. Tickets are $30, available online here until June 4th, and at the festival gates until 4pm, which include admission to wine tasting and a Colorado Wine Festival wine glass.
Denver’s First-ever Drink Pink Vino International Rosé Wine Festival held at the Omni Interlocken Hotel. Celebrity hosts will include Top Chef Season 5 Winner Hosea Rosenberg of Blackbelly Market, Madeleine de Jean (aka Madame Champagne) and Barrie Lynn, The Cheese Impresario. General admission tickets are $65, or you can go VIP for $95 and go an hour earlier plus enjoy a Raw Bar and Rosé Champagne Reception.
Music, brews, and chili in Snowmass Village? Yes, please. Get down with a grand beer tasting featuring 25+ microbreweries, International Chili Society tastings, and live concerts from 15 musicians not to mention on-site camping if that’s your thing. If not, there are also lodging deals available! Tickets (including 1-day passes) range from $55-275 and can be purchased here.
Join the celebration of the ever-booming Boulder creative scene! Drinks, entertainment including music by Captain Planet and DJ Ivy, and hashtags (#boulderblockparty) will be provided. Tickets are $10 and all proceeds will benefit the Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA) of Boulder to help families who have nowhere else to turn meet their basic needs. RSVP here to reserve tickets.
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design is hosting this first-ever event featuring food trucks, pop up boutiques, and fresh produce. Discover local artists and vendors selling their handmade goods and flavorful eats.
The event kicks off on Thursday, June 18, with an evening of live music. The BBQ Challenge will run Friday, June 19 from 11:00am to 9:00pm and Saturday, June 20 from 10:00am to 6:00pm. Approximately 70 BBQers will compete for a variety of awards. Other BBQ favorites include Chef Demonstrations presented on the Viking Stage; Pig Races; a Whiskey Tour (advance registration required); and a variety of musical entertainment.
For an entire weekend, this real town turns upside down to pay tribute to gold fields and mining, exploration and adventure, brothels and saloons, booms and busts. Be sure to try your hand at gold panning with the Gold Prospectors of Colorado during their Colorado Gold Panning Championships and check out the Outhouse Races on Sunday, June 21st on Ridge St. Kids entertainment includes face painting, bounce house, strolling characters and more.
The Showcase is a celebration of our state’s vibrant music scene, featuring Flume as well as the Black Angels, MisterWives and over 100 more of the best bands and artists from Colorado and beyond on a dozen stages in Denver’s Golden Triangle neighborhood. Tickets start at $30 and are on sale here.
Now one of the largest pride celebrations in the U.S., Denver PrideFest turns 40 this year! Honoring community, family, heritage, and culture in the form of an enormous party at Denver’s Civic Center Park, this two day festival is free for all, so come join the fun!
An afternoon of food, drink and fun in “Colorado’s Home,” the Governor’s Residence at the Boettcher Mansion. Enjoy tastes of the Colorado Brewers Guild member’s masterfully crafted beer paired with the culinary creations of the chefs of the Colorado Chefs Association while wandering the rooms and gardens of the mansion. The proceeds raised from tickets will benefit the Governor’s Residence Preservation Fund, an inclusive, non-partisan 501(c)3 dedicated to preserving the historic Governor’s Residence at the Boettcher Mansion. Tickets are available here for $80, or go VIP for $200 to start an hour early, receive a VIP gift bag, and more.
A master collection of Denver’s best Tacosmiths all in one place on Saturday from 12-9pm and Sunday from 12-8pm, Denver Glitter Dome. Tickets range from $5-60, available online here.
Don’t get caught with your pants down; the top 10 oddball interview questions for 2015 plus the intention behind each according to Glassdoor and their associate director of corporate communications, Scott Dobroski.
“What would you do if you were the one survivor in a plane crash?” –This question was asked of an Airbnb trust and safety investigator job candidate.
As with all the oddball questions, interviewees should relate their answers back to the workplace. In this case, a potential response could include how to ensure the survivor’s safety, as well as checking the rest of the plane to make sure there were no other survivors. Asking about nearby resources, such as radio or cell phone towers, could also help show the interviewer that the applicant can think ahead and plan for emergencies.
“What’s your favorite ’90s jam?” — A Squarespace customer care job candidate.
While this might seem goofy, this open-ended question is a way for a candidate to show off their positive qualities. These can be very short responses, as long as you relate it back to the workplace.
“If you woke up and had 2,000 unread emails and could only answer 300 of them, how would you choose which ones to answer?” — Dropbox rotation program job candidate.
This is the type of situation that almost everyone deals with today, but it also allows the candidate to show how he or she would prioritize in a potentially stressful situation. Candidates could note that they’d search for names of people and subject line terms that would need attention first, for example.
“If you had a machine that produced $100 dollars for life, what would you be willing to pay for it today?” — Aksia research analyst job candidate.
Candidates could ask the interviewer for more information, such as whether there is only one of these machines available or if there’s a glut. Asking about whether there is risk involved — such as whether the owner could be targeted by criminals — could also help show analytic skills, Dobroski noted.
“What did you have for breakfast?” – Banana Republic sales associate job candidate.
This sounds like small talk, but it allows the interviewer to gauge whether the candidate is an upbeat person and can relate to other people. Sales associates are asked questions all day long by customers, and keeping upbeat energy is important.
“Describe the color yellow to somebody who’s blind.” — Spirit Airlines flight attendant job candidate.
This question tests a candidate’s sensitivity and how they gather information. Before giving a final answer, he or she could ask whether the person is partially blind and when they became blind, helping to formulate the best possible explanation given the situation.
“If you were asked to unload a 747 full of jellybeans, what would you do?” – Bose IT support manager job candidate.
Unloading a plane full of jellybeans is no small task, so this allows a candidate to show off their project management skills. An interviewee could ask what the budget is, when the deadline is for unloading the plane, and whether they have machinery or staff to work with. That will help demonstrate the candidate’s ability to think through all the possible dimensions of the challenge.
“How many people flew out of Chicago last year?” — Redbox software engineer II job candidate.
This question for an entry-level engineering job is, not surprisingly, geared toward assessing a candidate’s analytic skills. The interviewee could walk through their thinking, such as how many flights go in and out of Chicago each day, how traffic surges at the holidays, and come up with an answer. The interviewer isn’t interested in the correct answer, rather the thought process used to arrive at his or her conclusion.
“What’s your favorite Disney Princess?” — Coldstone Creamery crew member job candidate.
This question is all about getting a candidate to show their personality. Companies want to hire those that will be a good fit in terms of work style, company culture, and professional values.
Interviewers know when they’re asking unexpected questions, so it’s alright to take a few seconds to consider the question, ask a few of your own, and talk through your reasoning before arriving at a conclusion. Just remember to stay calm, definitely don’t laugh or scoff, and stay away from one word or expected answers.
In fact, the service industry recorded the strongest sales volume on record in December 2014, as well as the eighth consecutive monthly increase, totalling $49.6 billion on a seasonally-adjusted basis.
As the national economy continues to improve, jobs are becoming less and less capricious. However, as is the nature of the service industry, employee turnover among hospitality positions remains high, so what can you do to keep the checks coming? Actually, quite a lot!Climbing the ladder
Many consider positions within the service industry to be temporary, whether it is because, for a considerable portion of the workforce, it is either a first job or placeholder or because the average lifetime of a service industry business is shorter than most. However, this is misleading because, since the perception of service industry jobs is as provisional as it gets, there can be no career advancement or long-term career planning in general. But, this is not the case. According to National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation research, 97% of restaurant managers and 94% of shift or crew supervisors no longer in their first restaurant job have advanced to higher-paying positions in the restaurant industry, meaning that if you stick it out, the rewards will be worth the wait.
Lose the ‘tude…or just change it
So, now that you know that it is possible to turn an entry-level position into a well-paying career, how do you keep the job you have in order to ascend the ladder? It starts with the attitude you maintain while in the workplace. Positivity, as well as negativity, is readily noticed and oftentimes contagious. If excitement and enthusiasm are on your mind, not only will your colleagues be thankful, but your supervisors will be as well, not to mention you’ll have a much easier time accomplishing the next tip.
Go the extra mile
Employees that do their jobs well are the ones that are kept on the payroll, and the first to be promoted. So, go above and beyond your normal responsibilities. Be as helpful as possible in your place of employment, even if that means taking extra shifts or unpopular duties. Demonstrate your commitment to the company, and initiative in getting what needs to be done, done.
Learning is fun
When money is tight, getting the most bang for your buck becomes the most important thing. For employees, this means being as productive as possible, in as many areas as possible. Take the time to learn new tasks, skills, and specialties because when push comes to shove, you won’t be the one going overboard, plus you’ll be demonstrating your potential as well as aptitude.
Build roots
One of the most important, and beneficial, aspects of today’s professional world is networking. Be sure to make connections and build relationships with colleagues and supervisors in departments beyond yours. The deeper your roots are in the organization, the less likely it is that you’ll be cut loose when the storm hits. And even if you are, who knows which acquaintance or friend will be your saving grace.
Just in case
Last but not least, have a back-up plan in case the worst happens. Stay up-to-date on available positions in your area, as well as nationwide because you never know when that dream job will arise. Also, continuing to invest in your education is always a safe bet as the most valuable professionals are those that know their craft intimately. And, don’t be afraid to make a change if it is in your best interest.
