Spring 2009 - Issue 5

The Silversword: Home > News > Would you like a job with that?

Would you like a job with that?

Ale Pardi, Staff writer

On April 4, McDonald’s announced plans to hold a “hiring day” on April 19. Hiring day will consist of hiring 50,000 employees nationwide, an average of three to four new employees at each location. McDonald’s predicts the event will not only be good news for the chains and the workers, but also for the economy.

The majority of these jobs will be full time and a small percentage will be part time. Meaning the company will spend an estimated $518 million on filling these paychecks. With more than 13 million Americans currently unemployed, McDonald’s is more than likely to get its fair share of applicants.

“I applied a little under a week ago at the one (McDonald’s) on Beretania Street,” said Chaminade junior Dan Aquino, a criminal justice major, “and I already have an interview there next week.”

On the actual hiring day, McDonald’s plans to set up personal computer kiosks where anybody can easily apply for a number of jobs at the location, on McDonald’s website. Some people could also meet directly with a manager and be hired on the spot.

“Our national hiring event is an opportunity to invite more people across the country to join our team, and learn that a McJob is one with career growth and endless possibilities,” said McDonald’s president Jan Fields in a recent company press release.

Working at McDonald’s does provide more opportunities than one may think. According to the McDonald’s website, more than 50 percent of its owner operators started out working behind the counter. Not to mention, more than 75 percent of restaurant managers also began their careers working the register. Not bad numbers for a burger joint.

A prime example of prosperous opportunities in McDonald’s is their own senior vice president Jim Norberg. Norberg, who began as a fry cook at the age of 16, is now responsible for 40,000 restaurants in the U.S. Who knows, one of the 50,000 hired on April 19 could one day own the company.

“We believe the words ‘Welcome to McDonald’s’ should apply to our employees just as much as our customers. We’re proud of our food, and we’re just as proud of the jobs we create,” said Jessica Hansen from McDonald’s Customer Response Center.