Applying for local jobs a couple of months prior to the start of the school year is usually the best bet for getting hired, many employers said.
Hiring early provides ample time to train student workers and prepare them for the influx of patrons, said Sarah Wescott, student employment program manager with Residential and Hospitality Services, or RHS.
“We are doing a lot of hiring right now in preparation for the fall semester,” Wescott said. “Ideally, we will have our staff in place prior to students returning to campus.”
Wescott said RHS hires more than 6,000 students during the year, with jobs in the campus dining halls, Sparty’s Convenience Stores and the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, among others.
The RHS hiring push starts early to mid-June, builds throughout the summer, and tapers off by the second week of September, Wescott added.
With many students purchasing class textbooks in mid- to late August, Collegeville Textbook Company Co-Owner Tom Muth said it is critical to hire early in order to train new workers before the rush.
“We need to get everything lined up before everyone comes back,” Muth said. “We can get them trained. We (hire) almost all of our new people in July and August.”
Harper’s Restaurant and Brewpub General Manager Casey Comstock said the business increases hire numbers in the second half of the summer for the fall rush, but maintains hiring throughout the year.
“I prefer, personally, that (applicants) get in some time in the second (summer semester) session, just so they can get trained and fully ready to go for the rush in the fall,” Comstock said.
But some businesses, such as the Peanut Barrel, have kept hiring open for most of the summer, regardless of student population.
Peanut Barrel Manager Joe Bell said the restaurant hires mainly in the spring to prepare for the warmer months when they see an increase in customers utilizing patio dining. Although summer does bring a jump in business, football season also attracts more customers.
“In this place, our business picks up considerably when the students are gone,” Bell said.
