Summer jobs
Cool options for hot
Chetna Keer Banerjee

SUMMER break is the time when youngsters want to take up part-time work, whether to augment their pocket money, to gain experience or simply to bide time and have some fun.

A lot of companies and sectors beckon enterprising and energetic youth with interesting offers of summer/part-time jobs.

The telecom sector offers summer spots in various streams. Says Prashant Shrivastava, Head-HR, Airtel, Punjab, "The summer jobs that Airtel is offering have been designed in such a way that they offer a lot of practical exposure to the students. We are offering summer internship in customer care, marketing & sales, HR, finance and IT. For these, the qualifications required are postgraduation in the respective functional streams."

With the rapid expansion of retail chains and the spread of the mall culture, a lot youngsters are being drawn to the retail sector for gaining quick experience. Says H.P. Kripesh, Senior Manager, Human Resources, Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited, "Students are eager to take up projects in the retail industry as they feel the experience will help them during final placements."

"The duration of the summer stints is usually 8 to 10 weeks and the selection is through personal interviews," he adds.

In the fast food industry, some leading chains have tempting options on their platter. Says Vijay Srivastava, Head HR, McDonald's North India, "Our chain offers summer jobs for a period of 2-3 months up to July."

"Any graduate or undergraduate (Class X or plus two pass) within the age group of 18-22 can join McDonald's as a part-time crew member, which is an entry level position at the restaurant operations," he adds.

About the selection process, he says, "We recruit people through advertisements, campus interviews, people referrals, hiring posters, placement agencies, Internet etc. We also hire hiring trainees through walk-in queries at our restaurants. The prospective candidates are provided forms, which are deposited with the HR department for evaluation."

Another fast food chain, KFC, doesn't have openings strictly for the summer but does offer part-time jobs. Informs Sharanita Keswani, Director KFC Marketing, Yum! Restaurants International, "Since employment at our restaurants requires intensive training, the duration of our part-time jobs is at least for a period of 6 months."

"We require people who have the passion, the drive and possess a " can-do" attitude. The right aptitude and attitude to meet the needs of the service industry and its challenges are important," she adds. A candidate must have the willingness to learn, passion to serve customers, strong communication skills, work ethics and, of course, team skills.

For team members, KFC mostly gets applications directly through the restaurants and employee references. All applicants for the position of Team Member undergo an automated screening test, which determines the candidate's competency in key areas like analytical skills, customer focus, ability to work in a team, etc. The shortlisted candidates go through a structured interview where they are further evaluated for the same competencies.

On recruitment, all new employees, including part-timers, undergo a month-long intensive training.

The long and short of this trend for summer job stints is that youngsters can earn while they learn and also have fun. "We have received a tremendous response as compared to last year. The numbers seem to be rising." Srivastava adds.