Tough competition makes summer job hunt harder

Elis Krkr 17 of San Jose working for the Summer at California's Great America. Great America is the largest youth employer in Northern California on Wednesday , June 18, 2008 in Santa Clara , Calif Photo by Kurt Rogers / The Chronicle. less Elis Krkr 17 of San Jose working for the Summer at California's Great America. Great America is the largest youth employer in Northern California on Wednesday , June 18, 2008 in Santa Clara , Calif Photo ... more Photo: Kurt Rogers, The Chronicle Photo: Kurt Rogers, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Tough competition makes summer job hunt harder 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

Getting a summer job is harder this year, but not impossible for students if they are patient and persistent.

In general, there seem to be more applicants for fewer positions than last year, a result of the slowing economy.

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo is hiring about 1,400 seasonal workers this year, down from 1,500 last summer. Yet it received 8,600 applications this year, up from 7,000 last year. An increase in the state minimum wage pushed its entry-level pay to $8 per hour from $7.50 last summer.

At California's Great America, the applicant pool has grown so large that "We don't have enough people to handle all the interviews," says Al Garcia, spokesman for the Santa Clara amusement park. Some applicants have had to come back a second day.

MBA BY THE BAY: See how an MBA could change your life with SFGATE's interactive directory of Bay Area programs.

The park has filled most of its regular 2,000 summer slots, but turnover is high and replacements are hired throughout the summer. Bucking the trend, Great America is hiring 500 people this year to build and staff a new Halloween-themed program that will run in October. The park is still hiring for those positions, which start in August.

The teen unemployment rate in California, which tracks the overall unemployment rate, has been rising. It was 18.7 percent in April, 18.3 percent in April 2007 and 16.3 percent in April 2006.

Tony DiStefano, executive director of Enterprise for High School Students in San Francisco, says its job bank "is thinner than it has been historically."

There are still lots of household positions open, but fewer commercial jobs. That's partly because college graduates "are willing to take jobs they wouldn't normally be willing to take," he says. Also, older people are staying in jobs "you would have expected them to move on from."

Amari Bolmer of San Francisco had been looking for a part-time job since last August, with no luck. "I went to a lot of interviews. I put out my resume, applications," the 17-year-old says.

A month ago, he signed up with Enterprise, which found him a couple of domestic jobs such as helping a woman move and helping another with her Web site. This week, he got a referral to Century Theatres, which hired Bolmer to work in the concession stand starting next week at $9.36 per hour, San Francisco's minimum wage.

"I had to work really hard to find a job," he says.

Enterprise employs some students directly, in jobs that are subsidized by corporate donors, the city and an antique auction. Demand for those jobs is way up. For its Career Exploration Program, "we had 150 applicants, up almost 50 percent, for 41 positions," DiStefano says.

Yuri Dew, executive director of Jobs for Youth in San Francisco, says "there are retail jobs aplenty." But some companies, for economic reasons, have stopped hiring interns through her nonprofit organization, which targets 16- to 21-year-olds.

Dew has been able to replace many jobs by working with new industries. A group of real estate and property management companies has sponsored 29 new internships this summer. About 15 are still open at $12 per hour.

Ruby Tomas, program coordinator with San Mateo County Jobs for Youth, says that while some employers - such as Kaiser Permanente and SamTrans - are hiring more students this year, overall there are fewer job openings.

Only 30 to 40 percent of the young people who come through her county-run program, which requires a job-skills workshop, end up getting jobs. That's mainly because their parents pushed them to come but "the kids aren't really ready to work," Tomas says. They fail to send applications or show up for interviews.

Any student who is "really motivated" will find a job, Tomas insists. "You have to be determined and patient. A job search is an actual job."

Tomas says she has about 60 job listings - mostly in restaurant and retail - for 16- and 17-year olds and about 100 openings for those older than 18.

It's harder for people younger than 18 to find jobs because state laws restrict their work hours, says Mayela Gutknecht, a specialist at Jobs for Youth in San Francisco.

It's also "very hard for youth with any type of criminal background," even misdemeanors for marijuana possession, she says.

Youth from disadvantaged communities can have trouble getting jobs because of transportation problems or because "they haven't had the family support," Gutknecht adds. They sometimes lack the "presentation and interpersonal skills" employers expect.

Students from higher-income families "are more likely to be part of a network where opportunities are made available to them or the basics are taught to them, such as how to prepare a resume or come across as a professional," DiStefano says.

Gutknecht says students here often have to compete for entry-level jobs with immigrants, including college grads. "There's a lot of competition in the city," she says. "People from England are coming here with a college degree and working for a restaurant because they want to live here."