Here’s a great little video explaining how to make the most out of JobMonkey’s job searching resources.  The Job Center is updated daily, so if you haven’t visited our database of free job listings today, you should!

Today I am featuring animal jobs and summer jobs… including summer jobs with animals! I hope you find something you are looking for here!

1. Zoo Camp Instructor, Turtle Back Zoo, West Orange, NJ
The Essex County Turtle Back Zoo is looking to hire Summer Camp Instructors to lead Monday through Friday zoo camps for children in kindergarten through eighth grade. Instructors will be responsible for leading educational lessons about animals and natural sciences in a fun, engaging and age-appropriate manner. Qualified candidates will be certified teachers or students in the process of getting their degree in the fields of education, biology, zoology, or natural sciences. Candidates with formal or information teaching experience will receive preference. There will be a one-week training programming for Instructors before the start of camp. Dates of employment are June 15 through August 14, 2009.

2. Educator Jobs, SeaWorld/Busch Gardens, Orlando, FL
Busch Gardens is looking to hire an animal educator who will give fact-based animal presentations in addition to staffing park attractions and conducting guided tours. Other responsibilities include interacting with guests to provide animal and park information and monitoring guest and animal safety. Qualified candidates will have a Bachelor’s degree or be actively pursuing their degree from an accredited college or university. Candidates must have excellent communication skills and be able to stand and walk for extended periods of time. Preference will be given to hiring local candidates.

3. Educational Interpretive Keeper, Cheyenne Mt. Zoo, Colorado Springs, CO
The Cheyenne Mt. Zoo in Colorado is seeking to hire an Educational Interpretive Keeper, responsible for the care, husbandry and training of the Zoo’s Education Department’s collection of animal ambassadors. The person in this position will conduct daily interpretive programs and demonstrations with the animals for Zoo visitors. This is a new position for the Zoo and the candidate will work with a relative new collection in a new facility. The ideal candidate will, at a minimum, hold a degree from a two-year college and have past experience working with animals and members of the public. The keeper must be able to positively engage guests and encourage them to participate in caring for Zoo animals. The position is full-time, with an hourly salary plus benefits. The typical work week will be Friday through Tuesday, with great flexibility to account for occasional evenings. The salary will be in the low $20,000s.

If you want a unique and rewarding job between June and September then look into working at a summer camp. Many camps are recruiting for summer camp counselors, lifeguards, nurses, maintenance workers, and activity directors and instructors.

We have just launched a new summer camp job board where you can find these types of jobs. The board is continually updated. Be sure use the Keyword search to locate specific types of positions – such as Lifeguard. You can also search by Location.

The truth of the matter is that summer camps in the U.S. struggle to find enough Americans to fill open jobs. So even non-U.S. citizens can get these jobs. My son recently went to a camp here in the Seattle area and his assigned counselor was from New Zealand — just working for the summer. Pretty cool, huh? Free room and board, working with kids, and a paycheck too.

A series of recent articles from papers around the country are reporting tens of thousands of dollars (and in some cases millions of dollars) pouring into local community employment programs.

In El Paso, Texas, for example, three thousand 14 to 24 year olds from low-income families can earn $6.55 to $7.25 an hour for working or getting classroom job training this summer. Similar programs are happening in Portage County, Ohio and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

And in Kent County, Michigan, Jubilee Jobs Inc. has funding to employ 150 14-24 year olds for six to 10 weeks over the summer. Employers can submit applications to Jubilee Jobs, which will pay the workers full salaries for up to 15-30 hours per week. Workers will also receive a paid two-week training period before their job starts.

Of course, you don’t need stimulus funding to find a job this summer — but given the increased competition for summer jobs, it certainly can’t hurt. If you want to learn more about how to land a job this summer, check out JobMonkey’s section on summer employment. You may also want to give some of these past posts about summer jobs a read:

>> How to Find a Summer Job
>> Seven Tips for Landing a Summer Job
>> Are Summer Jobs Drying Up?

The article acknowledges that Yes, it is tougher than ever before to find a summer job if you are a high school or college student. You are suddenly competing with recent college grads and the growing ranks of unemployed workers, whose experience will likely trump your enthusiasm. That doesn’t mean, however, that you throw in the towel and resign yourself to watching soap operas all summer-long.

The bottom line: You need to get creative and think like an entrepreneur. If you want an internship with a certain company, but they don’t have a formal program, pitch the idea to them. If you can’t find a job as a web designer because the market is so flooded, start your own freelance business. And finally, be sure to take full advantage of your campus career center (which we’ve mentioned several times here at the JobMonkey as well.)

For more on finding seasonal work, read through the JobMonkey Overview of Summer Jobs.  And if you haven’t already read it, you might also want to check out my post from a few weeks ago with 7 Tips for Landing a Summer Job.

It’s true that tough economies equal fewer jobs and more competition for them.

But that doesn’t mean you are doomed to a summer of pathetically watching soap operas. You can still land a great summer gig if you follow these seven golden rules of job searching:

1. Work on your resume.
Even if you lack on-the-job experience, you can demonstrate leadership and community activism through school activities and volunteer projects. Even your academic record (assuming it’s a good one) can speak to your commitment and drive. If resume writing is proving to be a real challenge, get help from your campus career planning center or your high school guidance counselor.

2. Check your work.
How many times have you heard your teachers say that? Guess what? It’s as true for your mathematics exam as it is for your job search. Make sure that your resume is free from errors. If you have to fill out an application for a job, check it twice to be sure that you answered all the questions.

3. Be positive and professional.
Even if you are interviewing for a casual job, you shouldn’t be dressed like you’re about to head out to the beach afterward. Show your enthusiasm with your warm smile and positive answers.

4. Look wide… and far.
Don’t limit yourself to one narrow field. If you want to work at a summer camp, great. Look at day camps and sleep away camps. Consider getting your lifeguard certification to make yourself even more marketable.

5. Be entrepreneurial.
If you don’t find your dream job (or any job for that matter), think outside the box. Stop looking for a boss and start being your own boss. Ask yourself: What skills do I have that I could sell on the open market (no, not those kind of skills!)

Can you put your stellar academic record to work tutoring students for the SATs or ACTs? Can you clean houses? Can you help families organize their upcoming garage sales?

6. Don’t give up.
No doubt about it, it’s tough out there. You might send out ten resumes but only get one response. You might visit a dozen restaurants in your town, only to hear “We’re not hiring” every.single.time. But if you give up, you definitely won’t get a job.

7. Talk to everyone you know. In other words, network. Tell your friends, your parents, your parents’ friends and your friends’ parents. Talk to your teachers. Chat with your neighbors. Let everyone you know know that you are looking for a job. Ask them for advice. Ask them to refer you to people who can help you. Ask them to tell you when they hear about a summer job. The wider you cast your net, the more likely you are to reel something in.

What’s your strategy for managing your summer job search? Leave your suggestions in the comments section.

According to the article, on-campus recruiting is down more than 10% this winter. Whereas summer job and internship offers are typically made in the fall, employers are now holding back due to economic concerns.

“[Employers] don’t know what’s happening six months from now,” said Pamela Bierman Mittman, the assistant dean of career services at New York University’s Stern School of Business, “this year they seem to be less confident about the actual hiring targets this far ahead. They’re not making long-term commitments yet.”

With greater competition, college students need to get really proactive about their summer job search. To learn more about summer employment opportunities for college students (and others, too!), check out JobMonkey’s section on summer jobs.

Now, in addition to being a great way to earn money during your vacation, many summer jobs offer a host of other benefits* — many of which last a longer than your paycheck will. Here are ten of the top benefits of getting a summer job:

1.    You can get free or discounted room and board
2.    You can receive travel allowances to help defray the cost of travel
3.    You can earn bonuses for completing a summer contract
4.    You can earn a raise for every consecutive summer your return
5.    You can get free health care (especially if you work at a sleep-away summer camps and other outdoor jobs)
6.    You can have fun (while still being responsible)
7.    You can interact with potential professional mentors
8.    You can meet new friends from around the country and the world
9.    You can learn new skills that may help you land a full-time job when you graduate
10.    You can gain independence and a sense of self

* Your “mileage” may vary, depending on your employer and the type of work you are hired to perform.

From high school students to retirees to everyone in between, the job center is a great place to start your job search.

Every Wednesday (well, in this case Thursdays – sorry!), I try to make your search a little easier by spotlighting three of the hottest new opportunities for the board. This week, there are gigs for seasonal workers, including a summer camp job fair in Ontario, Canada; treeline reforestation workers (also in Ontario); and cooks, handymen and trail workers in Bryce Canyon.

1. Summer Camp Job Fair, Langstaff Community Centre, Ontario, Canada.
If you are an Ontario-based high school or college student with energy, enthusiasm and experience working with children, ages 3-12, then you should plan to attend the Summer Camp Job Fair. Positions will be available in a wide variety of camp settings, including day camps and sleep-away camps. Organizations are looking for everything from camp directors to camp counselors to office staff. Informational sessions will be held every hour on the hour, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Onsite interviews will follow, so come prepared with your resume and references. Candidates must be at least 15 years old and be certified in First Aid. Experience in sports, dance, nature, history, outdoor education and fine arts is desirable but not required.

2. Seasonal Tree Planters, Treeline Reforestation, Inc., Englehart, Ontario
Treeline Reforestation, Inc. is looking for 40-60 high school graduates to help with its Spring Planting Season. They are also accepting registrations for camp cooks. Their contract with the Timiskaming Forest Alliance Inc. (TFAI) is for approximately 3.5 million seedlings. Tree planting is physically demanding work, but with proper training, most can learn to do it. Planters must stay on site and pay a minimal fee for room and board. First-year planters can make $3000-$6000 per season after camp costs. Veteran planters can make over $10,000 in a season. The ideal candidates will be self-motivated, competitive nature lovers. Accommodations cost $20-25/day and include a mess tent (with meat and vegetarian meal options), kitchen, dry tent, hot showers, toilets and satellite TV. Transportation is provided to and from the camp site. Planters must purchase their own equipment. Visit Treeline Reforestation’s website to fill out an online application.

3. Cooks, Xanterra Parks and Resorts, Bryce Canyon, UT

Xanterra Parks and Resorts is looking for cooks and other onsite workers to help create memorable experiences for their guests. The Lodge operates from April 1st through November 1st, with seasonal positions starting in mid March. Candidates must be able to life, walk and stand for an 8-hour shift. On-location accommodations and meals are provided for $11.50/day, which is deducted from bi-weekly paychecks. Outside of work hours, day trips and other social activities are organized for employees.