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.

What that means for you, whether you are 16 or 66, is that your job is less secure — and a new job is going to be harder to come by. For teenagers looking for a summer job, the pressure is especially intense. There are fewer jobs than normal, and each one is being fought over by a far greater number of applicants.

There is some good news in this whole mess: There are a growing number of programs, many of which are funded by the federal government, to aid 14 to 24 year olds in finding a summer job. Here are seven of the best sites to help you (or the youngster in your life) to find a summer job.

1. YouthBuild is a Department of Labor program for at-risk 16-24 year-olds, providing them with construction and community rehab jobs that will be utilized to create affordable housing for low-income families.

2. Job Corps is a job training program for 16-year olds+. Participants receive free room and board while enjoying top-notch job advice and training.

3. The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 hosts this comprehensive list of federally-funded youth employment programs. To find a program near you, call (202) 693-3030.

4. Student Educational Employment Program helps college students find federal work internships that will further their academic and career goals.

5. Student Jobs is an online portal for high school and higher education students looking for jobs within the federal government.

6. My First Paycheck hosts a nationwide job board for youth looking for a summer job .

7. JobMonkey’s section on Summer Jobs features targeted opportunities for teens and young adults, from summer camp jobs and theme park jobs to outdoor jobs and even jobs in Alaska.

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.

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.