Latifah, 20, was surfing the web when she learned that McDonald’s Corp. had plans to fill 50,000 crew and management positions nationwide. “I don’t have a job, and things have been very hard. I am looking for a new opportunity,” offers the Atlanta resident.
This past Tuesday, April 19, 2011, marked the inaugural national hiring day for the fast-food chain. The one-day event had one major goal: To bring in and hire a combination of both full- and part-time positions in close to 14,000 U.S. restaurants.
“Today is national hiring day for McDonald’s. All 14,000 of our [U.S.] restaurants are today specifically focused on attracting people and getting them in to seek some of the opportunities that we have under the golden arches. There’s an opportunity for part-time positions if that’s what fits your lifestyle, full time and even opportunities for management positions at the restaurant level,” Harry L. Coaxum, McDonald’s vice president and general manager for the Atlanta region, shares. “While we are focused on giving folks an opportunity to join the team and become a member, [this initiative] is also about the reality that a lot of folks think that a McJob is a dead end or is less than positive. None of which is true. I am an example.”
McDonald’s has presented limitless opportunities for Coaxum who joined the company fresh out of college. He was 20 years old and wanted to gain firsthand knowledge on how to operate a business. He had plans to stay on the job for only two to three years. It’s 35 years later, and Coaxum is raving, “I love my McJob.”
Coaxum’s success story is one that can be duplicated by Latifah and many other young blacks who have drive and are seeking career opportunities with benefits. Here are five reasons black mothers should encourage their children to consider McDonald’s to be their next employer.
1. They offer flexible schedules.
2. McDonald’s offers health benefits.
3. They can learn customer service and interpersonal skills.
4. McDonald’s is committed to diversity.
5. There are opportunities to become a business owner. More than 80 percent of McDonald’s U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local franchisees.
If you’d like to learn more about the McDonald’s work experience, visit McDonalds.com/Careers. McDonald’s current employees have volunteered to share their “Why I Love My McJob” stories. –yvette caslin
