Do You Want a McJob?

McDonald's (MCD) is the home of the original "McJob," though that's not a term the company particularly favors. The word even made it into the Oxford English Dictionary as "an unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects."

Good luck hiring with that stereotype. But that's exactly what McDonald's is doing today in a push to hire 50,000 new workers. "We're proud of our food, and we're just as proud of the jobs we create," the company says about what it has called its National Hiring Day.
McDonald's says its jobs could be a way to buy a first car, put yourself through college or enter the corporate world. That last one is a bit of a stretch, but at least McDonald's has some imagination. The company says it trains people on leadership, team building and creative thinking. And most of the jobs should pay more than the $7.25-an-hour minimum wage.

Is that enough to change the "McJobs" image? 

The company hopes the big public-relations boost it's giving this hiring push will help. National Hiring Day is a bit of a stunt on McDonald's part. With 14,000 U.S. locations, hiring 50,000 workers means a little more than three workers per store, on average. McDonald's hired the same number of employees last April, The Associated Press reports. 

In this battered economy, Starbucks (SBUX) has become the go-to alternative for people struggling to find employment, the Chicago Tribune reports. That's because Starbucks has successfully portrayed its jobs as full of long-term potential and good benefits.

Even Chick-fil-A and Panda Express have built up a good hiring story with young people, one restaurant consultant tells the Tribune. "McDonald's is considered to be a fast-food restaurant," the consultant said. "It's going to be tough for them to differentiate themselves from the other fast-food restaurants."

McDonald's has gained recognition as a top place for hourly workers. Working Mother magazine recently named the fast-food chain to its list, citing the company's tuition reimbursement, mentoring, career counseling and flexible child care spending account among the factors.