Looking for a Summer Job? Flipping Burgers Gets an Image Makeover

Have you checked out this new ad from McDonald's? (Thanks to my colleague Barbara Kiviat for the tip-off.)

FYI: the blonde lady in the ad is Karen King, East Division President of McDonald's USA.

Now what do you suppose brought this expensive campaign on? Is Mickey D's hurting for workers? For the varsity jacket set, is it cooler to be a barista these days than a burger-flipper? And really, how many cashiers wind up running the joint?

According to McD's, 30% of franchise owners, 50% of corporate staff, and 70% of restaurant managers started as crew. Forty percent of McDonald's top management team got their start in McDonald's restaurants, including CEO, Jim Skinner.

I never worked at McDonald's, but my first summer job was serving lunch at a cafe/pub in Japan called Big Buns. I kid you not. I can only attribute my teenage employment there to careless parenting. I was a tragic waitress, and the job did not persuade me to pursue a career in the service field.

Any of you worked for the golden arches? What was it like? What did it do for your career?