It is typical for any college student to have a part time job while in school in hopes of some savings and help to pay off large college debts. From working in a store to tutoring elementary kids to being a WAG dog walker, there are a wide vary of jobs for young adults to choose from. I chose to become a server because I had heard of great things that came with the job, whether it is the great money you receive on a weekend night from tips, to the amazing people you will encounter. The job has its perks, but also its negatives. One great perk of being a waitress is the quick easy money the job brings. On a weekend night alone, I can average my pay to be $130, which in turn is not bad for someone my age. However, if I work a Monday morning, it would be an average of $40 only. The pay does fluctuate and it is never accurate, since servers rely on tips to make their money, which brings me back to my next point. Servers get paid only five dollars an hour to serve, being that we get tips. Though it may seem fair, most people that I serve at my job don’t realize that my service to them is my pay. If the check is a steady amount, an 18%-20% tip is the range people should stay in. At my job, I can average my pay to be a cumulative of 11% of tips, meaning people do not tip enough. Though others may not have the funds to tip a little more, it is still polite to show some gratuity, since I do receive no tip from tables. Besides pay, another part to serving is the food. Oh yes, the food. The greatest part of working in a restaurant is all the food you get access to. Whenever the cooks make an extra dish or you might be working the whole day, you get the chance to enjoy the food your restaurant offers to its guests. Serving jobs also tend to get out late, since I leave around midnight every night, but we get to wake up late since opening times are later. Serving enables you to become much friendlier, since you talk to a wide selection of guests that walk through the door. The job is fast paced and busy, so it does take a while to get used to the flow of things. One thing I can say though is that this job teaches you so much about people, business, and work ethic. If any college student is looking to work for a restaurant, I highly recommend it.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FIU chapter.