The statement “everyone should work in food service at least once in their lives” has become somewhat of a cliche. We’ve all heard it so many times and barely think twice about it at this point. Now that I’ve been working in fast food service for eight months, I realized just how true that statement is. Here’s how working in food service has impacted me:
Learn to handle stress
There’s no such thing as a stress-free job in food service. There are moments during a rush when you feel like the orders will never stop coming. There are days when your co-workers are in a bad mood, and everything feels tense. There are times when you clock in, only to realize that absolutely nothing is prepared and the whole place is a mess. You never know what you’re going to get every shift and that is a great way to learn how to handle stress. By throwing myself into incredibly stressful situations, I’ve been able to develop a mentality in which I accept the reality of whatever situation I’m in because I know it’s not going to last forever. That is a skill that can translate into many other elements of your life.
Improve your social skills
As someone with social anxiety, talking to people I don’t know isn’t easy for me, so the thought of having to take orders and talk to guests was nerve-racking at first. When I first started working, I dreaded those situations and avoided them. The more I did it, however, the easier it became. I feel much more relaxed and easy-going in those circumstances now, and that is a skill that I can take with me into many different scenarios in the future.
Meet some of the best and most interesting people
My co-workers are easily the best part of going to work every day. There are so many unique people with interesting lives and stories that have passed through my job in the last eight months. I never would’ve seen myself being friends with some of them and now, seeing them is what I look forward to every shift. In my life outside work, I find myself gravitating to people who I share similar interests with, but at work that’s not necessarily an option. There are very few people there who I feel like I’m like. But getting to know and making friends with the people who are different has been incredibly rewarding.
…And some of the most frustrating people
I can’t pretend like every person I’ve worked with has been as enjoyable as the people I was talking about before. I’ve encountered people at work that I would never choose to be around if I didn’t have to. But they have helped me almost as much as the people who I love working with. Learning to coexist with people who you don’t like or agree with is an invaluable skill that I’ve gained because of my job. Everyone relies on one another in food service, so if you can’t learn to work alongside people you don’t like, the entire shift can fall apart. Life is full of moments where you must deal with frustrating people, so learning how to handle that early is very important.
Overall, working in food service has been very helpful to me. There are also many more skills I’ve gained beyond those listed above. So, if you ever find yourself needing a job, consider one in food service. You may end up finding it just as important as I do.