While you are online shopping during class, vacationing for reading week, or even just sitting in your flat, it is easy to forget that money doesn’t just magically appear as you need it. Regardless of your financial situation, studying at St. Andrews is a privilege that can sometimes blind our perception of how the real world works. Sometimes recognizing our blessings is challenging, but even more so is failing to acknowledge them and poorly preparing ourselves for life when we leave the ‘bubble,’ enter the workforce, and become financially independent and responsible.
I have been working since I was fifteen years old. I have dabbled as a pastry chef, waitress, barista, and barback (just to name a few positions I’ve held)… My work experience began during the summer months in a coastal vacation town; crowded, fast paced, and intense. Nothing could have prepared me for the emotional and physical stamina that endured nor the mental adversity I would encounter; yet nothing could also prepare me for how much this experience dramatically changed me.
Regardless of the position you take on, a first job is just as terrifying as it is exciting. In all cases, you are going to have to deal with difficult people; and no matter how much “patience is a virtue!”, it really tests it. However, work is an opportunity to learn to do things we don’t like… after all, that’s life! Sometimes, even, there is a silver lining- you’ll make a friend during these seemingly unbearable shifts, or even pick up a new skill. Through working, I’ve made lifelong friends from around the world who I can now even offer decent wine service to at a party!
At 20 years old, I know that I am not prepared for all life’s challenges. However, I know for certain that my work experience has provided me with coping mechanisms to combat chaos and navigate difficult situations. I have learned how beneficial it is to explore fields that I may not expect to be a career option or that I am unfamiliar with- all to help expand my ‘toolbox’. There is a huge misconception that, in life after university, your work position will only require you to use your academic degree. In reality, however, your work position will require you to access all “tools” in your toolbox.
While I do hope you find a job you feel prepared for and inclined to do, this is not often the case. Throughout each of my roles, I’ve learned something; how to engage with customers, make basic cocktails, and to properly take inventory of supplies for a restaurant. Learning to work under pressure transformed my ability to hand in an essay on a time crunch, improved my role as a sports-teammate and taught me how to not succumb to stress! Just as composed as the servers seem at the restaurants you eat at in St. Andrews, I learned to be – understanding how to stay focused and foster a better environment for everyone around me.
Working in the food industry also introduced me to basic kitchen skills and restaurant manners which I use on a daily basis. I am confident when cooking in my flat’s kitchen, in ordering the correct wine with a meal, and keeping a restaurant-grade kitchen cleaning routine (just ask my roommates!). I attribute these skills to my work experience in the food industry. I have worked with people from a range of age groups, cultural, and financial backgrounds, and learned from all of them. Such a diverse experience has allowed me to develop relationships with people from many different backgrounds than myself, which has contributed so much to my experience at St. Andrews and within Her Campus, and as a bonus, interesting international lingo… maybe a South African reading this will know the term ‘lecker’ I learned to describe something delicious. Gaining experience across various roles, I also learned not to constantly apologize for making mistakes, but instead to ask questions to gain more confidence and respect from my co-workers and supervisors, an invaluable skill.
We are all familiar with the importance of teamwork for problem solving, and work can be viewed with the same importance. When adjusting to a new environment, you are bound to be unfamiliar with the routine and mess. However; it can be jolting to make these mistakes when they affect others and not just yourself. Through my roles in the restaurant, I made a lot of mistakes: spilling drinks, forgetting recipe ingredients, delivering food to the wrong table (the list goes on). While mistakes are not ideal, they are inevitable, especially in a chaotic and high pressure environment. It is impossible to succeed if people do not collaborate, and detrimental if you allow your mistakes to shake your confidence. In the beginning, I was too embarrassed to admit when I messed up, which in turn created larger problems, while simultaneously preventing me from learning. I learned through much trial and error that, as cliche as it sounds, my mistakes truly were learning opportunities and that it is normal to feel overwhelmed. After all, what is work without a challenge? The important thing is not the mistake – for there is not usually time to dwell on that – but rather how you move past it. This lesson can be applied to any aspect of our lives, but is specifically useful to remember in the workforce.
Another crucial lesson: Just because someone has an attitude does not mean they do not like you. Working comes with a lot of stress, after all! Let me set the scene for you: the kitchen staff has been working for ten hours straight, the kitchen is boiling and Gordon Ramsay’s energy has been channeled. The communication is not the best. Like in any scenario, stress overpowers our ability to think before we speak; but not responding to rude comments with tears is a stark step towards adulthood. Comments that five years ago felt so targeted, so consuming, and so hurtful were, in fact, not really about me. In life (and specifically work), I learned that one upsetting moment does not need to dictate my entire experience.
Working so many jobs has truly taught me so many skills. It has reminded me how to keep my emotions under control, the importance of hard work, and many other priceless lessons. I believe that having a challenging job is crucial in helping us grow and to value both our money and our time alike. So take the chance – engage in the unfamiliar and take advantage of any work experience you may find. Whether it’s a friendship, a cool party trick or a funny story to add to your lore, there is always a lesson to be learned through hard work.