I definitely do not love it. Do not get me wrong, it is not where I would like to be. However, I am a teenager in college and I need money, but restaurant work is not easy. The different people you have to work with and deal with as customers makes the job tough. I feel like customers judge me more in the two-second interaction at the register than my classmates ever did the four years I was in high school.

All that being said, I do not mind working in a restaurant and here is why:

• I work the night shift, but luckily, we close at nine so it is not a horrible shift. I go in at three so it is usually pretty dead for the first two hours of my shift until the dinner rush begins. This also leaves two hours to prep for dinner and close, and then some time to spare for relaxing before the night starts.

• My people skills have increased dramatically. I work with a large number of people as staff and managers, but then I deal with the customers the whole shift. There are so many different types of customers! I cannot even imagine how many I have not dealt with. I have never really been a people person, but when you have to go up to a table that orders all water with or without lemon before you even say hello and still be kind to them, you really learn to hold your composure around people.

• I like to think I am an asset. There are seven positions in my store: Server, Host, Carryout, Grill Cook, Dishtank Operator, Kitchen Prep, and Manager(s). I am currently able to do five out of the seven. If I go to get a different job in a restaurant, I am now able to be more efficient in multiple areas. I now have more skills for resumes.

• I do work Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Eve, but I do make more money those days as well. Although I do not get to spend time with my family, I get shorter shifts and holiday pay. This past Thanksgiving I worked a double to help my staff, but also because my family understood. I was able to work with my WHOLE staff that day and bond even more with them.

• The crew I work with at night are my best friends. I am not friends with really anyone from high school, but I spend every night creating deeper bonds with the people I work with. I support them in and out of the workplace. It is important to make friends in the workplace. It really makes going into a shift more fun if you have someone to suffer with. My co-workers are practically family.The picture below is someone I would call my absolute best friend and I met her because of this job.

I do not mind working at a restaurant, but again, it is not my favorite thing. Most days I have complaints and I walk out with a negative attitude. However, I walk in and hope for the best even though I would rather be at home watching YouTube or Netflix in my pajamas. It was very beneficial for me to have started this job. I have done nothing but improve in every aspect of my life after starting this job. I definitely learned how to respect restaurant workers and even though there are a lot of people who do not respect us, we make the most of our days.