There is the obvious things that any young adult learns at their first job for example the value of a dollar and good work ethic, but if you dig deeper, being a server has professionalized and cultured me more than some may think. No, I do not work at a restaurant with cloth napkins and fancy wine. Yes, server life has also exposed me to somethings that I could live without knowing like how to say every curse word in Spanish. Nonetheless, working in the service industry can be beneficial to everyone.

1. You meet a wide range of different cultures.

There is no exclusive population that eats at a restaurant. In comparison to working at a teenage girl clothing store, the costumers of a restaurant are completely diverse. It was the hottest day of the summer and a man requested that he had no ice in his drink, I commented “pretty hot day not have any ice” and he explained how he was from England was trying to visit all 50 states before the summer ended. Such a small thing such as ice taught me so much about the norms of his eating process.

2. You make connections outside of your bubble.

I walked into one of the biggest interview of my life, sitting at the table was one of regulars that I happen to see every week at the restaurant I work at. It’s amazing who you could meet while you’re serving. I’ve gotten countless job offers from costumers, but I still choose to work in my small Mexican restaurant.

3. You begin to think inventively.

Serving has three fundamental duties, serve the food and drink, take the order and pay out but any other technique the servers establish outside of the fundamentals is completely unique to every server. You begin to think of ways to make your job more efficient and different ways you can multi task. You begin to establish different perspectives of your job and how you can make the as much money as possible.

4. Teamwork comes naturally to you.

Whereas working in retail your wage is not effected by other people’s work ethic, serving requires team work in order to be successful. You are not only good at your job for yourself but for your team mates around you who are relying on you to do your side work just as you are relying on them. A restaurant has a system where everyone is expected to contribute.

5. You master the art of first impressions.

First impressions are everything when your serving or even hosting. Your wage for the hour can depend upon what facial expressions you use when you approach your costumers.

6. The friends you make at a restaurant are unlike any other.

Due to constant teamwork, restaurants begin to establish a similar personality among its employees. Typically only those who click well with the rest of the staff manage to survive. The service industry has introduced me to some of my closest friends.

There are numerous benefits to working in the service industry. I have learned so much since working at a Mexican restaurant. I believe that everyone should work in the service industry, of course to understand the struggles and challenges but to also gain lifelong benefits.