I have been an employee in the food industry since I was sixteen years old. It’s been my first job and has really grown with me through high school and all my years of college. It’s been a summer job, a part-time fall/spring job, and a winter break job. Whether I was scooping ice-cream on the hottest day in July or serving hot soup to the guys that plow the streets during a blizzard in January, I really think that I’ve learned a lot over the past six years that I’ve been at the popular store on Main Street. I can now proudly state on a resume that I have mastered the art of the Italian Sub, perfected the technique of the chocolate frappe, and have conquered verbal bets for all Massachusetts State Lottery games. But aside from the unique skills I have acquired, I have also learned many life lessons from working at the dear old store…

1. Being early is being on time. No one likes waiting around for anyone or anything, especially when the clock strikes that magical hour that you are free! But nothing is worse when you have to wait for your relief an extra seven minutes. Without a call or warning, it can be seen as disrespect. If you are early you are on time, always. Make life easier for others and people will do the same for you…hopefully.
2. If you have nothing nice to say, keep it to yourself. It can really be hard to bite your tongue, especially when you are showing kindness towards someone and they are not returning the same. I have a handful of stories from occurrences when coworkers and myself have opened our mouths without thinking and the outcomes are never too great. Keeping things that are sassy, snappy, and salty are good to save in the comfort of your own thoughts. You will thank yourself later on. There are many different types of people in the world, and even more that you may encounter that will have differences with you. The important thing is to accept or put aside those differences, and move forward from them.
3. It’s okay to ask for help! Things can pile up and become stressful, but you don’t always have to do it on your own. You can’t be cutting cold cuts, answering the phone, and working the register all at the same time…I mean if you can I applaud you and would like to know your secret. It’s okay to ask for help, however if you take help you should often offer help as well. You and your coworkers are a team and in order to succeed and accomplish what you need, working together is a must.
4. With all the crazy things that life throws at you, you must stay calm. Serving food can be quite overwhelming. You have to take the food order specifically to the customer’s liking. You have to prepare the food properly and precisely. And you have to give it to the customer in a reasonable amount of time and manner. The craziness only piles up when you are stuck at prime lunchtime, cooking four orders of steak next to an order of French Toast for the local college student that decided 12:30 was a good time to eat breakfast. If one thing is for sure, I have learned that through all the craziness that is thrown your way, the best way to overcome it and get through it is to stay calm, cool, and collective.
5. Patience is a virtue. One of the most crucial qualities that a person could have is patience. You will really go far with anything and everything, if you just stay composed. It’s not one of the easiest things to do when you have a customer is trying to pay in pennies for a four dollar bag of chips, as a lengthy line of people accumulates behind them. However, composing yourself properly will keep you from going out of your mind. Deep breaths and taking a second for yourself helps a lot.
6. Smile through the bad, even if your day isn’t going too great. It’s not proven to be one hundred percent effective, but try and smile because things could always be worse. :)