Let's face it, it's tough to get excited to work at a place where you make less than $10 an hour. It's not like you get to watch paint dry, which trust me sounds enjoyable after a long day of busing tables or folding sale items for hours on end. So what's the point? Why do we even bother objecting ourselves to these tedious and tiresome jobs? Because, hey, living is not cheap. And while they may not be as fascinating and rewarding as being a doctor who saves lives, they help us make ends meet. However, whether you realize it or not a minimum wage job requires a great deal of effort and skill. For instance:
1. You learn the importance of saving money. When you suddenly stop having to catch your mom when she is in the best mood to request for an extra $20 to go out with friends, it's pretty much the best day of your life. It feels good to not have to rely on your parents for cash and you don't want it to slip away. Now you can finally walk away from that new sweater you have been eyeing at the mall because you know that it actually may not be worth the $50.
2. Patience, so much patience. Whether you are waiting for that 65-year-old to pick out what they want to eat, and yes, remind them about 1,000 times that they will definitely get their senior discount, (at that point you will just buy the meal for them so they will choose) or dealing with a couple of 13-year-old girls who have to try on every single pair of jeans in the store, it's tough to not scream.
3. You are awesome at multi-tasking. It's more challenging than you might think it is. It's hard to be polite to everyone you encounter, remember their requests, and make sure you are doing the next task your boss will inevitably ask you to do. You develop the ability to run your mind a mile a minute so that you don't have to deal with the backlash of sliding the wrong credit card or forgetting that the kid you are babysitting is lactose intolerant.
4. Being kind and friendly regardless of the circumstance. Trust me it's hard to say, "how can I help you?" when a little kid is whining and their mother, frustrated, is snapping at you like it's your fault. It would do no harm to say please and thank you these days.
5. You have learned to have "thick skin." People often forget that the people who are serving them have feelings too. They are intelligent people who are usually working more than one job or taking care of a family or going to school. They too are exhausted and sometimes they make mistakes. While it is never OK to scoff at waitstaff or yell at an associate because they ran out of the mint green paints you wanted in a size eight, it happens. And since you hear it on a daily basis, you learn to brush off nasty comments and go in the back to vent about it with other employees. Let's be honest it does feel good to give them a dirty look as they head out the door.
6. The importance of tipping. Once you have been on the other side of the table, you understand why tipping is crucial. There is nothing worse then working hard to give customers a good experience, doing everything they ask in a timely fashion and meeting all of their requests with a positive attitude, and getting nothing in return. Now when you go out you give a 30 percent tip because karma comes back around, you have been there, you get it.
While minimum wage jobs are not glamorous or exciting, they teach you to work hard and to be kind, because it is not in any way easy work.
