Most of us get our first job while in high school. Some people might babysit, some might mow lawns, and others might work for a local store or maybe at a pool.
My first job was at the wonderful “Golden Arches,” the beloved McDonald’s. I remember being excited to make money for the first time, even though I knew I would be working at the busiest, most common fast food restaurant in town.
Little did I know that I would have a life-changing experience.
I left early on my first day, crying because I felt sick from cooking fries in the heat for so long. After that, over the almost two years that I worked at McDonald’s, I was yelled at by multiple customers, spilled countless drinks all over myself and worked long hours in the summer heat.
But do I regret my time at McDonald’s? Absolutely not. If there’s anything that can help build your character, it’s working in the fast food industry. Here are a few things I learned during my time at the home of the Big Mac.
1. Patience
A customer places an order, pays for the order, the food gets prepared and then gets bagged or put on a tray. This is the specific order that these steps must go in, and if something goes wrong, it might take longer than normal. You learn to have patience with yourself (especially when you are multi-tasking), your co-workers and, of course, the angry customers. Customers WILL get mad at you during your time working at a fast food restaurant. That’s just part of it. You will realize that no one is perfect and everyone makes mistakes.
2. Organization
I was eventually “promoted” to working the second drive-thru window. This window worker is designated to hand out the food and drinks. I quickly realized that everything went a lot smoother if I had all my drinks and bags in the correct order. I labeled all drinks and I learned to organize my station so that each bag and drink went in the right order and could be given out quickly. This was key to having a mostly calm and organized shift. I felt so much better when things were in order, and sometimes, I actually enjoyed the work I was doing.
3. Teamwork
TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK. OK, serving burgers isn’t that serious. But the phrase definitely still applies to working in fast food. Nothing will go right unless EVERYONE does his or her part. The cooks must get the food out fast, the people taking orders must be accurate and everything must go out the window in quality condition. Without someone helping me in the window on busy days, nothing would work efficiently. You also learn to appreciate people who work at a fast pace and don’t complain.
4. Controlling emotion
I can’t count the number of times I was yelled at by a customer for doing something wrong. I recall a woman throwing a drink in my co-worker’s face because she wouldn’t give the woman extra sauces for free. After that, I was scared of something similar happening to me. Luckily, nothing that horrific happened, but I did face some seriously scary and brutally mean people. You learn to hide your emotions and just simply get the customer what they need. This is a great life skill that everyone needs to learn. There will be times when you want to burst into tears, but if you can hold it together, that shows great professionalism.
5. Cleanliness
Obviously working in fast food requires cleaning up messes. This might sound like a simple skill, but you learn that physical appearance really determines the quality and happiness of customers. When a drink is wiped clean and a bag is folded properly with napkins inside of it, people are more appreciative. People want clean, quality items, especially when it comes to food. Working in fast food definitely makes you more of a clean freak. You find yourself wiping off stations, mopping the floors, cleaning drink filters — anything to make the restaurant look cleaner, because you realize your workstation reflects on you as a person.
6. It’s the little things
Another thing to note about working in fast food is that you realize you play a part in making someone’s day better. Regulars will come every day to get their daily large Coke, and you realize it’s up to you to make sure they are satisfied. When you are friendly and efficient at your work, you make people happy, and they will remember you for that. During my senior year of high school, an old neighbor of mine came through the drive-thru when I was working. I grew up living next door to him and his wife and I played with their grandchildren. The couple was always so kind to me. The man and I would chat and I would ask how his wife was doing when I saw him every few weeks at McDonald’s. We always just had casual conversation.
At the end of my senior year, the man came through the drive-thru while I was working and handed me an envelope, and said it was from him and his wife. I didn’t have time to open it then, so I thanked him and opened it later. Inside of the envelope was a $100 check and a letter congratulating me on graduating. In the letter, the man said he and his wife were happy to see I had grown into a hard-working young woman. I hadn’t even told them I was graduating that week, so I couldn’t believe they would take the time to do something so nice for me.
So there you have it. Working in fast food is a blessing, not a curse. Your hard work can get noticed, and it shapes the person you become later in life. You will have horrible days, and you will have good days. You will learn how to handle difficult situations and how to work at a fast pace. You will learn so many useful life skills that will stick with you forever. You will be a different person after your experience in fast food. I’ve had several jobs since McDonald’s, two of them career-related that I’ve really enjoyed. However, I think there will always be times when I miss wearing that visor and asking, “May I take your order?”
