8 Things You'll LOVE about Working in a Restaurant
If you’re looking for the best part-time or after school job you can find, don’t overlook all the benefits of working in a restaurant.
Here are 8 of the top things you'll love if you decide to pursue a position in a restaurant.
Opportunities to improve your skills at social interaction and networking.
Restaurants are full of people—from the staff to the hundreds of guests you’ll see on a daily basis. This provides fertile ground for the building of social skills.
Learn to build rapport with total strangers, understand the wants and needs of others without ever having to ask, and meet people from all walks of life.
If you choose the right restaurant, you will meet and be able to build relationships with other, connected people. You’ll learn how to converse with others with confidence, charisma, and ease.
This ability will make getting what you want out of life so much easier, because you’ll know how to ask for what you want and be able to do it with confidence.
Restaurants are quick-start jobs.
It’s true that there is a lot you need to learn in order to be effective at your job in a restaurant, but for most places you can begin working with minimal pre-hire training because restaurants are (usually) learn-as-you-go environments.
That means that you’ll start earning decent money sooner than you would in other industries.
On the flip side, it means you need to be nimble and quick on your feet (figuratively and literally) because there will be a lot of new material thrown at you on the fly.
Opportunities for your personal growth and advancement.
Because of how dynamic restaurants are, you will find plenty of opportunities to learn new skills and get promoted.
Whether you’re looking to learn cooking skills, interpersonal skills, self-discipline, charisma and leadership, or how to handle pressure…you’re going to find each those lessons (and more) are readily available in a restaurant.
Restaurants are the best place to learn all of the skills that will be beneficial to you in the future. In fact, restaurants have a special mix of characteristics that make them the ideal place for personal development.
Let’s be clear: you will face some challenging situations and problems in a restaurant, and learning how to handle them gracefully will give you an advantage in your future careers.
And because restaurants are so dynamic, they are always looking for people that can lead or can learn to lead (leaders are made not born).
Do you want to know how to take control when the situation demands a leader? Do you want to know how to get people to do what you want them to do? Do you want to know the secret to gaining the cooperation of others?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, then you belong in a restaurant.
Flexibility in when you work.
Because restaurants are consumer based businesses, their hours of operation vary from the typical nine to five. That means that you can easily work in a restaurant around another, full time schedule like school or another job.
In fact, the number one part time job for students in high school or college is in a restaurant. It’s just so easy to make the restaurant and school schedules work together that it’s almost a no brainer.
In addition to the flexibility that restaurants offer, you have a choice on the number of hours as well. Work full time, part time, somewhere in the middle, or really go all out and work overtime. The choice is yours.
Competitive pay and benefits.
Pay varies from place to place and from role to role. But generally speaking, you can expect restaurants to be the highest paid entry level position you can find.
Some places, like Bep-pa, offer a guaranteed minimum rate for FOH staff (currently $12/hr at the time of this writing). Other places do the $2.15/hr plus tips. BOH (kitchen) positions are largely dependent upon skill, but starting pay for those is often higher than other job types and the work is more enjoyable.
Access to free or discounted food.
Let’s not forget the food!
From discounted food to free samples to special treats the chef makes only for staff to getting ‘hooked up’ long after you’ve moved on to your future career because you’ve still got connections in the restaurant world…
There is simply a lot to be said about the food benefits of working in a restaurant and YUM is definitely one of them!
The ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
This one single ability will put you miles and miles ahead of everyone else in your future career.
There is just something that sets people apart that have that mystical ability to keep calm and continue to be effective when events are moving quickly.
In fact, other people are drawn to this kind of a person.
You will discover that there is no place like a restaurant (in the civilian fields) that gives you the opportunity to learn how to think and act quickly when the situation demands an immediate solution.
And you can start doing it now while your 16 or older!
The opportunity to work as part of a team toward a goal.
Working as part of a team is a skill—one that you will learn when you work in a restaurant.
This is one of those skills that is extremely marketable. The people that move up the ladder in organizations are those that have learned how to work as part of a team.
Plus, no matter what you do later in life, it will involve other people somewhere—whether as your clients, co-workers, or employer—and knowing how to handle the challenges that arise when two or more people are interacting on a professional level is crucial to your success.
BONUS: The satisfaction of providing excellent customer service.
Although we promised you 8 benefits, here is a bonus you shouldn’t overlook:
There is something magical about seeing happy guests—guests you served or prepared food for.
People love it when you guide them through a diverse menu, or help them select a dish they’ve never tried, or simply serve them with a smile and a kind word.
And you’ll love seeing their pleased faces when they’re all finished with their meal.
Not only will they be happy–but so will you.
This sense of satisfaction is something that most people forget to consider when they look for a job. Don’t make that mistake yourself.
