7 Benefits of Working a Restaurant Job

7 Benefits of Working a Restaurant Job Image via Isorepublic.com 1. Days are unpredictable When you work at a restaurant, no day is exactly like the one before. You will serve a variety of guests and experience many different types of customers (which can be a good thing, as you might meet some very cool people, and a bad thing, as you might meet people who disrespect you). If you are the type of person who loves adventure, someone who does not do things the same way twice, then working at a restaurant will be a fun experience for you. You will enjoy the unpredictability that comes with the restaurant work environment. You never know who you might serve one day! 2. It keeps you sharp Restaurant workers must be sharp minded. They need to be sharp because they must remember who, at which table, ordered what dish. They should also remember approximately how much time it has been since they ordered it, so that they aren’t kept waiting for very long. They need to be quick and careful on their feet, too, so that they don’t accidentally drop a customer’s plate. If you’re not “on the ball”, the customers will leave unhappy. But if you are sharp, your customers will be happy, leave you a good tip, and will recommend your restaurant to their friends. After working at a restaurant for some time, you will gain these skills and be at the top of your game. 3. You bond with your co-workers Working at a restaurant involves teamwork. Everyone has a specific job to do, and if one of them messes up, everyone is in trouble. This causes restaurant workers to learn to work together. As a result, they will bond and become not only a team, but a group of friends, too. (Of course, every place is different, but it does happen in most places.) Even if you’ve had a rough day, you can relax knowing that your co-workers will have your back. If you work at a restaurant, there’s a good chance that you will bond with your co-workers and become part of their team. 4. You will learn the importance of being part of a team Expanding off the last point, you will learn the responsibility of being a part of your friends’ team. They are counting on you to do your job correctly. You will feel this pressure, and you will learn the importance of pulling your own weight as a team member. If everyone pulls their weight, the team will proceed smoothly. Unfortunately, this also means that you might have to take over if someone else cannot pull their weight; but again, that comes with being part of a team. When you work a restaurant, you will learn the importance of teamwork. 5. You get to eat free food sometimes! Who doesn’t love free food? When you work at a restaurant, you are around delicious smelling food a lot of the time. Sometimes, you can eat some of that yummy food on the house! We all know that free food is the best kind of food; when you work at a restaurant, you can take advantage of that! 6. You learn to deal gracefully with difficult people It goes without saying that as a restaurant worker, you will encounter some people who are not very nice to you. It might be difficult to deal with these people at first, but as you get comfortable in your job, you will learn how to deal gracefully with these kinds of people. When you meet difficult people in another area of your life, you will have mastered the fake smile and polite response. You will have a newfound empathy for fellow food service and retail workers, as they are going through the same thing. Patience is a virtue, and one you will develop highly when you work at a restaurant. 7. You will get strong arms When you have to constantly walk around a restaurant with heavy plates on your arms, you will get strong quickly. Who needs to go to the gym for an arm workout when you exercise your arms every day at work? Although the food service and retail industries have a reputation for being tough on workers, it isn’t all bad! There are some great benefits of working at a restaurant, especially if you are working your way through college.