1. Teaches Patience

When it comes to people and their food, it never comes easy. They can and will pick apart every single detail. So when someone at your table requests that they want three pickles on their sandwich instead of four and you feel like telling them to stick that pickle where the sun don’t shine, you gotta channel your inner patience. After all, customers are “always” right.

2. Teaches Hard Work

Think about everything servers have to do: take and refill your drinks, get your order correct, and cater to your every need. Bet y’all didn’t know that servers walk an average of 23,000 steps per shift. If that’s not hard work, I don’t know what is.

3. Teaches the Importance of a Tip

So those 23,000 steps bring me to the point of how important it is to tip your server. Working in food service really reminds you how cheap people can be. By people, I mean teenagers who believe that dumping their spare change on the table accounts for a great tip. Coming from someone who used to be that teenager, your server’s work is worth more than $0.15 guys.

4. Teaches How Manage Time and Stress

I am not even gonna lie to you, 9 times out of 10 during a busy shift, you will feel like crawling into a hole and stay there until it’s safe to come out. But if you can get through that while only having a minor mental break down, you can do anything.

5. Teaches How to Work as a Team

Working in a restaurant is the closest things you can get to a soap opera. Like honestly, the next “Days of our Lives,” should be based off the drama that occurs each day of restaurant business. But at the end of the day, you learn to do anything and everything for the diverse people you work with. It’s almost like a second family.

6. Teaches People Skills

Dealing with the public is a definitely a challenge at times. Food service is a great way to come out of your comfort zone. Talking to people really isn’t that bad if you give it a chance.

7. Teaches Responsibility

Working any job takes responsibility. But keeping up with the well-being of other people can be a tough task. Between the servers, the hosts, and the kitchen crew, each group has their own responsibilities to keep up with in the restaurant. You will learn a lot.

8. Teaches Respect

After working with the public yourself, you grow a quick appreciation for the men and women who sacrifice their time and efforts to make YOU happy.

9. Teaches Multitasking

When jobs are thrown at you all at once, it can become overwhelming. But learning how to accurately manage your time becomes second nature. Not only will this benefit you on the job but also in life.

10. Teaches Understanding

Lastly, sometimes your server or even any other employee makes mistakes. We all do it, its a part of life. Working in food service allows you to learn how to accept those mistakes especially when made by others because it can truly happen to anyone.