1. Yes, I work at McDonald's...
No, the reaction isn't "Ewww" or "I'm sorry." I love my job! It was supposed to just be the summer job I kept before my senior year, but I fell in love with my managers, coworkers and customers. I've worked at McDonald's for a year and a half now, and I plan to stay as I finish my college education.
2. It's not easy.
The common misconception is that because McDonald's doesn't require you to have previous experience to be hired, that it is an easy job. Anyone who thinks this has clearly never been behind the counter during a "lock down," which is the term we use for the busiest times of the day. Lock down means you don't leave your station during peak hours. This means no breaks, no sitting down, you can't even lean on the counter because, "If you've got time to lean, you've got time to clean."
3. You can turn it into a career.
All it takes is hard work and some respect for the job. Right now, my current title is "Crew Trainer" , which means just what it says. I train the "new guys." The next promotion level after this, would be manager. Managers make great pay, and I've seen most of my managers support their entire families with just the income from this job. Once you complete management training, you can take it even further. There is an opportunity called "Hamburger University" where managers go to classes to become General Managers- they run the store. Even after that, they can become supervisors or even store owners. You never have to stop at just a crew person making minimum wage. It's a great job if you're willing to work for it.
4. You can still go to college.
In fact, they encourage it! I, along with several of my coworkers, are recipients of the Archways to Opportunity Scholarship. Which gives tuition assistance to any eligible crew member, and even more money to certified managers.
5. McDonald's cares about it's employees.
Along with the opportunities and scholarships already mentioned, they also provide high school completion programs, "English Under The Arches" which is an ESL program, and there are even some college credits you can receive from attending Hamburger University.
6. We do, actually, care about our jobs.
The common stereotype of a McDonald's employee is a frowning teenager just trying to throw your food and get rid of you. However, that isn't my experience with this job, at all. My managers have meetings with crew trainers every month about how we can better our customers' experiences, rewards are given out daily to the employees who give customers and memorable visit and those are only a shred of the things done to make sure our customers are- pun intended- lovin' it!
7. We do a lot more than "flip burgers."
We have biscuits makers who come in at 4 a.m. every single day. We have maintenance men who basically keep the building in tact. There are even set workers just to keep the lobby looking clean and welcoming at every point of the day. More often than not, you'll see these workers doing every job in the store, too. I've seen maintenance men making the biscuits, biscuit makers running the drive thru and lobby host/hostesses in the kitchen. McDonald's crew never really has one job. You go where they put you, and don't complain.
8. We meet some really cool people.
I met my boyfriend at my McDonald's job. I made some really great friends who don't work there anymore, but I still keep in touch. I even made bonds with some of my managers' children. Aside from coworkers, I have some regular customers who know me on a first name basis and love me. I see them in the lobby or drive thru and they get excited. There have even been some who told me to put them as a reference for a college or job application, because they want to be the ones to express how I always go the extra mile at my job for the customers.
9. We know why the McFlurry spoons look like they do.
Everyone has gone through the embarrassment of trying to use it as a straw, but do you really know why it's shaped like that? Befriend a McDonald's employee and they may tell you the secret!
10. We are people, too.
My mama always taught me that I should talk to fast food, retail or any worker like I would my grandmother... yikes! That is a real eye opener. We get irritated when we've waited five minutes for fries. People make mistakes, and the super heroes at McDonald's are no exception to this rule. So next time you visit your favorite drive through, whether it be McDonald's or any other fast food restaurant, let the workers know they're appreciated. A little kindness goes a long way.
