Many of us, whether we are there at the moment or have been there before, have worked in the food industry. Oftentimes the beginning of this journey started out as a search for a summer job and ended with you being incredibly thankful it was only for a summer. Restaurant work is hard work, no doubt about it, but whether you hated your time in the food industry or made a career out of it, you can appreciate it for what the experience taught you.
1. How To Cook
OK, so maybe you're not a Master Chef now, but making fancy sandwiches is a high step up from ramen every night.
2. Food Knowledge
Not only did you learn how to put food together to make better food, but you actually learned about buying and keeping food. Now you know which foods can be kept after their expiration date, which foods to store together, what your basic spices are, how to stop mixing up the salt and the sugar, etc. Invaluable knowledge to all.
3. How To Clean Strange Objects
I mean, I don't know when you're going to use your knowledge of how to clean a deep fryer again, but the more you know, the more you know!
4. How To Talk To People
Some of us would prefer jobs where the fewer people seen in a day, the better, but in the restaurant business you learn how to use your customer service smile and small talk until they tip you.
5. How To Talk To Difficult People Without Screaming
Just think to yourself, "I'm getting paid for this. I'm getting paid for this." And by the time you're not, hopefully your first reaction will have stopped being anger and have started being understanding that we are all human beings and we all have our little oddities.
6. Memory Sharpener
7. Presentation
Pretty matters!
8. Non-slips Really Are A Must
Practical, comfortable and stylish? Little did you know that these babies would be the whole package.
9. How To Work With Money
If you're anything like me, you try to avoid doing math at all costs, even basic math. But working in the food industry means handling a cash register and making change like your life depended on it.
10. The Value Of Money
Nothing teaches you the value of money like having to work for it, especially when you only make minimum wage.
11. How To Take Orders and Serve
Literally and figuratively. If you can't be told what to do and do it with a smile, you're going to have a rough time.
12. Pouring, Packing, Puzzling
After your restaurant experience you suddenly have the reflexes of a cat when it comes to catching dishes, the able and fluid movements of a Grecian wine pourer, and the puzzling and spacial skills of a master Tetris player.
13. Humility
This is the most important lesson, by far. Washing pieces of half-eaten food off plates, handling the awkward "Are you done with that?" pass bys, and mopping the bathroom floors really teach a person that working in a restaurant takes more than what is originally thought of the stereotypes.
I spent my time in my first food job as a cashier at Moe's Southwest Grill, and after spilling a full bowl of salsa on the floor after I'd mopped while closing one night, I had a deeper appreciation for people who do this kind of labor for more than just a summer. At my second restaurant job, I ended up washing dishes almost every day. This was not a fun job, needless to say, but it made me realize that any of us could end up washing another man's food off of his plate, and only needing to do this for a summer did not make me any better than anyone else who does it for much longer or for other reasons.
The food industry is just a another avenue of service and an essential part of upholding life in our society. Your time in the food industry is something to be proud of whether you loved it or hated it. Those who control, produce and regulate food have power. Any of us can end up here, but not all of us can do this taxing job with a servant's heart and a good attitude. So, hopefully your time working with food not only left you with a few life lessons, but also with a deeper appreciation and understanding for your fellow humans.
