Not having a job throughout college, or high school for that matter, is something that was never an option for me. I had to have a job and I had to partially support myself if I wanted to be successful. That is what my parents taught me and honestly I am glad that I was raised that way. I couldn't see myself not having a job and getting to do the things that I wanted to do. Having my own money and learning to save has been a learning experience and quite frankly, I would be extremely bored if I didn't work several times a week.
I have worked at several different types of jobs. I was a cashier at a frozen yogurt shop, a cashier at Panera, a hostess at a few different places, and then I started serving tables. The idea of being a waitress was pretty intimidating. I would go out to eat and see how hard they work and think to myself, "I could never do that." I would always see terrifying posts on Facebook about how people don't tip and don't understand that this is how these servers make their living. Anyways, I gave it a go and have successfully been working off of tips for three years now. I can honestly say, based on my personal experience, that I have never lived more comfortably than I do while serving. Here are eight reasons why I think serving is the perfect job for college students:
1. The money is killer.
Like I stated above, I have never made better money at any other job than I do serving. You hear how servers are sometimes screwed out of a tip but that is very rare. I think it has happened to me maybe two times. Other than that, I am bringing home enough money every week to pay the things I need to pay and do the things that I want to do.
2. You learn a lot about patience.
You are always going to serve customers who have misbehaving children or they simply just cannot make up their mind. You see other tables that need your attention but you're going on 10 minutes with this certain table just to take their order. After a while, it doesn't even phase you. You become an overall more patient person.
3. Flexible hours.
I'm not sure if it's just me, but every serving job I have had has been extremely flexible with my hours. Since I am a full-time student, my schedule has always been based around school and my classes. Most of the time, I can only work weekends and maybe one week day. Managers are usually very understanding and believe the motto "school comes first."
4. Customer service skills.
Your main job as a server is accommodating your customers. All you do, all shift long, is talk to your customers, make sure they have what they want at all times, and ensure that they leave with a good experience under their belt. This is very similar to having a job in the corporate world whether it is in sales, public relations, advertising, etc. I think that serving prepares you for the real world and teaches you a lot about customer service.
5. Teamwork makes the dream work.
I have never worked at a restaurant that is not heavily involved in the idea of teamwork. To be able to handle a big section of tables on a crazy weekend night, you often need help from your fellow servers. I have no idea how I would have gotten through certain shifts without the help of my coworkers. Having a good sense of teamwork will follow you into the real world and help you in your career.
6. You develop thick skin.
Sometimes, you are going to deal with a customer who is just not a happy person. They are either having a bad day or they are just flat out angry at life. This is inevitable. It's going to happen. People are going to say rude things to you, they might not tip you that great, and they might just rub you the wrong way. You have to move on and realize that it is nothing that you've done to them. You are going to deal with this a lot in life.
7. You make friends who are completely different than you.
I'm not sure what it is, but every where that I have served, I have come out with the greatest friends. Servers are the most unique people. Some are covered in tattoos, some are die hard Christians, and some are 40+ years old. For some reason, you can connect with these people so easily and having conversations is a breeze. You all can relate when it comes to your job and money and you just have tons of fun together.
8. You are forced to smile.
Sometimes I go in to work having the worst day ever. The last thing I want to do is act happy and bubbly when all I want to do is cry. It is days like these that you happen to get the best customer who compliments you and makes your day. Going to work always makes me feel better even if it is the last place I want to be. I always leave smiling.
My experience with serving has taught me a lot about myself. Although there are some bad days, the good outweigh them and I am always reminded why I continue to do this job. I truly feel like I have learned certain skills that will follow me into the real world when I land my first "big girl job."
