If you’re like me, you might spend an embarrassing amount of time every day scrolling mindlessly through Facebook, seeing all of the cool and interesting things that your friends are doing, with their dream jobs seemingly already secured. You might also think to yourself, ‘Why don’t I have a dream job in my field yet? Or any job in my field? Why am I still working at a restaurant?’
Working in a restaurant can actually be a pretty awesome thing. Plenty of restaurant managers, owners, bartenders, servers and more make a great living doing something they like, even love, in the industry. If that’s not for you, and you’re just making ends meet for a short term (or long term) period, that’s ok too. In fact, it’s better than ok, because working in a restaurant teaches you lots of skills that you’re going to need when you land the perfect gig.
1. Time Management and Prioritizing
When you have four tables walk in and sit in your section, and another two trying to flag you down to get their check, you’d better hope you have something in your back pocket other than a pen (although hopefully you have that too). Learning to prioritize is a skill you’ll carry over to any job. Is it more important to refill table 50’s diet coke, or to make sure table 40 knows you haven’t forgotten about them? Probably the latter.
2. Multitasking
Working at a restaurant, you’re going to need to have your head about you at all times- not only that, but your head is going to need to be in about ten places at once. This means being a step ahead of what needs to be done…for example, “table seven might need more coffee soon,” or “22 probably has their card in the checkbook by now,” or “where is table 31’s food? It’s been way too long.” By anticipating a problem, you can be much more proactive in solving it.
3. Problem Solving
Table waited too long for their appetizers? Maybe you’ll bring them a round of drinks on the house. Food was cold? Bring them a fresh reheat and buy them dessert. Whatever the problem is, there is always a solution, and the most important thing is to ensure that the guest leaves happy. The same goes for any kind of client; if you are providing a service and things don’t always go 100% (which they won’t), you’ll need to find some way to make amends.
4. Keeping Calm Under Pressure
Here’s the thing - people can wait for their vodka sodas. If you keep your cool while you’re in the weeds, people will just say to themselves, “This is how long it takes. This is normal.” If you’re sweating, stammering, and just freaking out, the guest is bound to assume that you are off of your game. Keep it together using those time management skills we talked about and everyone involved will have a much better time, especially you.
5. Teamwork
We all like to be independent, sure. But there is a time and a place to ask for help when you need it, and help other people when they ask you. Furthermore, there is a time you should let people help you even when you don’t ask for it, and when you should help people even when they don’t ask you to. Working in a restaurant, and many other work environments, is the time and place for this. Although it’s true that we all must pull our own weight, we also must recognize that sometimes when we go down, we all go down. At the same time, though, when we succeed, we all succeed.
6. Getting along with different kinds of people
If you work in a restaurant, (or in retail, an office, a hotel and many other places) there is a good chance that you will be part of a merry band of misfits, a crew of people so different from each other, from such different backgrounds, that there is no way you would’ve crossed paths had work not brought you together. It could be an ex-convict, a Navy Seal and a med school student, or a drummer in a punk band and a libertarian from the suburbs. After you’ve hashed out your political and personal differences over a couple beers post-shift, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to connect on levels that you never previously thought possible (even if it is just an appreciation for a shot of Jameson), and grow to appreciate their work ethic and the person they are. You’ll have each other’s backs when you’re in the weeds, celebrate their victories, give them a pat on the back (or, once again, a shot of Jameson) when they’re having a bad day. You’ll hate them one day and love them the next. Who knows- they might even become some of your closest friends.
