My friend and I were recently venting about how annoying it is that society tends to look down on “small jobs,” that parents say they’re a waste of time, that they’re rarely seen as valuable learning experiences. He commented “working in customer service means you have to learn the ins and outs of dealing with all walks of life. All ages, all ethnicities. All moods. Then you have to anticipate what they want. You have to pay attention.”

I love that quote. The second he said “you have to pay attention,” it all clicked. I tend to bond more often with people who work in customer service, whether we’re in a professional setting or not. They seem to be on the same wavelength - watching, noticing, adapting. Caring.

I’ve noticed a trend with the youth of today. In past generations, it was perfectly acceptable to work a variety of “small jobs,” whether it be a gas station attendant, a waitress, or different retail locations. It was part of the process of growing up, and Today, college graduates seem to have a strong desire to place themselves immediately into a twenty year careers. The magic of growing up through challenging, minimum wage, short term jobs seems to have disappeared.

The issue with this dynamic is that it becomes difficult to be empathic or understanding towards the employees of a particular environment that you have not been exposed to. I was very impatient in restaurants until I worked as a server, and careless about putting away my clothes in department stores until I worked in retail. I was absolutely rude to canvassers until I started working at a nonprofit.

Those jobs create humbleness, they inspire people to be more understanding of the kinds of days that other people experience. They create a unified consciousness, an awareness, a true kind of empathy. Yet for some reason, society has steered away from the idea that it is almost a right of passage into adulthood to go through these jobs that are often frustrating, yet hilarious. Once people commit to a career, they often feel stuck. You most likely aren't going to start working as a server after a twenty year stint in law.

So take advantage of it now. Have those moments when you look at a coworker and you both just start to groan. Blast music when you’re doing the closing cleaning tasks. Complain about it on social media. Laugh. Have a crazy night serving thirty tables and then hug all of your coworkers as you all scream with shock. Stop and talk to the guy at the gas station, take a moment to listen to what the canvasser has to say. Help out retail staff and hang up your clothes. Make the world a little bit easier for everyone around you, because you know what they’re going through.