When people hear I work at McDonalds, they usually will laugh or give me a look. I'm not sure why but for some reason people always have something to say about those who work at McDonalds. In a way there's a sort of stereotype associated with working there. People often assume I have no ambitions and no education and therefore that is why I work at McDonalds. This however is not the case but people usually don' t care. Despite what people may think, I have learned a lot of things that I am grateful for. They are all due to my part time job at McDonalds the past few years.
McDonalds was my first job, and like most first time workers I learned how difficult having a job really is. I had never really had these kind of responsibilities before and it made me very nervous at first. I wasn't used to having to put notes in for scheduling, people depending on me to be on time and ready to work, or even dealing with customer service in general. I learned to embrace the responsibility instead of being scared of it and it helped me grow as a person. I made it a point to do my best and follow every procedure the way I was taught. I also made sure to learn to control my anger when dealing with customers. There have been plenty of times throughout the years when a customer wasn't very nice towards me and I had to bite my tongue. I learned not to take it personally and that sometimes people are going to be mean and to just deal with it. Along with dealing with customers, I learned how to deal with co-workers. I made friends and sometimes I made enemies. Despite that however I learned how to get the job done with my co-workers regardless of my relationship with them.
When getting promoted to a crew trainer I learned how to guide others. I no longer was only responsible for following my own proper procedures but making sure everyone else did too. I learned how to make a new person feel welcomed and how to do everything the "McDonalds Way" from making fries to taking orders. I welcomed the new responsibilities and tried my best to be a role model for my co-workers. It definitely wasn't easy though. Sometimes having to train people could get frustrating. It definitely taught me to think outside of the box when explaining how to do certain things. This skill will definitely help me later in life and I am grateful to have learned it so young.
When I was promoted to a crew chief I took on even more responsibilities than before. It definitely was overwhelming at first. I now had to help run shifts alongside managers. I helped to make sure everything was stocked as well as make sure everyone knew what they were responsible for during their shift. I had to learn to make cash drawers for the registers and was trusted with counting lots of money. I had to make sure food safety was being followed and that everything was done again according to McDonalds procedures. On top of all of that I still had all the responsibilities crew people and crew trainers had. Of course with all this responsibilty also came a sense of authority. I learned how not to let it go to my head. I don't think of myself as some all-mighty worker who is entitled to anything. I do what has to be done and I make sure my co-workers do as well. I don't think I am above certain tasks now that I am in a higher position. This to me is one of the most valuable things I have learned while working at McDonalds.
Overall the past three years that I have worked there have taught me so much. Although I don't plan to work there forever, I am glad to have had the opportunity to work there to begin with. I know that when I enter the real world of jobs after college I will be prepared for anything and its all thanks to my first job as a teenager. So no matter what people may say or think of it I will always proudly tell them that I work/ worked at McDonalds.
