15 reasons why everyone should work in a restaurant at least once in their lives

The first job I ever had was working at a small, family-owned custard shop in Minneapolis. I was a sophomore in high school, and I made less than $5 an hour when I started. Maybe it was too many brain freezes on the job, or maybe it was that I actually had fun, but there was something about the experience that made me want to work in restaurants throughout college and beyond.

I consider the time I worked in the food service industry to be fundamental to who I am today. Whether you were flipping burgers, or serving tables, you learn a lot of invaluable life skills that someone outside of the industry might not understand. Here are a few things The Kitchn editors and contributors feel we have learned from working in the food service industry.

More so than any other job or internship I've ever had, working in a restaurant throws you into a very intense community of people. When the restaurant is in the weeds and everyone rallies together and manages to rock service without any of the patrons guessing something is off, well, that just feels awesome.

It's the fast-paced nature of restaurants combined with service aspect and something as enjoyable and passionated as food, that sets restaurants apart from other service industry jobs. Things get heated, you need to think on your feet, and you need to smile the entire time – it can be a draining job, but the things you learn and the people you meet are worth your time.

Here are the most important life skills I learned from working in five restaurant and food service jobs in the last ten plus years.

1. I learned how to gracefully deal with unpleasant people.

This holds true whether it's the people you work with or the customers themselves. You are going to have to deal with people who are rather unpleasant if you work in a restaurant. There were a couple of times when, as a maître d', I'd have to stand there and listen to someone scream at me because they were over an hour late for their reservation and I gave their table away on a Saturday night. You do it with a smile and you have to think of a solution, even if it's the last thing you want to do.

2. I learned how to multitask like a mad woman.

Working at a restaurant is all about multitasking. In any given minute, you could take someone's order, fold a napkin, direct someone to the bathroom, pour more water, and talk to the chef about a guest's dietary restrictions. Trying to keep all of that in your head while smiling is what makes restaurant workers just good workers, generally.

3. I learned not to take my mistakes too seriously.

You will undoubtedly make mistakes working at a restaurant that will either affect the customer or your colleagues. You might forget to fire an order, or add the wrong garnish to a dish, or seat someone at the wrong table. People will be mad at you, but you learn to say you're sorry and try not to do it again.

4. I learned empathy for other people who work in service industry jobs.

If you work front of house and are basically living off of tips, you know how important it is to tip when you go out and receive great service. Similarly, if your food is slow at a restaurant or the order is wrong, I always try to remember that it's not one individual's fault at the restaurant. Don't yell at your server.

5. I learned the importance of being on time and working hard at any job position.

You know how stressful it is when one of your colleagues is late to a shift because their alarm didn't go off, or they're too hungover, and you have to cover their tables or station. And if someone is slacking during a busy shift at work, you feel it – it doesn't matter the position. You learn from these experiences and try to work hard and be on time for work so things go smoothly.

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