My Nightmare First Job

My first job was in fast food.

When I applied I was all, “Hey, I like to eat this stuff. Why don't I work for the company that makes it?” I’d come to regret that decision for a long time until I eventually accepted it and moved on from the hatred burning deep inside.

Don't get me wrong: I gained many skills there, such as multi-tasking, marathon-running, always having a smile even when I wanted to fall asleep and especially in learning how to handle disputes. The latter alone has helped me so much in my other jobs; the best place to learn how to handle complaints is in fast food, where customers don't treat you like a human being. It may sound harsh, but anyone who is working - or has worked - in fast food will agree.

There was this one horrible/ amazing shift where employees called in sick left and right and no one else wanted to come in. (Damn you, people with lives!) A total of three employees - including me – remained to handle the dinner rush; one in drive through, one on the counter, serving and running all the orders, and then me, lucky enough to be in the back cooking all the orders. That was the night I learned how to make a simple burger (which, upon reflection, probably wasn’t enough).

That night, we somehow managed. It was a horrible night but a very educational one. In the long run, I could see that the experience built up my confidence. I got more shifts; I was relied on by managers; my teammates even looked up to me and asked me what to do, instead of the manager on duty.

What I'm trying to get at is this: my first job was an utter nightmare, but a beautiful one nonetheless. I’m happy to be out but I would do it all over again if it meant learning all the skills I have now.

I learned so many invaluable skills, made amazing friends and found happiness in myself. Sure, I've been verbally abused by customers, had things thrown at me and even called the authorities a few times, but I got through it and it's made me so much stronger (and probably a little meaner). I'm still extremely hardworking and I can keep calm in very tense and stressful situations. All the bad experiences, every last one of them, I would go through again. I think…

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