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There are many different careers you might be thinking about getting into either as a primary or secondary job. One job that you might be interested in is becoming part of a fast food restaurant either as a food service worker or cashier. I have personally worked as a food service employee in a couple different fast-food restaurants over the years, and can tell you it is not as easy as you might think. There are a lot of skills and qualities you will need in order to work in the fast food industry and here are three of the most important based on my own personal experience.

1. If you are thinking of working in fast food then you will need to be able to multitask effectively. Multitasking is something that a lot of people do every day but sometimes multitasking will decrease your quality of work. As I found out quickly working in fast food, you will need to be effective and produce quality products to your customer by multitasking. Some examples of this might include making a sandwich while also prepping the grill for more meat or you might be taking an order at the register while also taking an order on the headset for the drive thru. You have to be able to grab items you will need for your order such as bread, meat, condiments and other items while also producing a quality product. Multitasking is very important in the fast food industry because often times you will be very busy especially during breakfast and dinner hours. If you do not know how to multitask and make a good quality product then fast food might not be the right industry for you. I have also found it useful to start off just doing a couple things at once and then proceeding to add more to the list once I felt comfortable with the tasks at hand.
2. As a worker in the fast food industry you also must be able to memorize items and have an overall good mental state. Fast food is not an easy job partially because there are a lot of orders you need to memorize in order to make the sandwich that a customer wants. Certain items will always go with a certain number on the menu and this is something you will need to work at remembering. I found it easier to take the menu home of the fast food restaurant I was working at and just look over the food items for 30 minutes each night. I continued this method until I felt I was effective at knowing what order goes with what condiments and extra items. Having a good mental state is important because you will need to retain information, be able to tell it back to the customer and also be prepared to deduct and add items to orders as needed. If you easily are distracted then you will not be very effective at taking an order or you will probably mess the order up, which will dissatisfy the customer. Having worked in a few different fast food restaurants I can tell you that you have to be on your game every day because your mind will be working overtime trying to keep the orders straight when you enter them into the computer.
3. Working in a fast food restaurant also requires you to maintain good hygiene and have an acceptable outward appearance. Specifically, I am talking about you need to remove all visible piercings from your face or body because this is a turn off to a customer. A lot of fast food restaurants have policies concerning hiding visible piercings and tattoos because it is just not a professional look, and you do not want to gross out a potential customer. Good hygiene is important when you work in any environment where food is concerned and it is something you should practice anyway. I found it best to take a shower before I would go into work for my shift and then I would take another shower when I got home because I smelled like the food I was cooking all day. You should wear your hair up in a ponytail if you have hair longer than shoulder-length or you might be able to just wear a hairnet to keep your hair out of your face. It is also important to wear deodorant and smell nice but you do not want to wear overpowering fragrances. Having good hygiene also means that you should be washing your hands before you return to work from the bathroom and if you go outside to smoke a cigarette. I always found hand washing to be an important issue because there are a lot of germs and bacteria that can be transmitted, so wash your hands before and after you handle all food items. If you are a woman then you also want to make sure you keep your makeup subtle and professional. I usually only wore foundation, blush and eyeliner to work because I did not want to look freaky or like I was going out to a party when I was really going to my day job. You just need to use common sense when it comes to good hygiene and think about what you want the person serving your food to look like.

These are just three of the most important skills and qualities you will need to possess if you want to work in fast food. Working in fast food can be a great experience for a younger person still in school or it can be a nice secondary job for anyone. If you have these three qualities and you can improve them then you will likely be a wonderful fast food service worker.

Most of us would agree that the military industrial complex is alive and well. The Washington Post reports that the US military, under increasing internal criticism as well as publicity from congressional leaders like John Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat, is downsizing planned allocations for what is described as Senior Leader Intransit Comfort Capsules (SLICC). Top US Air Force officials have nothing better to do than spend time and money on deciding the color décor of these specially constructed Comfort Capsules designed to transport high-ranking military and government leaders. These VIPs would be ensured an aesthetically-pleasing air-borne environment in which to “talk, work, and rest comfortably” that reflected their level in the command hierarchy. Comfort capsules include specially constructed swiveling leather chairs, beds, a table, 37-inch flat screen monitor with stereo speakers and a full-length mirror. I don’t begrudge top-level leaders in military, government, or management of “creature” comforts that they theoretically spent many years to earn. However, I do agree with the grumbling among lower-ranked military personnel and Congressional leaders that these counterterrorism allocations worth millions of dollars ought to be redirected to needs of “higher priority”. What is a very subtle oxymoron here is that as the military-industrial complex thrives, a part of the infrastructure of our “food-production complex” is dying.

David Streitfeld writes in the New York Times Business section on July 18, 2008 that an entire industry will shortly cease to exist; catfish farming. Increases in corn and soybean feed have not only driven “supermarket” food costs higher but may be causing irreparable damage to the very infrastructure on which the world depends for life; the “food production complex”. These business people can no longer make a profit selling their fish. While I don’t want to exaggerate the importance of catfish filets in the diet of an average American, I think it as noteworthy that regardless of size, an entire industry, not just one or two factories, is about to disappear. Do we really understand the long-term ramifications of the economic changes we are seeing in, for example, the use of corn and other feed products vis a vis energy prices. How often do we now hear from our politicians that “if we had started drilling for oil 6-8 years ago…” Is this yet another moment that we will regret in the next decade or two?

Our planet’s ecosystems are sending us clear signals of instability and serious distress. We must not underestimate the multi-dependencies among “business complexes” as well. They too form an infrastructure on which each member of the complex depends on another. But, don’t worry; I assume the Air Force galleys adjacent to the VIP comfort capsules are well-stocked with protein far more expensive than catfish.

Most young people and uneducated adults end up in the fast food industry in some form or another. Of course, these people prepare hundreds of burgers or sandwiches per day for people that want a quick, cheap meal. The job isn’t that great and doesn’t come with a ton of perks. Still, it’s a good way to start out your job history if you don’t have any or if you lack an education. Most of the jobs are extremely easy – if not boring. So then, here are some tips for working in the fast food injury.

Always look busy rather than standing around doing nothing.

Obviously, your job is going to go nowhere if your supervisor always thinks that you do nothing while at work. You should make it a chore at work to always look busy, even if you aren’t. This can help you get raises and get a better position. Of course, there are plenty of different things a fast food joint employee can do to waste time. Supplies of ketchup packets and cups are always dwindling, so going to the back is actually necessary quite often. No matter what, don’t ever get caught doing nothing on the job or you could face some consequences.

Never eat the fast food that you serve (or any other fast food).

Without a doubt, eating the fast food that you prepare is an extremely bad idea. It’s unhealthy, and you have pretty easy access to all of these foods. You should always take your lunch break away from the fast food restaurant that you work for or it could start to affect your health. Sure, it might seem ultra-convenient to pick something off the heating area before you walk out of the store, but that’s only going to lead to regret and health issues later on. Therefore, you should always eat healthy, non-fast food when you work in a fast food restaurant. Do your body and health some favors.

Be a great employee to earn more money and climb the employment ladder.

You should display courtesy and kindness at all times while on the job. First of all, this can directly lead to a raise or a promotion. Employees that are regularly complimented upon by customers to management are almost always rewarded in some way or another. An employee that constantly gets praise is likely to be in line for some raises and maybe even a promotion. So then, you can’t let the boring job get to you at any time because it pays much more to suck it up and exhibit excitement and friendliness on the job. Just think about what you could do with a raise!

Shower after work to avoid that constant grease smell.

Unfortunately, working in a fast food restaurant means that you will constantly smell and feel greasy after work or whenever you are wearing your uniform. It’s always a good idea to shower as soon as you get off work to avoid these smells and feelings. Also, you should purchase two work uniforms so that you aren’t stuck in a single, smelly uniform all week. You should wash both of them two times per week to keep them relatively clean and grease-free. For some people, the greasy environment of a fast food restaurant’s kitchen is their least favorite part of the job.

Keep your drawer balanced to keep your job.

As with any job that involves money handling, you need to be accurate and efficient with money. Failing to balance your drawer each day can get you fired or accused of stealing from the company. Don’t make careless mistakes when handling money because it could cost you your job after a few incidents. Without a doubt, you should work on quick efficiency when it comes to dealing with a cash register, receiving money, and giving change. Doing a lazy job with money handling can leave your drawer short on money and could get you kicked out of the fast food restaurant. Obviously, nobody wants to lose their job for something so simple.

Don’t stay in the industry too long.

Without a doubt, the fast food industry is one of the worst industries to work in. There is very little room for income improvement, even if you get constant raises and promotions. You still won’t be earning that much money – whether you’re a fry cook or a manager. So then, you should enter the fast food industry as your first job, spend a year or two there to get some experience or cash, and then you should switch jobs right away. Honestly, job loyalty to a fast food joint doesn’t pay well and it won’t get you very much else aside from a dead-end job. Get out of the fast food industry and stay away from it at all costs after that.

The fast food industry isn’t for you…or anyone.

Still, plenty of people end up working at fast food restaurants, whether they have no education, other job opportunities, or something else. There is nothing wrong with working at a fast food restaurant as a first job or if you have no other options, but you should get out of there as soon as you have enough experience to qualify for a better job. Either way, you have to make the best of the job while you work there, so you should remember these tips and do whatever you can to earn raises or promotions.

Breaking Bad Habits

It was easy, quick, didn’t cause a lot of thought, and cheap. The call of fast food had my number, especially since my ex-husband worked for a well-known fast-food franchise and could use his employee discount to knock off some of the prices. My kid’s first vegetable was potatoes in fry form. Their first meats were fried nuggets and burgers. Their favorite foods were chicken nuggets and fries. And the sad thing was I didn’t see any issues with this habit as I was right there with them.

In no time I was nearly 100 pounds overweight, the fat that I collected from being pregnant with all three of them seemed to hold on to my midsection with dear life. My body was no longer my own and I didn’t like who I was turning into. When my son was diagnosed with a high metabolism, our initial reaction was to encourage him to eat more burgers and eat more often. But he still wasn’t growing like he needed to. Then I spoke to a nutritionist and found out that the foods we were eating wasn’t the type of food we needed, particularly my young children.

So I tried to incorporate my cooking skills, which were rusty at best. But with trial and error I became more proficient in my cooking. This did not sit well with my ex-husband who loved to eat his company’s food and would often bring bags of fries, nuggets, and burgers. I tried to get him to bring healthier foods, such as salads, home from work, but he would only bring one for me and not for him or the kids. The only good thing that came from my changing our eating styles was that my children grew an appreciation for salads, vegetables, and healthy portions.

Now that I am divorced from him, it has become easier to buy organic and healthy foods than it is to drive by a local fast-food restaurant. Burgers, nuggets and fries are now used as rewards for good behavior or good grades at the end of the week. With a small salad beforehand for them all. And I am pleased to say I have lost 30 pounds in the past year, maintained the same body type for nearly two years with plans to keep loosing weight to get to where I was before I married my ex-husband and gave birth. I want to be at a healthy weight when my fiancé and I set a date for our own marriage and am glad that I have shed the bad habit of eating fast food.