The Little Things Really Do Matter The Most!

Are you confused about what to put under your experience section of your resume? Not sure if you should include that fast food job you worked for only 6 months in high school? I am here to tell you that you should include these jobs even if you only worked there for a short time. You may not think it is important but think again. The experience you get from working in a fast food restaurant may be more than you think.

For example, I worked at Arby's Roast Beef Restaurant for 2 years when I was in high school. In those 2 years I learned a ton when it comes to running a business like a fast food franchise. I worked the front counter, the drive-thru, back line preparing the food, fry station, opening the store, closing the store, and clean-up. I worked every position except the management position. I gained a lot of experience by doing this. I learned about the fast food industry, I learned about inventory and how to count it, I learned how to process truck orders for the inventory, and much more. I truly believe the only way to learn is to have hands on experience. This job showed me how to go from clean-up to payroll. I have walked away from this job with skills such as; time management, team work, customer services, business ethics, communication skills, food preparation and the laws associated with them, and how the payroll process works. The importance of a clean atmosphere and how it affects the business is a huge process and there are laws that need to be followed. This is a great place to start a resume if you have worked in a fast food restaurant or any restaurant for that matter. I want you to think about what jobs you have worked and how much you gained from them. My life was turned around from this experience and without it I do not believe I would have made it this far. It changed my life and I am glad I had the opportunity to learn about this type of business.

I think employers appreciate it when they see that you have worked in a restaurant and realize the experience you gain from it. In an interview, they always ask behavior based questions and it seems when I answer them it all goes back to the experience from Arby's. Two important ideas I talk about when asked these questions is the process I used to help a customer who was angry and also what I did if there was a conflict between a co-worker/manager and me. You want to express how you handled those situations. Employers love it when you can answer those questions well and tell a story to back it up. One hint during the interview when asked a behavior based question is tell the employer the problem you faced, then talk about how you handled it and what steps you took to fix the situation, and finally tell them the outcome of the situation. They love this, trust me! It seems to work every time for me. Think about it and think how it will look on your resume. Think of how it is very easy to talk about that position you were in and what dilemmas you faced. I think it is an excellent resource and you not only build up experience but also your personality, your business knowledge, and your communication skills. I also would recommend going to Career Services to get help on your resume and even practice interviewing with real HR representatives.