So I meant to do this a few days ago but kind of got wrapped up in getting ready to go out of state. Things I learned from working at Braums through most of college: 1. Never turn down a good boss (Ive had some fantastic bosses Shawn Johnson-Dawson Jolene Willis) but also, try not to tolerate ones who mistreat you (a few non-Braums experiences). 2. Learn to expect and then respect competence. There are as many opportunities to teach as there are to learn if you know how to look for them. 3. Age is relative: Learn to take direction from the people in charge, regardless of their age. If they are older, they will appreciate, understand, and respect your obedience while valuing your opinion (Thank you James South and Terry Segress for those lessons); if they are younger, they will gain the confidence and poise that will make them successful due to the trust you extend to them (thats you Carrie-Maleina Velelahi Meli) 4. Take pride in any job you do. I value the presentation and construction of every sundae the same as any piece Ive written and people appreciate that pride if you are willing to show them. 5. Learn to smile when you are angry, frustrated, sick, or in pain. During the last month or so Ive been dealing with the next stage of diabetes (diabetic neuropathy for those of you who are curious) so I had the pleasure of dealing with Sunday/Wednesday night ice cream rushes. I feel like picking up this skill has been...difficult. But the fake it til you make it method really works. Ive had more than one customer notice my bad days and come back to the counter at the end of their meals to express gratitude for my positive demeanor and chattiness while I served them. IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 6. Dont let first impressions ruin your work atmosphere, but also be honest with yourself about your co-workers. Its difficult to deal with bad attitudes/work ethics. Circumstances can be rehabilitated (like my friendship with Kolby Vanmiddlesworth) and others have to be just dealt with or ignored. It takes a lot of experience to decide which is which, but the only way to gain that experience is to start now. 7. Find the fun in your job. Be it tasks, friendships, inside jokes, find SOMETHING about your job that can make you happy, even briefly. Nothing was more fun than working with Mayra, Carrie, Nikkie, Kalie, Corinne, David, Randall, Jolene, etc. 8. Finally, A JOB IS A JOB. Do what you have to do to reach your goals. Mine is to be a college professor, so I took the job that left time for practice and study, a job that didnt demand a large amount of concentration, and a job with generally nice customers and I found it. Kept it as long as possible. Now, did I ALWAYS like it. Hell no, I never kept that a secret from anyone, including my co-workers. But thats to be expected from any job. I know it might be silly to some to post Lessons from working fast food but I fortunate to know that most of my teaching heroes worked in similar situations all the way through college and now pass many of these same values on to their students. Now that I pass out of food service into a job that is closer to my dream job, I think I want to remember where I came from so I can appreciate my final graduation that much more. Peace out, Braums Inc. I knew you well.
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 16:03:56 +0000
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