Having a terrible job as long as it is short term is an experience that every student needs to endure.
They build character and help us set goals for a better life.
All of us are either full-time or part-time students who need a job that is flexible with our schedules.
Most of part-time jobs that students have seem to be miserable.
Many of us work in fast food restaurants or customer service where the motto is “ the customer is always right,” despite how wrong they truly are.
Its not necessarily about the work itself that makes these jobs so dreadful, it is more about the annoying details that have to be done throughout the shift that makes it a drag.
For instance, sale associates who spend their time greeting customers who don’t respond, then have to pick up after them when they leave 20 clothing items on the dressing room floor.
Now consider the warehouse workers whose entire shift is spent loading and unloading boxes and placing them on the tram.
For hours warehouse workers are required to load or unload trucks under a certain amount of time, under any type of weather.
The stressful part of this job is trying to beat the time without destroying any boxes and without hurting yourself.
I am a part-time manager at a fast-food restaurant it seems like every week I am obligated to handle a situation with an displeased customer.
I find myself handling disrespectful attitudes over something as small as not the right amount of sauces to go along with their meal is especially irritating.
A few weeks ago, the ice-cream machine broke down, something neither one of my employees or myself could have prevented.
An unpleased customer called the office to complain.
Claiming that it was an inconvenience that they had driven to my restaurant to only find out that our machine was down.
And because of this inconvenience we should feel obligated to treat them to a free meal.
Those are the type of instances that make these jobs such a drag.
And how about those who work in day care or after-school programing, handling and teaching a class room of third graders is no easy process I’m sure.
Of course there are the adorable moments of the cute little hugs and drawings they make for their teacher but as soon as one of them throws a tantrum, all adorableness is out the window.
The responsibilities that come with taking care of another person’s child, having to deal with disobedience and back talking and then being responsible to also educate them, is truly a work load.
Sometimes it’s our co-workers or managers who make our work experience dreadful at times.
Like the managers who treat their employees as if they are unworthy or the co-workers who bring personal drama into the work place.
Nevertheless, working a dead-end job can teach values that can’t be taught by or parents or learned in a classroom.
These real life experiences can teach us patience.
I now know how it feels to be on the end of the counter, the one providing the service, therefore, when I am receiving the service, I stay patience and I corporate because I know the feeling when customers do otherwise.
Now, I genuinely appreciate it when I receive good customer service.
As much as I dread going to work some days and dealing with aggravating customers, I appreciate my consistent hours and paycheck.
Most importantly, I truly appreciate being employed.
Working at a job that I dislike reminds me every day how important it is for me to stay in school so that one day I can spend my time doing something I love doing.
I cannot and will not work in fast food forever.
