We all, throughout our lives, encounter good jobs and bad jobs. Jobs that we enjoy and jobs that we dread going to every day, for one reason or another. You can spend two, four, or eight years going to college to earn degrees for your ‘dream job. But if you do not enjoy working with the other employees and you do not genuinely enjoy what you do for a living, is it a bad job? What honestly makes a job bad? Co-workers, the company itself, the rules and regulations, or the hours? I feel that you, yourself, make the job good or bad. Your attitude towards the job, the people that you work for, and the customers are what makes a job good or bad.
In my opinion, no, fast-food jobs are not bad. If you go to work with a positive outlook; the job pays the bills, puts food on your table, and buys your daily/monthly necessities, then your job will be good. No, it may not be the best job in terms of pay or even the hours/shifts that you work, but it is a good job because you get a paycheck. If you don’t want to work there, have a negative attitude every day about having to go to work, and just genuinely do not care, that is what makes the job bad.
I have worked in my share of fast-food establishments in my life. No, it isn’t what I wanted to do. It is what I had to do to take care of my family. So, I looked at the positive side of the experience. It provided a paycheck to buy my children the things that they needed and it helped to pay the household bills and put food on the table. You just have to ignore the drama, do your assigned job, and treat everyone civil and you will be just fine.
Is Fast Food a Real Job?
As we get older and we gain more skills and more work experience, some adults think that working in the fast-food industry isn’t a ‘real job.’ But, it is. Anyone who fills out an application goes through the same process as someone who applies at a grocery store, a pet store, an office, or any other entry-level position. You still fill out a W-2, you receive a paycheck/direct deposit, they take taxes out of your check, you have a schedule that you have to work every week, and you are gaining new skills. Everything is the same as any other place that you work. So you don’t have to have an expensive college degree to work at McDonald’s or Arby’s, that doesn’t mean that it is not a real job. Fast food is as real of a job as any other job out there.
Is Fast Food a Good First Job?
Any job is a good first job. It is where, besides your parent’s home, that you learn responsibility. You learn to be accountable for your actions, how to interact with other people (whether it is co-workers or customers), you learn teamwork, and you begin learning the financial aspects of being an adult. McDonald’s was my very first job when I was sixteen years old. I was not crazy about the shifts that I had to work, but I was making money. I was saving money, buying things that my parents could not afford, and learning ‘adult’ responsibilities. It was a good learning experience for me and I know a lot of other people that have worked in the fast-food industry feel the same way. It is a great first job for high school students who want more responsibility and want to begin earning their own money.
Are Fast Food Workers Depressed?
I do not believe that fast-food workers are depressed. I believe that they get burnt out, especially if it is their first job. You get the crappy shifts, called into work if someone doesn’t show up, and because fast food establishments are usually short-handed you get a ton of hours. There are studies that suggest working in a fast-food environment can cause depression, without you actually knowing it. They say that all of the self-control that it takes to convey a sense of happiness is taxing on a person. Too much energy is spent “being overly happy” and could be used elsewhere in the duties. If you have to force yourself to be overly happy or friendly to the customers that contribute to your paycheck, then maybe fast food is not for you. If you are depressed, there is a reason, deeper than your job, and maybe it is time to find out why you are depressed. I do not believe for one second that a fast-food job alone, is going to cause you to have depression.
Conclusion
Fast-food jobs are not bad, they are not the sole reason for a person to get depression, and they do make a good first job for high school students. Be as positive as you can when you go to work, you do not have to stress yourself out by being “overly happy.” Be polite and do the job to the best of your ability. If you feel you are getting burnt out or overwhelmed, then schedule a “you” day on your day off. Disconnect from electronics, relax in the quiet and reset yourself mentally and emotionally. The job pays the bills, puts food on the table, and takes care of other responsibilities you have. Enjoy the experience.