The Surprising Perks of Quick-Service Work

In this day and age, when people think of jobs, the first thing that may spring to mind is an office. But long before working in a certain office  Jenna Fischer (a.k.a. Pam Beesley) worked at Long John Silver’s.

Before occupying an even more famous office, President Barack Obama worked at Baskin Robbins. Who knew, right? 

These two famous folks and countless others like them may have applied for their jobs knowing that working in fast food—also known as quick service—came with plenty of perks. 

“What kinds of perks?” you ask. “Tell me all about them, please.”

Since you said “please,” we will! 

When you work a quick-service job, you will:

Learn priceless people skills. When you’re answering to a manager and working alongside a crew of team members, you’ll learn how to work effectively with others. 

When a disgruntled customer complains that someone forgot to put a pickle on her hamburger, you’ll learn what to say to defuse her anger and make her happy. 

Skills like these are transferable to future workplaces and also come in handy on the homefront! 

Make new friends. For students who enjoy socializing or retirees who want to be around people again after leaving the full-time workforce, working alongside others at a quick-service job is a great way to make new friends.

Eat discounted (or even free) food. When you work a quick-service job, you get to enjoy the restaurant’s food at a discounted rate—a great way to give the ol’ grocery bill a break! Sometimes you even get food for free. 

Before you can say, “But I’m trying to cut back on fast food,” a lot of quick-service restaurants offer healthy options, too. Take this salad menu, for example—we dare you not to salivate over it. 

Enjoy flexible hours. If you’re a student or a single parent who wants to be home when your kids come home from school, quick-service restaurants tend to be accommodating when it comes to schedules. The same holds true for retirees who want part-time hours to supplement their income. 

Be hired with or without a degree. You don’t need a degree to work a quick-service job, which means it’s easy to land a job and begin working. You can start as early as age 16 and learn workplace skills that will last a lifetime! 

Become a better worker. At quick service jobs, you’ll learn how to manage your time, multitask, problem-solve, and think on your feet, too. All things that will make you a better worker—and make you more attractive to future employers!

Get promoted if you play your cards right. You may start out as a team member at a quick-service job, but if you have leadership potential and a work ethic that wows your manager, you might eventually find yourself in a manager position. 

If you aim high enough and keep climbing, who knows? You might even end up in the Oval Office like President Obama! 

Learn how to manage employees. When you land that management position, you’ll learn how to build—and also build up (as in edify)—a team of workers that will function like a well-oiled machine under your leadership. 

Once you make a name for yourself as a manager, you may find that other leadership opportunities open up in life, too! Bottom line: The world needs people who know how to lead. 

Make people smile. When you deliver quality customer service, you shine your unique light into other people’s lives. Giving them a reason to smile is one of those intangible things that makes quick-service work worthwhile. 

Discover the joy of being part of something bigger than yourself. At every quick-service restaurant, employees serve a wide range of people and learn what it’s like to work with people who are different from them. They get to be part of a bigger picture that has the potential to give their lives purpose, meaning, and joy—and that’s just plain beautiful. 

While all of the above perks abound at Wendy’s, we like to think ours are better than the McCompetion’s.  Of course, you don’t have to take our word for it.

You can experience the perks of working for Wendy’s firsthand by applying to join our work family today. Start by reading about our employment opportunities here and click “Apply Now” when you’re ready to begin. We look forward to meeting you—and we promise not to give you a “Frosty” reception when you show up. (See what we did there?)