This was originally published as part of "The Life of Zack" series on "I Am Medley.
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I used to think that getting a job in fast food would be stupid, but at some point I realized that the experience could be good for something - for example, I had an idea for a novel about a manager of a fast food restaurant, and working in fast food would give me first hand experience to write about.
So, in early 2016 I started putting applications in at various fast food establishments in my area and one of them called me back! A couple days after my interview, the manager called me and let me know that I could come in for orientation later that week. I couldn't find my social security card, so we had to reschedule once. After watching all the training videos and receiving my uniform and copy of the company policy book, I was informed that I would be starting in a week.
I could hardly wait!
I thought it would be really cool to work in a kitchen and cook rather than dealing with customers all day every day, like I did at my gas station job. So, it was very cool at first to be back in the kitchen flipping burgers. My responsibilities included salting the meat, making sure I cooked fresh meat regularly, chopping the old and dry meat for chili, frying chicken in the deep fryer and grilling chicken on the grill.
I also had to sweep and scrub the parking lot, scrub the floors in the kitchen, put away deliveries when they came, take out the trash, drain the fryers and put in fresh oil; among other things...
But first, as soon as I was done training to do all of that, I was stuck on floor scrubbing duty. Two or three shifts a week, where I'd come in and scrub the floor for hours, give the main grill guy a half hour break and take the trash out. It was awful! Until I learned to bring headphones and listen to music while I worked, and then it became a lot more enjoyable.
Eventually, the crew was spread thin enough that I got my chance to be a proper grill guy and I graduated to cooking for 20 to 30 hours a week. I wasn't allowed to listen to music while cooking, so I took up humming and singing, much to the annoyance of some of my more, uh, cranky coworkers.
I have this thing - everywhere I work, I want to learn everything that I possibly can. Because knowledge is power and knowledge can also mean more hours. No one just gives full-time hours anymore, you usually have to prove yourself, starting with about 6 hours a week until they'll give you 32 to 40.
So, I insisted that I be taught every job in the restaurant. No one took me too seriously, but bit by bit, I learned the different positions in the kitchen and persuaded the manager to give me some hours training on the register. Once I got my register training, I went back to flipping burgers and the occasional day of floor scrubbing.
It all came together one day when one of the cashiers walked out... I got to work an extra shift that day. Overnight, I went from around 24 hours a week to around 40 every week. I was pretty pleased with my foresight.
Speaking of foresight, I was always preparing for things that no one else was. I remember one time the manager started yelling at me, and I snapped out of whatever reverie I was in and found that I had cooked way too many french fries! Moments later, a horde of hungry customers descended on us and bought every last fry. That wasn't the only time that happened, but it sure was the funniest.
Of course, there were a few times when I just screwed up and cooked too much, but there were plenty of times when I saved the day by preparing for the crowds before they appeared.
I worked for about a year as a grill guy, another year as a cashier (which includes all kinds of other responsibilities, depending on which register you're on: it could be scrubbing the tables and chairs down or washing dishes and baking potatoes) and another half a year doing a little bit of everything. In the end, I made a lot of new friends, learned a lot for my book and finally got fed up with the whole experience and call it quits (though in defense of fast food jobs, it was mainly an interpersonal conflict that caused me to quit and go back to working midnights at the gas station).
I have countless little anecdotes from my time in fast food, and they'll probably get blogs of their own in the future and be referenced through out many of my future works.
So, in early 2016 I started putting applications in at various fast food establishments in my area and one of them called me back! A couple days after my interview, the manager called me and let me know that I could come in for orientation later that week. I couldn't find my social security card, so we had to reschedule once. After watching all the training videos and receiving my uniform and copy of the company policy book, I was informed that I would be starting in a week.
I could hardly wait!
I thought it would be really cool to work in a kitchen and cook rather than dealing with customers all day every day, like I did at my gas station job. So, it was very cool at first to be back in the kitchen flipping burgers. My responsibilities included salting the meat, making sure I cooked fresh meat regularly, chopping the old and dry meat for chili, frying chicken in the deep fryer and grilling chicken on the grill.
I also had to sweep and scrub the parking lot, scrub the floors in the kitchen, put away deliveries when they came, take out the trash, drain the fryers and put in fresh oil; among other things...
But first, as soon as I was done training to do all of that, I was stuck on floor scrubbing duty. Two or three shifts a week, where I'd come in and scrub the floor for hours, give the main grill guy a half hour break and take the trash out. It was awful! Until I learned to bring headphones and listen to music while I worked, and then it became a lot more enjoyable.
Eventually, the crew was spread thin enough that I got my chance to be a proper grill guy and I graduated to cooking for 20 to 30 hours a week. I wasn't allowed to listen to music while cooking, so I took up humming and singing, much to the annoyance of some of my more, uh, cranky coworkers.
I have this thing - everywhere I work, I want to learn everything that I possibly can. Because knowledge is power and knowledge can also mean more hours. No one just gives full-time hours anymore, you usually have to prove yourself, starting with about 6 hours a week until they'll give you 32 to 40.
So, I insisted that I be taught every job in the restaurant. No one took me too seriously, but bit by bit, I learned the different positions in the kitchen and persuaded the manager to give me some hours training on the register. Once I got my register training, I went back to flipping burgers and the occasional day of floor scrubbing.
It all came together one day when one of the cashiers walked out... I got to work an extra shift that day. Overnight, I went from around 24 hours a week to around 40 every week. I was pretty pleased with my foresight.
Speaking of foresight, I was always preparing for things that no one else was. I remember one time the manager started yelling at me, and I snapped out of whatever reverie I was in and found that I had cooked way too many french fries! Moments later, a horde of hungry customers descended on us and bought every last fry. That wasn't the only time that happened, but it sure was the funniest.
Of course, there were a few times when I just screwed up and cooked too much, but there were plenty of times when I saved the day by preparing for the crowds before they appeared.
I worked for about a year as a grill guy, another year as a cashier (which includes all kinds of other responsibilities, depending on which register you're on: it could be scrubbing the tables and chairs down or washing dishes and baking potatoes) and another half a year doing a little bit of everything. In the end, I made a lot of new friends, learned a lot for my book and finally got fed up with the whole experience and call it quits (though in defense of fast food jobs, it was mainly an interpersonal conflict that caused me to quit and go back to working midnights at the gas station).
I have countless little anecdotes from my time in fast food, and they'll probably get blogs of their own in the future and be referenced through out many of my future works.
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I've decided to start ending my blogs with songs that I like. I do not own or endorse the music or artists, unless otherwise noted. Please enjoy my selection of the day.
An underrated track from Pink Floyd that I thoroughly enjoy. I remember listening to it on breaks at work.
An underrated track from Pink Floyd that I thoroughly enjoy. I remember listening to it on breaks at work.
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