I’m a rising junior (about to be 16), and I wanted to get a job potentially this summer working at a fast food restaurant (there is a McDonald’s as well as a Subway very close to my house.) However, I’m worried that colleges might now be impressed to see I’m working a job like that. I babysit and work at a day camp for little kids as well as occasionally bus tables at my parents’ restaurant, but I thought working in a fast food restaurant would be a quick and relatively easy way to earn some cash. What do you guys think? Thanks in advance!
A fast-food job will show that you’re down-to-earth and your parents don’t mollycoddle you. There’s nothing wrong with honest work. It’s a little late to apply for summer jobs, though.
Colleges will be impressed by your work ethic.
My first job was in a seafood restaurant. I went from being a busgirl to a hostess to a waitress, and worked there from the time I was 16 until 2 weeks before I started teaching.
It was probably the single most important learning experience in my life (with the exception of the early learning I got as a child at home.)
I learned a work ethic. I learned that there’s never “nothing to do.” I learned how to prioritize. (That martini someone ordered will wait; someone else’s rare stake is up and will be well done if I let it sit until after I get to the bar and back.) I learned how to get the customer what he wanted, but stay within the boundaries of my job. I learned how to move quickly when necessary. I learned that sometimes your feet are killing you, but you’ve got to continue to do your job anyway. I learned that you can’t always do what your friends are doing; you can’t skip work unless you can get someone to cover for you. I learned that most people are incredibly nice, but some really aren’t. I learned to balance the things I wanted to spend my money on now with the things I’ll want or need later. I learned that it’s OK to treat yourself once in a while and blow the budget, as long as it’s tempered with responsibility.
And so very much more.
Apply to both McDonalds and Subway, and to anywhere else you can think of. Good luck!!
According to the Director of Admissions at Princeton (paraphrasing- I didn’t write it down at the time): ‘We don’t care what you do for the summer- we just care that you do SOMETHING and we care what you do with it. Don’t go to Central America for a few weeks to build houses for the poor and come back and tell us that it changed you. SHOW us how it changed you, and what you are doing about it. We had a really thoughtful, powerful essay this year by a student who had to stay home over the summer to take care of younger siblings because the parents work. It really doesn’t matter what it is, it matters what you do with it.’
Having the school find out about your fast food employ is one thing, but what if your fellow students found out that you worked flipping burgers?
As others have said, you can learn a lot working at a fast food restaurant - showing up on time every day, working with others who may have different backgrounds and viewpoints than you, getting the job done even when it’s hard, dealing with customers who can be difficult, and much more. This is particularly true for kids who have grown up in privileged circumstances.
Personally I’m in favor of kids working real, paid summer jobs where they’re being counted on to perform, as opposed to unpaid internships, service trips, etc. For many the money helps for college, but in my view there’s also more accountability and in some important ways more learning in a paid job than in a volunteer job.
Thank you everyone for your answers! Now I don’t feel so bad! 