Perfect First Job for Students: Fast Food!
- Nela Friesen
- Jan 30, 2025
- 5 min read
Table of Contents
About the Fast Food Industry
There are many fast-food companies worldwide and they have long been known as good jobs for students and anyone looking for a job that will help them gain experience for a resume. There are many opportunities for these jobs here in Taber, including some of the biggest fast-food chains like McDonald's, Tim Horton's, Subway, etc.
I have worked at McDonald's for over one year as a part-time afterschool job. As explored in this blog post, many things make fast-food jobs convenient and perfect for students! And as you'll learn more about next week, it can also be a great way to be an entrepreneur by becoming a franchisee!
Roles in Fast Food Companies
The starting position at any fast food restaurant is that of a crew member, someone who works in the restaurant to serve the guests. There are a variety of stations that you can work in including both service and kitchen. There are different stations in service like order taking, presenting orders, taking payment, etc. In the kitchen, there are positions like grill, initiator, finisher, etc.
After working at a fast-food company for a while, there are opportunities for advancement. Promotions include becoming a crew trainer, shift manager, restaurant manager, etc. Many people also become entrepreneurs and get into business and management by becoming franchisees for fast-food companies. For other people, a fast-food job is a good starting point to gain experience and skills in a workplace setting that can transfer to future jobs. It is a good job to help build your resume, as it gives you experience in dealing with customers, handling money, working in a team, and so much more.
What is Working in Fast Food like?
An Average Day on the Job
Working at a fast-food restaurant is pretty simple so there isn't much variety in how days are spent other than the fact that you might be working at different stations on different days. On the average shift, the manager will assign everyone to a station, where you will work until your shift is over or until you are needed elsewhere. Shifts at McDonalds range from three to eight hours and the length of your break depends on the length of your shift. There is no break for a three hour shift, a 15-minute break for a shift between three and five hours, and a 30-minute break for a shift that is five hours or longer.
Pay
Fast food jobs typically pay around minimum wage to start. It will increase once you get pay raises after working for the company for a certain amount of time or you get promoted to a new position. It pays well for an after-school job and allows you to make some money while in high school so it is a good job for students.
Work Conditions
Working in a fast-food restaurant is a very collaborative job. All the team members have to work together to get the orders completed. For example, the food from an order in drive-thru first has to be made by the people working in the kitchen, then bagged by one person while another makes any specialty drinks, all of which are given to the presenter and handed out. When it gets busy and the restaurant is understaffed, it becomes even more collaborative because all the people have to work together to cover the positions with no one assigned to them.
Working in fast food can be a stressful job because it gets busy and there is a lot to be done. Many restaurants keep track of service times (how long it takes to complete orders), so there is extra pressure to be as fast as possible. However, when everyone works together, it becomes less stressful.
Qualities Needed
Most people would be able to do well in this job. However, there are a few things that you need to be able to do. You have to be able to work well with others because it is a very collaborative job. If you want to work in service, you should also be able to get along with the customers, even if they are unhappy with the service (if this doesn’t sound like you, you could also work in the kitchen where you never deal with customers). Other than this, there are many different stations that require different qualities so most people will be able to find a station that they are good at.
Hardest Part
Like with any customer service-based job, there may be customers that are harder to please with the service, which can make a shift more tiring. It is also a very fast-paced job during rushes so it can be tiring when you're working many hours or have to go to work after a day at school.
Best Part
The best part about fast food jobs is that the schedule is very flexible because they allow you to choose when you are available to work. This makes it very convenient if you need an after-school job or have other obligations during your day. Students can also sign up for work experience, allowing them to earn high school credits while working.
Most Rewarding Part
It's always rewarding when you can get through a busy time by working together with the rest of the team. If you're working in service, it can also be rewarding when a person is really happy with the service and you can tell that you made a difference in their day.
Training
Fast food positions don't require post-secondary education. There are crew trainers at the restaurants to train the new hires and make sure that they are prepared for the job. They get trained in all the different stations that are needed in the first few days or weeks of working on the job before they are ready to work on their own.
In conclusion, there are many things that make jobs in fast food perfect for students and others! Next week, you'll learn more about how you can take your journey in fast food to the next level by becoming a franchisee. This is perfect for people wanting to get into business and entrepreneurship but don't want to create something new from scratch.
Thanks so much for reading this post and see you next week!
(QUICK UPDATE)
This is the first post of the new year! I've been busy with the holidays and exams at school but I'm back and ready to work on new posts again. I'm excited about this project and I'm looking forward to a fun year as I continue to grow the blog. I also recently opened an Instagram account so go follow me there @careerace_blog for the latest updates! Thanks!
Fast food jobs are often the go-to first job for students, offering flexible hours, quick training, and hands-on experience. However, students can also explore the growing world of burger vans as a fun and rewarding alternative. Platforms like burgervans.co.uk allow young entrepreneurs or part-time workers to get involved in burger van hire or even operate a burger van, learning customer service, food prep, and small business management. Unlike traditional fast food chains, working with a burger van offers creativity, fresh ingredients, and the chance to engage directly with customers. It’s a great way for students to gain real-world skills while enjoying the fast-paced, mobile food industry in a more flexible and dynamic environment.