I just started working at a fast food restaurant and am really just blown away by how much rewarding it is that my last job working at a social welfare agency “helping people.” There is almost ALWAYS something to do AND my work can be objectively measured, two things untrue of my last job.
I’m trying to figure out what I want out of life, and work, and career, and I think this is really important to me: I actually need to be DOING something, something that I have direct control over, and something that I don’t NEED to say, “Look what a good job I did” because it is transparent.
Part of the reason I think this is important to me is if these requirements are NOT met, then the job is essentially convincing OTHERS that you are good at your job and/or that they like you. If what you do is opaque, unclear, or hard to measure, you have to constantly be policing the social narrative around yourself and your work–two things I have absolutely no interest (or ability?) in doing.
What’s been your experience?
If you’re saying your current job at fast food is rewarding, check back in a year with us. Or whenever you quit. Tyrannical managers, unrealistic metrics, no compassion for employees, all drain you quick at fast food. No vacation time, no sick time, yet you have to be ready to pick up a shift within hours.
Maybe you’ve got a good boss. I hope it works out. I work a desk job in IT and whole I don’t see physical results, I’m much happier than working in the service industry. I couldn’t make it work there.
I’ve had retail jobs, so I know what you’re talking about–mostly bullshit metrics that are rewarded at the cost of everything else… I’m not in love with anything else you mentioned either, but so far things are good at this particular place. It probably helps it’s an entirely non-English crew and I speak the language… but I’ll keep you updated. I have heard about metrics, but I think it’s something the manager has to deal with as much as anyone else, since they’re working the window and register and the fry machine. Socially, it’s not like there’s this asshole whose ONLY job is to force you to improve your metric so they get a company vacation to Disney world at the end of the year.
Right before I left my old job, my boss was talking about a person he hired and it was clear she got hired because he thinks she likes him… in contrast, I had to answer NO questions about my fast food job other than my availability.