When working in a quick-service restaurant, it’s often viewed by many as a temporary or entry-level job. However, these skills that are gained are often highly transferable and provide a robust foundation for success within any professional industry you go into.
With that being said, let’s look at how QSR work prepares you for any industry, regardless of where you choose to take your career.
Customer service excellence
Those who work in QSR handle a diverse range of customer needs and complaints, all in real-time. That can be quite a high-pressured environment to deal with, and as such, it requires the individual to keep calm and learn to be patient.
They will also be good with conflict resolution over time and will often maintain a more positive attitude in general.
This type of training is crucial within client-facing roles in sales, healthcare, hospitality, and account management.
Teamwork and communication
There’s a high degree of seamless coordination and clear communication with colleagues that leads to success in a busy kitchen or on a front counter.
Having these skills in a QSR environment helps to ensure all orders are correct and timely. Not only that, but the skills are fundamental to working effectively within any team structure, creative or corporate.
Problem-solving under pressure
There are plenty of challenges that come with navigating a QSR environment. The daily challenges of managing peak rushes, equipment issues, and resolving order errors will often force employees to think quickly and adapt fast.
The ability to remain calm, as mentioned, is again an important quality to have. Being able to find efficient solutions under pressure offers a significant asset within high-stakes fields like event management, IT, and emergency services.
Time management and efficiency
QSR operations often revolve around efficiency and speed. Employees who can master the ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple duties simultaneously are a benefit worth having.
It can boost productivity levels in project management, operations management, and administration.
Adaptability and resilience
There’s often high turnover and constantly changing procedures happening in QSR environments, such as handling a new QSR POS system. That means these employees need to learn to quickly adapt to new information, as well as bounce back from challenging shifts. It demonstrates a resilience that’s valuable in industries that are evolving and highly dynamic.
Leadership and responsibility
Opportunities will often arise for reliable employees where they’ll step into manager roles and shift leaders. These positions will teach essential skills in training new staff, taking ownership of operational outcomes, and delegating tasks. These are great skills to nurture and build for leadership in other industries one day.
In conclusion, QSR environments serve as practical training grounds, providing individuals with all the soft skills they could need to prepare them to excel and advance in a wide range of career paths.
