Almost 6 years and counting of working in one of the most exhausting and rewarding industries in the world. The service industry has many levels and faces, but the core is the same wherever you go. The lessons one learns when working in any restaurant or cafe are incredibly valuable and universally applicable in any field, especially ones where people are your main priority. Dealing with guests, coworkers, and corporate in the same place allows you to fine-tune your people skills to each situation to keep everyone happy. There are many other skills you learn both voluntarily and involuntarily, out on the floor and back in the kitchen. If you can handle a Sunday brunch rush with no OJ or pancake syrup, an agitated grill cook that only speaks Spanish, a hostess who can't say no, and a bartender that should have gone to sleep a little earlier the night before, you can handle anything. And I'm here to tell you, everyone should experience this at least one time.

The first and most important thing you learn in a restaurant is that your coworkers can either make or break a job experience. These are the people you'll be spending time with every weekend, every random morning or night shift, and every mandatory team meeting. You should probably like them, and they should probably like you too. In high pressure situations like the aforementioned brunch rush, tensions can run high, words can be said and hash browns can be stolen. That's why it is important to be able to communicate openly and honestly with coworkers, and learning to do this can save a lot of unnecessary attitude or beef with your team. You have to create trusting relationships with the people you work with to be able to do your job effectively, and there is no better place to learn than close quarters. This is true in every field, because your coworkers are your team. They'll be the ones who can get you out of an unfavorable situation, help you solve a problem, do you a favor or even take your shift, so learning how to create positive relationships with the people on your team is so important to any social environment you find yourself in. 

Being in such a high-pressure, constantly changing environment is also beneficial in a lot of other ways. You learn how to solve problems creatively in a time crunch, since the party of 6 with a reservation has just arrived, but your walk-in VIP guest is still eating at the table they requested weeks ago. You have to think outside the box to be able to achieve your task of getting them seated quickly, while also not agitating either the party or the VIP guest. 

You learn how to prioritize tasks, since you just took a drink order from memory and have to ring it in, but your manager is asking you to run hot food to other tables at the same time. Should you run the food while it's hot and do your manager a favor, or risk forgetting the drink order and having to ask your table again, potentially affecting your tip? 

You learn how to maintain a professional manner under pressure, since the bachelorette party is entirely unhappy with their appetizers, but you're unable to take them off of the check because they ate them anyways. They're taking it out on you, and you weren't having a great day before you clocked in, but you have to be patient and keep a smile while calmly explaining company policy to them. 

While these situations specifically aren't present in any field but the service industry, the lessons you take from them are important everywhere else. Being able to foster positive relationships, handle time-sensitive issues, maintain a professional manner and think outside the box are universally valuable skills that have the power to make YOU a better person. While it's a lot of fun to be on the diner side of this equation, you learn a lot being on the receiving end of the food order. It forces you to see a different perspective, and most importantly, gain empathy and understanding for the people who are working to make your burger just how you like it.