No matter how much time passes by, everyone remembers their first job. Whether it was taking orders at a fast food joint, serving food at a restaurant, crafting coffee at a cafe, or pushing carts outside a grocery store, everyone has a shared experience of working for the first time. Although many don’t reflect on it as a glamorous experience, it is one that will never be forgotten. So, let’s make the best out of our first jobs!

After asking many people about their work experiences, I’ve narrowed the job settings into three categories: restaurants, fast food places, and grocery stores. Here is what to expect with each one!

To start off, restaurant jobs are a popular first job pick! Depending on how busy a place is, you can either expect to be relaxing behind a countertop or rushing people to their tables. Although there are always a few cranky customers, most guests are very friendly at restaurants from what I’ve heard. It is always important to make good first impressions (especially if you want to earn generous tips), and to impress your manager with your amazing customer service skills. Most people start off as a hostess at a restaurant, but jobs vary depending on where you decide to apply. After being a hostess for a reasonable amount of time, you can usually move up to being a waiter or a waitress. Even though the day might get busy, working at a restaurant can be fun and rewarding! You can meet many new and exciting people and create many fun memories.

Next, working at a grocery store can be its own form of art! Most people start as a combo, meaning they perform multiple small daily activities. This can be great if you need a break from being in cramped and crowded spaces that other jobs require, but it can also be exhausting. Combos are known to bag the groceries up front, clean the bathrooms in the back, sweep the floors around the store, and push the carts outside, whether there is rain or shine. After working for some time, you can add cashiering to your list of work or make it your main job at the store. You will also be able to switch departments in the long run, which include the floral, produce, bakery, and meat departments. A job at a grocery store is very social, as people will ask you where to find a specific item or make small talk with you while getting their groceries scanned. I have learned that a job at a grocery store does give you a lot of freedom and space, which is a huge benefit!

Lastly, fast food places are known for their convenience, but what work is going on behind the scenes? Whether you choose to work at Chipotle, McDonald’s, or Starbucks, you should expect to be preparing and taking orders for customers. You can earn tips at the cash register, so do a good job! How much cooking or drink-making you will do varies with the job, but there is a high chance you will be involved in the process. Especially when drive-thru lines get very long, you may have to stand outside and take orders from customers in their cars, again despite the weather outside. A positive is that fast food places offer many exciting experiences with your coworkers, as you interact with them a lot throughout the day. You also get to talk to various customers, and I’ve heard that fast food places can offer really positive working environments. “I enjoy talking to people, so I am excited to greet customers when I start working,” explains Hannah Chong (10).

Whatever type of job you choose to do, I’m sure it will be quite the experience! Add on to the people with everlasting memories from their work, and enjoy your time there!