McDonald’s Job Better Than MBA?
There’s something to be said about paying your dues in the working world, especially now as the country faces the highest unemployment rate in 14 years. A low-paying job is better than no job, I say, and according to one career expert, it might even be the best thing you ever do for your career. That expert is Paul Facella, CEO of consulting firm Inside Management and author of “Everything I Know About Business I Learned at McDonald’s” (McGraw-Hill, November 2008).
I love this idea in the same way that I think internships are often more eye opening than any business class you’ll take. Even if you’re filing and running mail from floor to floor, there’s much to be observed. And in my own experience, working in a video store during college taught me more about customer relations, marketing, and sales than my business minor did. No joke! I also have a good friend who worked at the mall to help pay the bills while she was earning her master’s degree in speech therapy. She wound up climbing up the retail chain while she schooled, and ended up becoming a regional manager for a prominent clothing store. So you never know.
That being said, here’s Facella’s rationale for why working in McDonald’s — or an equivalent low-rung job — can be a real learning experience (beyond how to operate the fry machine), if you let it…
- It teaches you the ropes.
Be curious, ask questions, and offer suggestions. You’ll wind up learning more about business than in most MBA classes. - It hones your work style.
Always work hard—and never be satisfied. Traits such as these will serve you down the road as an executive or entrepreneur. - It refines relationship skills.
Now is the time to perfect your people skills. “Practice” listening more than talking, resolving conflicts, and rolling with the punches. - It creates opportunities.
Choose wisely and you can move up the ranks quickly. Look for a company like McDonald’s, with a proven track record of aggressive talent management and exceptional career velocity. - It forms networks.
Take care with your work relationships—higher-ups, peers, and subordinates. You’ll have career champions for a lifetime. - It reinforces humility.
There is no upside to unemployment. Learn to appreciate the goodness of work itself and what a job can teach you.
The point here is not necessarily to go work at the local fast food joint if you’re out of work, or that school is a waste of time. But when entering a new job or career — especially in a down market — you may have to consider opportunities beneath your skill level or take a pay cut. In doing so, however, it may give you a chance to apply and flex the skills you learned about in the classroom. And that just may turn out to be a wise investment.
Tell me about your lowest level job and what you learned there…
Gina said,
November 19, 2008 @ 2:32 pm
I worked at a local bank during college. Sure, it made me even *more* reliant on a calculator (as a journalism major at the time, numbers and I didn’t play well), but it also gave me me a lot of patience. I swear, dealing with bank customers has to be one of the *worst* customer service experiences ever. After all, it’s “their” money, so you can never get it to them fast enough or crisp enough (no joke!), and FORGET if you need to ask for ID. (Talk about seeing someone insulted!) Through it all, though, that job allowed me to hone my count-to-5-and-breath skills, which has definitely helped me in the fast-paced, corporate world. Oh, and I have always gone out of my way to be nice to bank tellers ever since!
Kathleen said,
November 19, 2008 @ 2:34 pm
I worked at a fast food joint while in High School and I have to agree one of the major learning points was relationship building, customer service and conflict resolution. These skills have helped me tremendously in my career. I’m now an Associate Publisher of a business journal.
Melanie Phung said,
November 19, 2008 @ 3:20 pm
Not the lowest-level job I’ve held, but the one that taught me the most, was doing direct sales. Very humbling (also humiliating), but also immeasurably valuable:
http://www.all-about-content.com/2008/07/direct-sales-lessons-for-seo.html
Carnival of College Admission--Turkey Edition said,
November 26, 2008 @ 12:10 pm
[...] Papandrea (the host of our next Carnival edition) asks the question, McDonald’s Job Better Than MBA? posted at CollegeSurfing Insider. A she says, “In a tough economy, be thankful for [...]
said,
August 22, 2009 @ 4:49 pm
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retired at 24 said,
September 23, 2009 @ 3:40 pm
i started delivering newspapers when i was in 7th grade up at 5 am. After i graduated college i went into finance and retired at 24. Life is good!