So I have my first Job ever, at a Sushi Restaurant. I guess i picked it because I'm learning Japanese. I got the job straight away at the interview, and the Boss asked about my availability and I said i was completely free (School doesn't start until next February) so she responded with "Okay, Monday-Saturday 12-3." Now that's intense and i know nobody my age who works that much, but I just thought about the money and I'm powering on through. So it's only been my second day and I'm already stressed out. It's a fast paced job, i was prepared for that, but the woman who is supposed to be helping me and teaching me...well IMO isn't helping me that much. She's not demonstrating anything, merely stating it and then leaving me to begin. and while working out the back doing dishes is fine, despite the fact that she hasn't shown me how to work the cash register, or how to order something from the kitchen, or many of the names of food, she will say "KURT! THERE IS CUSTOMER, GO SERVE THEM!" All i can do is go and serve them the food and pray she comes over to deal with the money, and i can only deal with the food that I can serve from in front of me. somebody asked for a proper meal, and i just stood their blankly until the other woman returned. It was then that she pointed to the cash register, hit a few buttons. and i have a horrible feeling that WAS my demonstration on the cash register. Now i want to ask her to show how to do it (aswell as other things) but I'm just soo scared to ask. I asked her where a bowl went today and she said "I TOLD YOU YESTERDAY! CMON PLEASE!" and i need to have eyes in the back of my head. I was restocking drinks (as fast as i could) and she yelled at me again for not being at the counter when lots of customers came. I know that I should be able to just ask her (my dad keeps insisting I'm whining and that I just need to ask politely) but I just don't know what constitutes as "being taught how" anymore. and i have to do this 6 days a week, bye bye summer. I don't know what advice I'm asking for here, and I would never go to the Boss and say "she isn't teaching me right" because the Boss and her obviously know each other well and the Boss would believe anything she said (which would include "i showed him how") It's only been 2 days! I shouldn't be this stressed already. someone just reassure me everything will be ok. sorry for long post.
Well, the good news is: that's just how first days on a job always are. You're new to the place you're working (and, indeed, to working at all), and you're thrown into people used to functioning as a team. Total overload is not an unusual reaction to that. Learning the basics just takes a couple of days (and standing around frozen the first couple of days is perfectly normal). By this time next week, you'll be able to do most things they tell you, but not as efficiënt as they do. by the time school's starting again, you'll read this post again and wonder how you could have ever been that stressed, as working in a restaurant has become second nature. A restaurant is a stressful place, though, and having the pressure of warms of customers is not always the best time to learn something. Would it be possible to maybe arrange to come to the restaurant outside of opening hours and have someone show you the intricacies of the cash register, snoop around a bit and see where the bowls are, and ask about something that went wrong the previous day and you would like their input on. They'll be less pressed when there's no customers around, and probably more inclined to take their time to show you. It also shows you're willing to learn, which always leaves a good impression!
yeh i expected myself to be like this for the first few days, and everyone except for her seems to understand that. I DID show up half an hour early today so i could watch the woman who is supposed to help me do things, but she didn't seem to understand what i was saying and sent me straight to the dishes. I could stay overtime though and ask one of the other nicer employees to help me, but everyone is just so busy all day. but I'll keep the idea in mind thanks.
Well, if everyone else is nice about it, then focus on them. When I started working, I learned quite a lot from hanging out with the employees that were the most recent ones before I joined. they still had the freshest memories of being new and awkward at the job. Also, maybe try to focus at on thing at a time. If you come in ahead of time, just ask one question, for example: "I totally made a mistake yesterday when a guy asked me to split a bill. Can you show me how you do that again?". It's slow going asking one at a time, but you don't risk being misunderstood.
Working in a restaurant is always going to be stressful. However, like Filip said, it takes time to become accustom to the work load. When I first started working in a restaurant I was really scared and unsure, but I was part of a team and so are you, they will help you if they can. Soon you will be able to work on the same level as the others, you will start to get an adrenaline rush that will get you through it. Sometimes you need to psyche yourself up for it, but soon it will just happen. You will become a key part of their team, you just need to be patient and be confident that you will learn the ropes. I wish you the best of luck, it's tough but who said life was ever easy, just believe in yourself and give it your all.
Nice work on getting a job. A lot of people are struggling with just that. It's completely normal to feel stressed and overwhelmed the first few days at a new job. Very soon it will become routine, get much easier, and a lot less stressful. Enjoy the paycheck and don't spend it all in one place.
I'll second the other posts. Better than staying late is coming in early. At the end of the day, most people are quite zonked and won't feel very helpful. First thing in the morning, they're far more likely to be friendlier and willing to show you some things. Lex
thanks guys, so yeh I'm a bit of a drama queen and things already got a bit better. I am the youngest person on staff, but I think I'm getting faster. thanks for your responses.
