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Fast Food Workers

Experience, Skills, and Personality Traits

No experience is needed for most positions at fast food restaurants, but those with prior work experience will increase their chances of landing a job, getting promoted, and possibly earning higher pay.

For an entry-level position at a fast food restaurant, you should be motivated, cheerful, and cooperative. The fast food business requires a quick pace, especially during the breakfast and lunch rush periods. A motivated employee is willing to work extra hard and offer help to a fellow employee during these times. When the restaurant is busy, paying close attention and thinking quickly are as necessary in accepting money and counting back change as they are in the handling of food.

You should be neat in appearance as well as have good work habits. Some fast food restaurants require that their employees wear uniforms or follow a dress code. They also may dictate specific rules of behavior. Because such guidelines are important for both safety reasons and the atmosphere of the restaurant, employees must respect and follow them. Failure to do so may result in the employee being sent home or having his or her pay reduced. The good qualities and work habits that are found in reliable fast food workers reflect the professional attitude that managers and franchise owners strive for in their restaurants.