The fast food industry is a common first job for teenagers first starting out in the workforce. Whether it be McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, or KFC, fast food is a popular job choice for those looking to make a little bit of money during their college or high school careers. But those with Autism might find it difficult to work in the fast food industry, as it involves a lot of social interactions. So how can one with autism manage working in the fast food industry without going insane and getting stressed? Well here are two tips that’ll help you work in this industry and have fun while doing so at the same time.
Tip One: Ask For Help
This tip is a really important one for all jobs, not just the fast food industry. No one knows how to do everything in the world, especially at a fast pace. So asking for help, especially if you’re overwhelmed, can help you learn how to do certain things properly. For example, if you don’t know how much Big Mac sauce goes into a Big Mac with extra lettuce, all you have to do is ask and your manager will help you out. Or if you don’t know how to fry the original recipe chicken at KFC, just ask and you’ll learn. Asking for help can help make the fast food world easier for you and the rest of the crew.
There is one more important thing you should know: asking for help doesn’t mean you’re stupid. It just means that you need a little bit more help doing certain things. So if you’re thinking about asking for help and you don’t feel good about it, just remember that not knowing how to do certain things is OK. You just have to learn them. Then eventually, you can help others as well.
Tip Two: Practice Interactions With Customers
One thing’s for sure about the fast food industry: You have to interact with people you don’t know. Not only that, but you also have to be prepared for the type of person that they are. One day, you could have an interaction with a nice, caring, and compassionate customer who understands the stresses of a fast food job. But on another, you could deal with a mean Fortune-500 CEO who berates and harrasses you for not getting his 500 cheeseburgers ready on time. It can be a stressful situation when you have autism. The key to dealing with customers is to practice the interactions for the day.
One strategy that you could use to practice these interactions with a friend or co-worker you trust. Make up a scenario where something happens that delays the customer’s order and practice how you would handle a situation. For example, if the mustard runs out at Burger King and the order gets delayed on account of that, practice explaining this to the customer as calmly and collectively as possible, so you can prepare for the potential response you’ll receive. That way, it can reduce the stress of having to interact with people you don’t know and not be prepared. But the big question is what if there’s one of those customers that are extremely rude and cuss you out over certain situations?
Well if there is such a situation that escalates into profanity-laced rants and harassment, get your manager immediately. They’ll be able to handle the situation without any further escalation and stress. If it’s a day where the manager is busy and there’s a huge rush, try to handle the situation yourself as best as you can. If an order is messed up, apologize and offer whatever incentive there is for messed up orders. That way, things go smoothly and don’t escalate further.
Yes, fast food can be stressful. When you have Autism, it can be even more stressful on the social side. But with these two tips, you’ll be able to conquer the fast food industry and have fun while doing so.
Kadin is a college student, writer, and activist who is on a mission to help people better understand Autism. Throughout his life, he was told he wouldn’t be successful because he was on the spectrum. But time and time again, he proved the naysayers wrong. His goal in life is to inspire people with his story and help bring attention to Autism in the world.
My 21 yr old son works doing sort of outdoor janitorial stuff at a theme park restaurant . This was great for him because there wasn’t direct social Interaction with patrons as you would have at a food counter but people Do ask him directions and need information. This was really great for him because he is GOOD at giving this kind of concrete info, he then feels successful and HELPFUL! He comes home feeling like he did his job well! He gets positive social Interaction ! It really has boosted his self esteem and he will inject conversation now and then randomly unprompted. These kind of jobs are a great first experience