The 4 most important lessons I learned working an entry-level fast food job

Insider's experts choose the best products and services to help make smart decisions with your money (here’s how). In some cases, we receive a commission from our our partners, however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.

• I got my first job, at a fast-food restaurant, about a year ago.
• It's taught me the value of money, and the importance of attention to detail.
• I've also learned the importance of good coworkers, and to have empathy for other restaurant workers.

The week after I turned 15, I got my first retail job at a fast food restaurant.

I had really wanted to get a job because I was always stressed about not having money, and I thought that having some extra money would help me feel less stressed. As I started working, I realized that while earning extra money was nice, it wasn't nearly as exciting as I thought it would be.

Now that I've been working in retail for over a year, I've learned a lot of things about retail, and working in general, that I think will be valuable for the rest of my life.

1. Attention to detail is important 

When I first started to work, I quickly realized that I needed to pay attention to the small things. Attention to detail is quite important, especially in retail.

Working in retail consists of a lot of talking to people, especially if you work at the cash register (which I do). Using active listening instead of half listening really shows the customer that you understand them. I learned how to show a peppy attitude and really speak clearly to put my best foot forward. 

2. The people you work with make a difference

Whenever I have a shift, it's always much more enjoyable if I'm scheduled along with a coworker I like.

If the day is slow, having someone to talk to or just hang out with makes the work day go by faster. I don't really like when there's nothing to do and I have to just stand at the counter for hours and hours. I'm very much a people person, and I've noticed that when I'm around coworkers I like, I'm much happier throughout my shift. 

3. I have a better sense of how work relates to money

When I want to buy something, I try to think, "Is this worth the number of hours I have to work for it?" If it is, then I'm happy to work those hours. If I don't think it's worth those hours worked, then I can save myself from buying something that I don't actually want and won't actually value.

I recently bought tickets for Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour. We were able to get the presale code, and waited in an online queue for five hours. I feel really lucky I was able to get tickets at all, but since it was so hard to get tickets, I wasn't sure how much my ticket would cost. Even the upper-level cheap seats we ended up with cost $126 per ticket.

Since I only make around $11 an hour, that meant that I had to work about 11 to 12 hours to afford those tickets. I had to manage my time so I would be able to work that much and still be able to get all of my other things done. I'm very grateful I have a job, so I can buy the things I want. 

4. I have more empathy for other people

I think the thing I have learned most while working a retail job is how to have empathy for other people. I now know what it's like to work retail, and how hard it can be.

One thing that is hard for me at my job is that I have to stand for a very long time, and this makes my feet hurt. So when I was making a restaurant in my Animal Crossing game, I made sure to put a chair behind the register so the cashier could sit down. If I'm working a long shift, my legs and back hurt by the time I get home. 

Whenever I go to restaurants now, I make sure to be extra polite to the workers, because I know that they work hard to make our experience great. 

Even though working my job can be hard, I'm grateful I have it, and I'm grateful for the lessons it has taught me.