This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Emory chapter.
Spring may only just be beginning, but summer is just three short weeks away. Even though a lot of the business majors have had internships locked down since September, many of us are finalizing our summer plans. While everyone would kill for an exciting internship, the summer is also prime time to make money to fund all your splurges throughout the school year. Whether you’re looking for a part-time job or a full-time gig for the summer, I think that everyone should be a server at least once. Growing up, my mom waitressed and found it so rewarding that she convinced me to try it last summer. Here are some reasons why everyone should be a server at least once:
-  Free food: All restaurants are different, but many will give employees dinner at the end of the night or a hefty discount. At the end of a long shift, it’s nice not to have to spend the tips you just made on dinner. That being said, make sure you choose a restaurant that serves food you won’t get tired of.
- Communication skills: Even if service isn’t directly connected to your career path, you can describe your experience in a way makes it fit alongside internships on a resume. Any kind of interaction with the public can be challenging and will show your ability to communicate between customers, the kitchen, and the restaurant as a whole. I’ll admit that I had some rude customers, but you also meet really interesting, kind people that you otherwise would never have interacted with.
-  Built-in exercise: You are constantly on your feet when you’re serving, running back and forth from the kitchen, from table to table, and carrying trays of food and drinks. Especially if you are working long hours at another more sedentary job or internship, waitressing compensates if you don’t have a lot of time to work out (though this may cancel out the first reason).
- Tips: Tips provide the best incentive to do your job well or to win over tough customers. Every night you leave with money, unlike most jobs where you only get paid every week or two. It’s very satisfying to count up your tips at the end of the night and walk out with a pocket full of cash.Â