Kira Matthews’ Post

It was supposed to be beer money. But working at Tesco shaped so much of my career. I was just out of art college with a shiny certificate and a lovingly prepared portfolio to my name. The greatest 3 years of my life all wrapped up in a leather zip-up case. People weren’t exactly throwing pound notes at my feet as a fresh-faced student with no work experience so I did what all degree-level students do with their hard-earned qualifications… Get a job in the supermarket. With no intention of sticking around longer than I had to, but with an inherent belief that if you’re doing something you may as well do it well… I got to stacking those tatties. It was tiring, laborious work that certainly allowed me to tell people I was now working out but despite the dull nature of the daily tasks, it taught me something all young people should really benefit from. How. To. Graft. The money was rubbish. The hours were rubbish. The customers were…. Throughout my career, I’ve often looked back on my time in the fruit & veg aisles and credited it with my continued resilience and work ethic. Did I want to work with the general public in supermarket mode forever? No. I won’t even dress that up. Did that experience teach me more than all my years in education about how to succeed in business? You bet it did. How did your early experiences shape your career?

Between college semesters, I worked for McDonald's, and boy, did I learn a lot. Four weeks of "How can I help you?" and "Thank you for your order." According to McDonald's, an estimated one in eight Americans have worked at a McDonald's restaurant at some point in their lives. McDonald's hires more people than any other American organization, public or private, annually hiring about 1 million people. I was one of them. I learned how to run a cash register, make change, and greet people with a pleasant attitude. The position was not a career, but I remember the lessons, many of which are etched into my character. 1. Treat people with respect, and they will treat you respectfully. 2. Do your best - no matter the role. 3. Patience and self-control with those who are struggling. 4. Calm under pressure. 5. Money matters. Handle the tilt with respect. I had many jobs while going through high school and college, and each offered its unique perspective. Today, the skills I learned in public-facing jobs are gold. What were the jobs you had, and what did you learn? Drop them in the comments below. I'd love to hear about them! I love you all.

We all remember our first jobs. For many of us, it was working at a fast food restaurant, retail store, or some other service industry gig. At the time, we probably thought it was just a way to make some extra cash and not much more. But in hindsight, those first jobs taught us invaluable lessons that have stuck with us throughout our careers. My first job was at McDonald's. While it may not have seemed glamorous, my time there taught me the power of systems, processes, and standard operating procedures. McDonald's had a detailed SOP for everything, from taking orders, cooking fries, assembling burgers, even cleaning the bathrooms. These SOPs ensured quality control, allowed new employees to get up to speed quickly, and enabled the restaurants to run efficiently at scale. The importance of standardized, optimized processes was ingrained in me during my time at McDonald's. I've carried these lessons with me throughout my career. In every role I've had in my professional career, I've used these skills to look for ways to streamline operations, helping companies reduce costs, drive efficiency, and improve quality, ensuring employees were working cohesively, and business control were in place. I've built my career off of standardizing, optimizing and digitizing processes and its all because of that first job. So don't underestimate what you can learn from even the most basic first job. The fundamentals of process excellence, teamwork, customer service, and operational efficiency translate across all industries. We all have to start somewhere, and those first jobs shape who we become as professionals. https://lnkd.in/gwfrRzhE

My open letter to McDonald's Australia Hey Macca’s! You’re no longer the training ground to make great young people ready for the workforce (& life!), post school. Do you remember growing up your stores were always a great place for teenagers to learn how to work as a team, under-pressure, be a leader and make fast decisions on the fly using their own brain? And if you didn’t yet know how to assess situations and make decisions you’d have a great manager to teach you! Not to mention the skills to talk & engage with customers and provide great service skills. It was always such a great place to have on one’s resume! And encouraged by career advisers, teachers and potential employers. I’ve been watching over the last year or so walking into McDonalds at various locations. It’s now soulless, extremely automated and not the hive of activity it once was. I would say I am a loyal customer, love the food and it always feels so sad walking into a restaurant now. While the automation is fine and even great from a business point of view, being highly automated and systemised its not the training ground that it once was for young people. I do say this knowing you have a future leaders program etc. The issues I have mentioned has also ripped the soul out of each store I’ve been to and therefore the customer experience. I make these comments based on the following observations: There is no longer a sense of urgency to anything and staff just follow the bouncy ball (the system). Staff no longer need to really engage with customers other than calling out a number and you’re lucky if you get eye contact. It appears that there is no longer a need to even think as the system and process does that for staff. There is no longer a sense of a good manager making the store and workers hum along with a sense of teamwork. Many stores are also now filthy most of the time as there isn’t a sense of leadership to get staff members to think to about cleaning tables and picking up after lazy customers. All of this is anecdotal based on experiences over the last year or so. I’m not trying to sound like an old person having a whinge but I’ve accepted that it’s just now a highly automated non-personal experience like many things in our world. I’d be happy to be proved wrong. I would no longer recommend McDonalds for a young person to work as their first job. I’d suggest places like Bunnings or nursery’s that require a bit of self autonomy and thought under good leadership. From a long-term and loyal customer, Glen P.s. the McOz was always the best burger and what’s with the size of McFlurry’s shrinking?!? It’s now just a Sundae with m&m’s as we are mixing them ourselves and have for many years. Cc Antoni Martinez

My first real contact with the retail world happened at 16 years old, when I started my first job at McDonald’s. Looking back, it was an incredible learning experience that gave me much more than just my first paychecks, but also it laid the foundation for my entire career. At McDonald’s, I learned essential concepts such as purchase orders, receiving, transactions, etc which were my first exposure to the operations behind a business. I also gained valuable insights into the importance of structured methodologies and teamwork, lessons I carry with me to this day in my professional life. This experience taught me how important it is to focus on efficiency, precision, and customer satisfaction, no matter the role. It’s amazing how the skills and values I learned back then still play a big part in how I approach challenges and opportunities today. How did your first job shape your professional journey? #RetailJourney #FirstJob #LessonsLearned #ProfessionalGrowth #CareerStart

A few takeaways from someone who has worked 75% of his life at McDonalds: ✔ When making career decisions, choose to do what you enjoy doing ✔ Being recognized for your work is a good sign you are on the right path ✔ Showing loyalty to your employer demonstrates your character

Balancing Two Jobs: One Week and Two Days In I'm proud to share that I’ve completed one week and two days in my new Tuesday-Friday night role as a Tesco colleague at Tesco.com, alongside my Monday-Friday day role as a FLS Operative at Broxbourne Environmental Services Trading. It’s going as well as I had planned, and while some may think it’s crazy, I’m here to say it can be done—with the right approach. Here’s how I make it work: 1. Be realistic. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Assess your situation: How far are the jobs from home? How long will commutes take? Can you commit without compromising your well-being? 2. Prioritise sleep. Sleep is non-negotiable. Without it, burnout is inevitable. I schedule enough rest each day and even incorporate power naps to recharge. 3. Adopt a positive mindset. A “can-do” attitude is essential. Doubt yourself, and you’ve already failed. Trust your abilities, and you'll surprise yourself with what you can achieve. 4. Leverage supportive leadership. Both of my jobs have excellent management teams that provide encouragement and make the work environment productive and inspiring. What excites me about my Tesco role is that it pushes me out of my comfort zone. Everyone there is more experienced, and every shift feels like a challenge to improve and bring my A-game. My colleagues inspire me to grow, which is something I’ve truly missed. With my Tesco contract running until 18th January 2025, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a full-time opportunity when the festive period ends. If not, I’ll explore new options for a second role, confident in the skills and resilience I’m building. I hope this journey inspires someone else to pursue their goals, no matter how challenging. My golden rule? Always give 100% and never quit—you never know who you’re inspiring. #Motivation #WorkEthic #PersonalGrowth #CareerJourney #Resilience #TimeManagement #Inspiration #TescoLife #DoubleShiftLife

This is the exact drive through window I worked in Grand Rapids. I learned a lot working at McDonald's. It was a morning job during the summer while in college. I was the drive-thru person who took your order and payment (all cash back then). It's a job I think every American should be required to have early in their career. It would teach hospitality, customer service, problem solving and patience. What was the most impactful for me? Learning the 4 step process to mastery within the McDonald's system and how it applies to everything in life, even being a husband and father. Step 1: Watch someone else make fries and have them talk through what they're doing and why. Step 2: I make fries and explain what I'm doing while the person who showed me watches and guides. Step 3: I am approved on fry and can make them without supervision. Step 4: I teach the new person how to make fries by explaining what I'm doing and why. I've since been able to take this process and become a better photographer, business owner, husband and father. The last two, being a husband and dad, while working at McDonald's way back when, seemed so unrelated. But I've realized that observing other husbands and dads who are further along in the journey has tremendous value. I can ask questions. They can provide answers. I can adjust and learn in real time. Just like making fries for the first time. #grandrapids #summerjobs

While working at Starbucks I’ve learned so many things. Like making good customer connections, teamwork and time management. These things are very good things, that will benefit me in the future. I would be very pleased if I were the manager because I work very well. Three goals I would have for the spring semester would be work more, save more and plan more. Which will help me in saving money for my future plans. There are many ways I can go above and beyond in the spring semester at my Job. One way is communicating more with my co-workers. The second way is to make challenges for myself to overcome. The third thing is try new ways in doing things like making drinks for customers. These things can help me in doing as much as I can for my job and coworkers. #cherokeewbl #georgiawblworks

23 Years ago, I started my first job at Southport Macca's on the Gold Coast 🍔 . I still think it was the most important and enjoyable jobs I ever had. I was so proud to don my clip-on tie and brimmed cap. 😍 Here are three things McDonald's taught me that I still apply to my career today: Customer Service is king: Working at McDonald's taught me the value of providing exceptional customer service. Teamwork and Collaboration: McDonald's is all about teamwork, and I learned firsthand the importance of working together towards a common goal. Time Management and Prioritisation: Juggling tasks in a fast-paced environment taught me how to manage my time effectively and prioritise tasks based on urgency.