As the school year winds down and students being to look forward to summer, many begin questioning themselves: do I need to get a job? While some high schoolers can look forward to a summer of relaxation on the beach, others begin to scramble to find a way to earn some dough over the course of the summer. As someone who has worked three different jobs at different intervals over the course of high school, I’m here to say there has always been a debate in the service industry- which is worse, working in retail or food and beverage? As someone who has done both, I’m here to set the record straight and try and help you decide if the service industry is the right job for you.

Retail

When many teens think of a retail job, they tend to think of either stocking shelves or working behind a register. I’m here to tell you that as a teen that is about all you will do when you work retail. My first real job was working at a hardware store the summer of freshman year, and later as a sales associate at West Marine from the summer of sophomore year to the end of my junior year. I know that certain stores will have different ways to work, but chances are if you work anywhere that sells retail goods then you will spend a majority of your time helping customers, stocking shelves, and working at the register. The benefits I found when working retail was that it was not very difficult work and the knowledge you can pick up while working at a certain store can be helpful. While working at West Marine I learned more about boats and the different things that come along with owning one, but I also found that retail work can be very boring when the store doesn’t have many customers that need help. When you are stuck standing behind a register for 7-8 hours a day without the ability to freely move around and do other things you will find yourself becoming easily bored. It can also be difficult to schedule out your week as it can be hard to have people take your shifts if plans suddenly come up. Depending on the place you work you can also find yourself in a difficult work environment.

Food and Beverage

Food and Beverage is similar to Retail in a few ways but also very different. After leaving West Marine due to a lack of scheduling I got a job at Gilligans Seafood Restaurant as a server, where I still work now. The benefits of food and beverage range depending on what position you work, whether it be a food runner, server, or host/hostess. As far as serving goes, one of the biggest benefits I found for serving is that you are hardly ever bored while on the job. There is almost always people coming in looking to get food which means you will find it difficult to not have anything to do. However, the downside to this kind of work is that most servers typically don’t get paid by the hour. They are normally paid a flat rate that cancels out after taxes and then their entire wage is dependent on tips from the customers. This can be both good and bad, as a server can be given an amazing tip from one table and then do the same thing for another table and only get paid $2 (this has happened to me). Additionally if there are no customers in the restaurant then servers can be sent home early with a lot less money than they expected. I’ve gone home from a 3 hour shift with $30 due to a lack of customers one day and then came home with $200 the next weekend. The spotty pay might seem like a deterrent but it truly doesn’t matter due to the abundance of shifts. Compared to retail, it is a lot easier for me to get my shift covered or pick up additional shifts when I want to work more. Additionally, I find it more enjoyable to be able to walk out each night with cash in hand versus waiting every two weeks to see my paycheck deposited in my bank account. The ability to walk out each night with my payment in my pocket gives me more satisfaction from the day.

The retail industry and food industry both have pros and cons. I personally recommend working food and beverage, but this comes with a warning- you will have to deal with a lot of people, and not everyone is going to be nice to you. This comes with working in the service industry though. If you prefer working in a more relaxed environment where you won’t have to work very hard then retail might be the right fit for you. If you prefer a quicker paced job with a decent amount of pressure and slightly better pay, then get a job as a server. Either way, the choice is up to you.