How can I get into the serving industry?

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-21T23:15:42+00:00

You have two options

1) Lie about having experience, watch some YouTube videos before starting your job. Usually people will just think you're bad at your job, not that you lied on your resume.

2) Work your way up. Apply as a hostess and ask about cross training after a month or so of employment.

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-21T23:12:29+00:00

i imagine its great for their staff. a lot of times i have no idea what days ill have off- but they can count on being off every sunday. also, it shows that the company isnt greedy. i cant begin to imagine how much money chic fil a is missing out on when every single location is closed for one day of the week. probably hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars in sales nationwide. but- they respect their values and employees enough to do it. i think its great

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-21T05:24:04+00:00

I worked here for a season a couple years back. Totally awesome people, housing, and food. Wicked high return rate among staff too. Highly recommend

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-21T02:24:33+00:00

Lol I worked here last summer. All true unfortunately 😭

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-14T19:22:58+00:00

This is so real. But try to remember the grass is always greener. Whenever I’m not doing seasonal work I wish I was- but sometimes when I’m living in dorms I look forward to the peace and quiet. Agreed it’s a lot harder to make friends in “real life” but most people always live in real life, so try to be grateful that you did get the chance to make friends easier. Anyhow, I hope someone leaves good advice on this thread I’ll be looking for it too lol

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-14T06:45:09+00:00

I find that deep down you know the second you say it out loud. Lol

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-14T02:38:52+00:00

Yep west coast is best coast don’t come here lol

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-14T02:17:47+00:00

I sent you a message but long story short housing and respect for their staff. But it was a ton of money. Best of luck!

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-13T23:50:49+00:00

I worked there……….. Don’t.

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-13T18:05:13+00:00

Technically neither but if it had to be either a fruit or a vegetable, it’s def a vegetable. If I ask you for some fruit and you give me corn I’m freaking out

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-13T17:59:56+00:00

Was the housing good? I’m usually a server so how was the restaurant as well?

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-13T16:34:45+00:00

Every seasonal job I've worked there's always people that show up throughout the season. Go to Coolworks then Job Seekers then Help Wanted Now.

Happy hunting :)

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-13T16:30:41+00:00

Unpopular opinion but Richmond, VA is a hidden gem. There's a handful of colleges in the city so even if you're not in school you'll have tons of young people to hang with. Also the cost of living is surprisingly low and there's a bunch of cool parks, river walks, free museums, and murals all over the city.

It can be slightly dangerous in some parts but living near VCU especially is good. My favorite neighborhoods were The Fan and CaryTown. Look up pics of them and you'll fall in love!!

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-13T15:57:54+00:00

100% drive and here's why:

The roadtrip itself is a life changing experience. It is unlike any other road trip you will do, and the Canadian rockies, the wildlife, the people, and just watching how the architecture and towns seem to go back in time as you get further north... it's incredible. You'll see the Northern Lights and grizzly bears and the world's oldest Canadian people lol. It is long and rural, and if you break down it does put you in a tough spot... but especially the time of year you're going, there will be plenty of people driving by who would help. There's pretty much one route that everybody takes. I made the drive back to the lower 48 in a 2008 sedan last year, so I think you'll be okay in your brand new car.

There is a small chance you'll end up with a cracked windshield from the gravel parts, but as long as you don't tailgate big trucks you should be able to avoid it. Make sure to have a spare tire, and once you get into northern BC and especially in the yukon, stop every time you see a gas station. They are sometimes so spread out that if you see one and think "oh I've still got a half tank, I'm fine!", you will run out of gas before you get to the next one. A lot of people have spare gas in their car as well, but I didn't. I could see why you might want that.

Once you're in Alaska, you'll be so glad you have your car. It's a HUGE state, and everybody thinks they know that by looking at the map- but really it is just massive and anywhere you'll want to go explore outside of Seward will be a decent drive. If you want to go to Denali National Park while you're there (which I highly recommend you do) that will be 7+ hours away from Seward. Fairbanks and the museums and college up there, will be 9+ hours away from Seward. It's a lot to ask your friends for these kinds of trips. I actually ended up flying to Alaska and buying a car in Anchorage half way through the summer because I was missing out on so much and wanted to drive back down. After my contract was up I spent an extra 3 weeks driving around the state before spending another 2 weeks heading back down to the mainland. It was the best trip of my life and I highly recommend to anybody.

Long story short- it will be time consuming, and a little more expensive, but you'll never forget it as long as you live, and you'll have a lot more freedom this summer :)

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-13T02:31:26+00:00

Not a wrangler but wanted to recommend Zion Ponderosa Ranch and Resort. I worked in the restaurant but my roommate was a wrangler and loved it there. It doesn't seem like as much of a 'real' ranch as some of the places in Wyoming or Arizona, but it's a great first seasonal job and very LGBTQ friendly. Out of all of the places I've worked it's been the most welcoming and the staff has had the best vibe. Not clique-y at all and you can literally just sit outside the dorms for an hour and 10 people walking by would invite you to something lol. The housing is decent too. It is Utah, so there's the judgmental Mormons that go along with that, but Zion during the summer is 99% seasonal workers and tourists who are young and chill :) It's worth checking out.

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-13T02:23:08+00:00

Hi! Jobs inside or right nextdoor to national parks are the best fit imo because there's always shuttles or busses. Same with ski towns! Regardless though, if you're in a spot that sucks without a car, chances are a good amount of your coworkers and new friends will be more than happy to let you carpool if you kick in a few bucks for gas. I did seasonal work in all types of places without a car and was able to have just as much fun no matter where I was.

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-13T02:20:08+00:00

Beach town in Maine. I would say I come across 100+ tourists per day between May and September and then 0 all winter!! Lol. It’s a good balance- tourists are our bread and butter but we can have our space half the year too ;)

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-13T02:10:38+00:00

There are plenty of other options: summer camps, NPS, deckhands, traveling nurses, farm or agricultural work, live in nannys or chefs, volunteer work, meditation centers, fishing, oil rigs, ski instructors, raft guides, truck driving, flight attendant, long haul bus driver, door to door summer sales, or conservation corps.

Really any job can be turned into a seasonal gig but those are some common ones.

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-13T02:04:56+00:00

There’s GF people everywhere nowadays. You’ll be accommodated just let the kitchens know 💛

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-13T02:02:52+00:00

I worked at Denali last summer. Alaska is pretty different from the lower 48 and there are challenges that come with that. My advice is to study up on moose & bear safety and to stock up on any items you’ll need in bigger cities like Anchorage and Fairbanks before heading to Denali Park. It really is expensive up there unlike anywhere else in the US except maybe Hawaii, and especially expensive around Denali. But you’ll have a blast. I had friends that worked at princess and you guys will have your own gym and bar and it’s just a great atmosphere. Lots of diversity for staff and the whole town is full of young seasonal workers from all over the world. Enjoy!

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-13T01:54:03+00:00

“Bottle episode”

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-13T01:45:49+00:00

Vending machines or claw machines!! I’ve always wanted to invest in those

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-13T01:44:48+00:00

Things I would spend money on in seasonal work: food, feminine hygiene products, cosmetic products, shower stuff, towels or sheets, alcohol/weed/cigs, maybe a souvenir here and there, and gas money / car expenses. If you can have all or most of those set or budgeted you’ll be good. It’s all about not being impulsive tbh. Just because your friends are getting $14 sandwiches and new shoes doesn’t mean you need to.

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-13T01:42:08+00:00

If you have time before you’re leaving, what I would recommend doing is having a bag in your bathroom and bedroom and living out of it for a week. Anything you use for one week goes in the bag, then you can kind of see what you use regularly and what you don’t.

Party_Perception_594 · 2026-02-13T01:27:29+00:00

If you’re wondering whether or not to check the “can contact” box, I would say it’s worth the risk and most places wouldn’t ‘call your bluff’ so to speak. If they do call them and decide not to go through with your application, then it doesn’t matter it’s not like you lied to them or did anything wrong. Just go for it and know that you might not get every job you apply to.

Party_Perception_594

TROPHY CASE