All too often, I see people overlooking the opportunities that exist in the restaurant industry. While employment in food service has frequently been viewed as temporary work or ideal only for teens and college students, the industry has much, much more to offer to people of all ages and stages of life.

Whether you are seeking temporary employment or a fulfilling and lucrative career, here are six reasons the restaurant industry can be the perfect fit.

1. Tremendous Growth and Advancement Opportunities.

It seems that almost everyone has worked in the restaurant industry at some point. In fact, studies show that half of all adults have done so at some point in their lives. Even celebrities have given it a try — Rachel McAdams worked at McDonalds, Madonna at Dunkin’ Donuts, and Jennifer Aniston and Mariah Carey reportedly started out as waitresses.

While not everyone has Hollywood aspirations, many employees simply want a position that offers plenty of opportunities for growth and advancement. Employees want to acquire new skills, hone existing ones, and hopefully earn some more money along the way.

Fortunately, restaurants naturally cater to career paths. Research by the National Restaurant Association found that 80 percent of restaurant owners and 90 percent of restaurant managers started as entry-level employees. People — very early in their careers — are given the opportunity to lead their own teams and operate multimillion dollar businesses. Plus, there are offshoots of the business, such as marketing, accounting, purchasing, HR, and IT, that provide advancement opportunities as well.

2. Not the Traditional 9 to 5.

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Carrie Luxem

Restaurant HR Group