Joshua Nichols

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT JOSHUA NICHOLS

The best job I’ve ever had was at my local McDonald’s, where I worked for 3 years in high school. Looking back, I learned so much about myself and the workforce. I worked with people from all walks of life- college students putting themselves through school, single parents trying to make ends meet, retired professionals tired of sitting at home, and my fellow high school classmates. What I loved about McDonald’s is that while my colleagues and I were all very different, we all shared a few common experiences: wearing that bright red uniform shirt, starting training on the fry maker, stressing out on the burger assembly table, and stretching the truth about the state of our ice cream machine. I learned that while we were all different, when we were at work, we had a common goal and we worked as a team to reach that goal. I gained a ton of respect for fast food workers, learned face-to-face customer service and communication skills, dealt with high-stress situations, and strengthened my leadership skills through promotions. The lessons I learned and experiences I had at my local McDonald’s followed me through my undergraduate and graduate studies and continue to guide my mindset when thinking of customer experience today in my professional role. Who knew my first job would leave such a lasting impression on me.