26 People Share Good Habits They Picked Up From Having Lousy Jobs

In general, finding a job is not an easy endeavor, but it's especially difficult when you're fresh out of college because employers often require extensive experience, or they'll send you directly to an internship program. And, frankly, it doesn't get much easier later.

That's why we tend to hold on to lousy jobs even when we curse every day we have to show up there. Simply put, we are afraid of going on another job hunt.

Hey, but it is not a big deal - we've all had our share of lousy jobs when starting out, and it is actually a good thing.

Why is it a good thing? Well, it teaches you a lot about the real world and how you should interact with people.

When Reddit user allycakes asked Redditors, “How has having a s****y job changed how you act?” most respondents shared that they mostly just try to be as kind and helpful as they can to certain employees so they'll feel better that day. We have selected some of the most interesting answers, and they may help you better understand some people, and maybe even treat them better.

So, are you ready to dive into the matter? Let's go:

1. Manager likes

Since I've run bookstores in the past, I tend to reorder the shelves at my local Barneys & Ignoble. I once spent two hours organizing their history section. A manager came over, asked what I was doing, checked my work, walked away, then came back with a job application and a free drink from their café.anon,Martin Cathrae

2. Calm and polite when ordering fast food

Because I worked in fast food when I was younger, I'm always polite and calm when ordering food. Even if they are seriously messing up, and I'm in a terrible mood, I make sure to stay calm and polite.

anon,David Stanley

3. Clean the food

I clean up my food after I'm done watching a movie.

AcheronRed,Bennilover

4. Be nice

I used to work in customer service, so I'm always kind and patient with customer service personnel, even the ones at the DMV. If you're nice to them, most of the time they'll be nice to you!jonesie1988,Micah Sittig

5. Single parent

It wasn't a s****y job, but I raised my three-year-old daughter by myself for four years. As a '70s guy, I learned to cook good food, clean a house properly, buy children's sizes, and even braid hair.I also appreciate how hard it is to be a single mom...vihrea,Tony Alter

6. The shopping carts

Not that I ever did this, but after working in a grocery store, I'm always extra diligent about returning the shopping carts to the correct place.

HawkeyeFan321,Polycart

7. The house number

As a delivery driver, I now make sure that my house number is clearly legible from the street.

abow,Mike Linksvayer

8. Tips

I used to deliver pizzas. I can't tell you how bad it is to deliver a pizza to a huge house for a well-off family in either 100-degree heat in a car with no AC or in the pouring rain (summer job) and then receive a 50-cent tip. So now I always try to round the bill up to the next 5 or 10 dollars when I order delivery.CenturionGMU,Michael Coghlan

9. Check the working hours before going to a restaurant

I used to work as a dishwasher in a restaurant, so now I always check what time a place closes before going in to eat. If it's less than, say, 30 minutes, I find another place.

anon,Jeremie Dela Rosa

10. How are you?

I worked at a Wendy's for three years, and now whenever I go through a drive-thru, I always ask how the employee is doing. It always threw me for a loop when someone would ask how my night was going; it was so rare, but it pumped me up for the rest of my shift every time.

tokyovalley,Mike Mozart

11. Once a bartender...

When I'm out drinking, I always take the empty glasses and bottles from my table and the surrounding tables up to the bar. Once a bartender, always a bartender.Jazbad,Lee Haywood

12. Tip the maids

Every time I leave a hotel, I strip the beds, fold the toilet paper into a triangle, put the used towels into a pile, and leave a tip for the maid because I used to be a maid, and I know how much it sucks.

allycakes,Mace Ojala

13. Clean after your kids

I used to wait tables. Parents would bring in kids aged three and under, and eight out of ten times, the floor would be a mess. I totally get that kids are messy; I see no issue there, but just leaving it? For me to clean up?! After asking for 87 napkins?!When I go to restaurants with my kids, I get on my hands and knees and clean that mess up. I'm usually asked not to, but I don't care. MY kid did that. If I ever do give in and not clean it up, the server gets a greater tip.aweebitevil,Eric Chan

14. Restaurant etiquette

Well, obviously I tip since I worked jobs that depended on tips: valet, bellhop. But I often find myself trying to be organized and punctual when ordering at a restaurant, even though I never worked with waitstaff. Like, I know what I'm going to order before the waiter shows up, including sides and dressing.Note to restaurants: list the dressings for salads on the menu, and we'll all order more quickly if we don't make the waitstaff name salad dressings for EVERY SINGLE patron. Ditto beers on tap.stupidnickname,Lou Stejskal

15. Just one trip for the server

I still serve, and no matter how awful the food is, I would never take it out on the server. I also make sure that if I need something, I ask everyone at the table what they need too, so we can ask all at once, so the server doesn't have to make 15 trips.

Hinchburglar,Kurman Communications, Inc

16. Online surveys - do them!

If there's a URL for a survey on my receipt, I try to make sure I catch the name of the person serving me at the counter. When I worked retail, we received $10 anytime someone mentioned us by name in an online survey.

secretplan,gauge opinion

17. Tell the manager about the good customer service you got

If I receive good customer service, I ask for a manager to tell them what a great job the employee did for me. I even ask to be transferred when dealing over the phone with customer service agents to their manager.I had one person do that for me when I helped them while I worked in a call center. While it didn't give me a raise, it gave me a name in the faceless floor of 200 or so that I was working on.It made me feel like I actually helped someone instead of just being a punching bag for them.YakCat,Media Club

18. Help the staff

At restaurants, I always help stack the dishes with all the food on the top plate. Washing dishes is not fun.

anon,Jen Russo

19. Say "thank you"

I used to be a server. Now I look them in the eyes, say thank you, and tip well.

anon,ella

20. Bag your groceries

After working three years in a grocery store, I bag my own groceries.

politicaldan,Beau B

21. Napkins

Don't put napkins in your F*****G glasses!

DAHENNERZZ,ttarasiuk

22. Food in movie theaters

I used to work at movie theater concessions. I no longer buy food from the movie theaters.CherrySlurpee,Bennilover

23. Prepare your cash

I now always have my money ready for the cashier before they announce my total. They (at least where I work) try to go fast, and it's an odd pace to maintain.

JYehsian,Myrtle Beach TheDigitel

24. Drama teacher

As a drama teacher for kids aged 4-16, I'm considering tying my tubes and am determined never to have my own, because of the kids I've encountered, but mostly due to the parents, who will often offload onto me while I'm waiting for them to get their coats.Turns out one of the boys doesn't know his *real* dad works at his mum's office. Oh, and the mother of triplets still cries because she never wanted more than one; now she has four (including their brother). Can't. Deal.Melivora,Lisa Stevens

25. Floor workers don't know everything

I work in retail, stocking shelves and helping customers. I have learned that just because they have a badge, they do not know *everything* about every product in the store, especially items outside of their normal section (for example, half of the K-Mart where I work is apparel; I have *no idea* where any specific type of clothing is, and if you ask me, I'll point in the general direction and say, "that way"). Also, unless the store is brilliantly organized with its extra stock, checking 'out the back' for something is really annoying and time-consuming, and the majority of the time, if it's not on the shelf, there's none out back (at least where I work; we're pretty good at keeping our shelves stocked). So now I'm always super polite (which I was beforehand anyway). If I ask someone where something is and they're not sure because they don't work in that section, I'll just thank them anyway and keep looking, and I don't bother asking for them to check out back unless I urgently need it.TL;DR: Floor workers in retail stores *do not* have omniscient knowledge of all stock in their store.Giant-Midget,JJBers

26. Sending back food

I used to cook chicken wings in a bar. I never send back food unless it's inedible.

tcorio,stu_spivack

We guess it’s safe to say that those entitled and obnoxious customers (and people in general) have never worked a day in the retail or service industry. If they had, they would treat people with a lot more respect.

Maybe that’s the answer to all problems in the world: mandatory retail duty for everyone.

Don’t look at us that way - Congress has passed laws much weirder than our suggestion. And, unfortunately, is still doing it.