When working at a place like Chick-fil-A, you are in the limelight of the fast-food industry.
This is a restaurant most famous for selling fried chicken, but not being able to spell correctly.
However, there are opportunities for career advancement.
In fact, the company may even pay for your college education.
Before you sign that dotted line, learn more about what it is like to work for Chick-fil-A with these pros and cons.
Table of Contents
Pros of Working at Chick-fil-A
1. Free Food on the Clock
The workers at Chick-fil-A get something that we all want–free food.
However, you have to be clocked in so you can enjoy the discounts made available to workers.
Considering how much Chick-fil-A costs in regard to other fast-food restaurants, this is a huge perk.
You are able to save so much money and still eat that fried fast food goodness of your dreams.
Clucky you!
2. Get a Uniform with a Logo
Do you feel pride when working for Chick-fil-A?
For those employees who have Chick-fil-A uniforms, there is the ability to sport that love for this restaurant.
You get the logo on your hat and clothes that tell everyone you work for Chick-fil-A.
Fun times!
Plus, with a uniform, you do not have to wear your street clothes.
That saves you from going home smelling like a bucket of fried chicken wings.
3. Plenty of Opportunities
When you work at Chick-fil-A, which is based in Atlanta, Georgia, you can work as far as Tacoma, Washington.
There is a new Chick-fil-A store opening all the time, coast to coast, in the US.
This means you can move and work from most states while still being employed by Chick-fil-A.
Free yourself up to travel and work from any state when you are an employee at this chicken chain.
4. Latest Happenings
You are in the middle of everything Chick-fil-A when you are working for this company.
Want to know what is going on with the latest food offerings?
Work for them and find out for yourself.
You will be serving up the coolest and trendiest foods at Chick-fil-A to all of your friends and family.
They will come to you for free food when you are working thanks to your discounts.
This adds up to make you a pretty cool person when you are employed by Chick-fil-A.
5. They Pay for College
And will help you get established in a college lifestyle if you want to get a postsecondary degree.
You get support and financial perks like chances to win scholarship money by working at Chick-fil-A.
In fact, “Chick-fil-A offers all 120,000 team members, including scholarship recipients, access to tuition discounts of up to 30 percent and other educational benefits at 100 colleges and universities across the country,” according to Chick-fil-A.
This is a great opportunity for young people who are not ready to go off to college.
6. No Degree Required
At the same time, you do not need a college degree in order to work for Chick-fil-A.
This is a job that has menial tasks that are not high level.
It makes for the perfect place to be when going to college where your brain is full of facts and test dates.
You can go to school, learn and expand your brain matter, and still work at Chick-fil-A.
7. Great Reputation
In terms of fast-food restaurants, Chick-fil-A has a great reputation among the general masses.
People are willing to pay a premium for the experience of sitting in a long drive-thru lane and having your order taken by an actual person.
You will not get the same experience at Checkers, McDonald’s, or Taco Bell, for example.
If you want to work for a place that will rub off on you, then Chick-fil-A stands to provide you with a value-added employer to add to your resume.
Cons of Working at Chick-fil-A
1. It is a Fast Food Establishment
Do you like eating fast food?
If not, then working for a fast-food chain is going to be difficult.
This is a fast-food restaurant, after all, and along with McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King, the place has a stigma.
Again, back to reputation, you want to work at places that will boost your own credentials.
As for fast food restaurants, most of these are not the best fit for a resume, but Chick-fil-A stands out! It has to do with the tuition assistance, which is a social benefit for the workers here.
Yet, you will still have “Chick-fil-A” on your resume.
Do you want your future employers to see that or some more prestigious employer?
Exactly.
2. They Sell Meat Products
If you are a vegetarian or vegan, then you most likely will struggle with working at Chick-fil-A.
Here, you are surrounded by signs of cows and meals of chicken.
There are foods made from animals everywhere.
You are not required to eat them, but you will be a chicken hawker who slings meat out of the window.
This is not kosher for most vegans, and many vegetarians would be appalled.
3. Low Wages
The biggest boon of working in fast food is that this is a low-wage position.
As there is no barrier to entry in terms of education, you do not need any specialized training.
That lowers the value of the skills needed to work at Chick-fil-A, which also lowers the value that you get when it comes to payday.
While the company offers discounts on tuition and other benefits, the wages are still fast-food wages.
Expect to earn minimum wage at best.
Managers will make more money, but it takes a lot of work to move up in this role.
4. Lack of Control Over Job
When you are a cashier at Chick-fil-A or someone running the frying station, you are told what to do by someone else.
There will be a manager or three above you at all times.
This can be difficult for individuals who are “their own boss.”
However, if you are someone who wants to fly under the radar and avoid being the fall guy, this is a great job.
Just know you are not the leader unless they hire you as a manager.
5. Constant Smell of Fried Chicken
As someone who worked in restaurants for over a decade, I appreciate not smelling like food.
That is the big issue for someone working at Chick-fil-A; they end up smelling the food all the time.
You have nostrils, you know, and when working around food all day, you no longer smell anything but that food.
If you love Chick-fil-A food, this might be a great way to overdo it so you wean yourself off the habit.
6. Customers are Reckless
Dealing with the general public is tough.
When you work in a fast-food joint like Chick-fil-A, you are seeing hundreds of people every day.
This increases the likelihood that you will encounter one or a ton of people who are just not nice.
It goes with the territory of serving cheap fried food.
Having to put up with their demands can be difficult.
You must be a people person who enjoys working with others to be good at your job.
7. It Is Too Busy
The busiest fast food restaurant in my town is Chick-fil-A.
I do not know how they do it, but there are three of these places local and they always have cars lined out to the road waiting for their food.
I live in Washington, and I moved from Georgia, where I waited many times to get my food at Chick-fil-A.
They are always busy no matter where you go to eat at this restaurant.
For someone working at Chick-fil-A, this has to be a bummer.
You never get a break!
Pros and Cons of Working at Chick-fil-A – Summary Table
| Pros of Working at Chick-fil-A | Cons of Working at Chick-fil-A |
|---|---|
| 1. Free Food on the Clock | 1. It is a Fast Food Establishment |
| 2. Get a Uniform with a Logo | 2. They Sell Meat Products |
| 3. Plenty of Opportunities | 3. Low Wages |
| 4. Latest Happenings | 4. Lack of Control Over Job |
| 5. They Pay for College | 5. Constant Smell of Fried Chicken |
| 6. No Degree Required | 6. Customers are Reckless |
| 7. Great Reputation | 7. It Is Too Busy |
Should You Work at Chick-fil-A?
If you want to work in an entry-level position that is easy to get into, apply to Chick-fil-A.
You do not need a college education, but the company will help you pay for your degree if you pursue postsecondary training.
This is a huge reason why younger people flock to Chick-fil-A for a job.
The restaurant chain is also super busy and popular, which increases the likelihood you can work for this company nationwide.
If you do not have any training or experience and are not a college graduate, consider a job at Chick-fil-A before other fast food establishments.
You stand to make more money through benefits, such as tuition reimbursements, as well as the preferred fast food of the younger generation.
