Climbing The Golden Arches Analysis

“Climbing The Golden Arches” is an essay written by Marissa Nuñez published originally in New Youth Connections, republished in The Norton Sampler. The main idea of this essay is that although the road to a successful career is fraught with hardships, it can be overcome with hard work and determination.

At the beginning of the essay, Nuñez describes a scene in which she and her cousin went to eat at McDonald’s and decided to try out for a job there out of curiosity. They filed their applications and about a month later had their job interviews in which both passed. The author was initially surprised to receive the job but that turned into happiness when she realized that she no longer would have to depend on her mother for money anymore. …show more content…
The author started on fried products which include chicken nuggets, chicken sandwiches and Filet-o-Fish. Then she moved to the grill where the burgers are cooked and also learned to work the assembly table where the condiments are put on the sandwiches. After learning the French fry station, the final task was to learn to work the register. Doing all these jobs and gaining practice took Nuñez a month. It is safe to say that this was not a cakewalk for her, especially the part where she had to learn to work the grill area which she did not like, but it did not deter her determination and after putting in extra effort, she was finally able to do it perfectly. After every six months, the job performance is reviewed and the ones excelling that get a raise or a promotion. Nuñez was promoted to a crew trainer who was in charge of showing the ropes to the new recruits. About one and a half years later, because of exceptional job performance at all the stations, Nuñez was promoted to a manager-trainee. Having earned two years of experience, the author is attending a class, taking an exam and working under the guidance of the manager and supervisor to become a certified manager …show more content…
The most important thing Nuñez took from her job was that no matter how big or small the job is, it has to be performed seriously and with utmost dedication to reach the top. The author became independent and enjoyed the feeling that she could buy whatever she wanted without asking her mother for money. She has improved her social skills and has learned how to have patience and keep her emotions under check. Nuñez believes that these attributes will play a pivotal role in the success of her own business when she wants to start