I vaguely recall a television commercial from the Eighties or Nineties where the classic Catch-22 problem is presented: how does one get a job without experience? And how does one get experience without a job?

As a parent of Covid teens, I was really concerned about the impact of the pandemic, because ages 15 to 18 are critical for gaining not just work, but also life experience. Thankfully, Philip Barnett and Kirstin Schwaegerl, of Island Restaurant Group, were keen to provide the kind of summer work opportunities that could help to make up for the previous summers lost.

The first question on the minds of many probably is, “How much money can a student earn in the hospitality industry?” Well, much to my surprise, the answer is “A great deal of money”. My sons earned enough to pay about 25 per cent of their university expenses.

Perhaps the second question is, “What exactly will these students do and learn?” To answer that question, I would reflect upon a question my sons asked me on the day before they headed off to university. The specific question was: “Do you think that our first summer job has changed us?” My reply was, “Don’t look to me for validation. What’s important is how do you think that you’ve changed?”

The answers they provided went far beyond the money they earned. In their own words, they learnt a great deal about themselves through the training by, and support of, others. To thank IRG management for the work opportunity, and to thank the Frog and Onion team for being highly supportive, I asked them to publish their experiences:

Marcello’s experience

During my summer work experience at Frog and Onion, I learnt about working with a team and working by myself. As a runner, I had to work under pressure to deliver food around the restaurant. I worked alongside the waiters and the bartenders to help bring out food orders for their customers. For an order to be ready to go to the customers, I would have to check that the dish matched the correct order for each table and get the condiments ready for each dish. I had to work quickly to get the plates out to the customers because new orders will need to be taken out as soon as possible.

Working as a runner helped me to learn a lot about myself. One skill I learnt is how I work under pressure. When it was busy, the waiters had less time to take out their own food orders. Therefore, they relied on me more to bring out orders for them. I noticed how I had to work harder and be more efficient when there were more customers in the restaurant.

Another thing I learnt about myself is how to work with a team. I had to adapt to working with people whom I hadn’t met before. This allowed me to see how well I can work with new people. I was also able to see how quickly I can pick up new skills because all the workers taught me how to be a better runner. Making new friends at the Frog and Onion helped me to realise that I was a likeable and valuable worker. Being respected by the team also confirmed that I was a reliable co-worker.

Overall, I gained great work experience at the Frog and Onion. I was fortunate to be welcomed to be part of their amazing team!

Armand’s experience

My first job at Frog and Onion was very good because of several new experiences that I encountered. This was my first job experience having to attend work on a fixed schedule. Following tasks given by my boss, and completing them in an efficient amount of time, was new to me. Unlike at home, not doing my work on time means that I could get fired.

Working in the restaurant industry meant that I must meet the needs of the customer as well as my boss. It was different every day. Some customers would be genuinely nice, and some would require extra effort to satisfy them. This experience gave me perspective of what working in the restaurant industry takes. It showed me that you need to be patient and understanding.

Another thing I got exposed to was “real stress” during busy work periods. At times such as this, I had to multitask by completing drink tickets while taking new customer orders. Even though I felt stressed, I couldn’t put the workload aside. Stopping would lead to customers being unhappy with delayed meals and drinks.

I can see how working in the restaurant industry can lead to workers being unhappy, but at Frog and Onion it was the complete opposite. All the workers were nice and made working there enjoyable. Even when the restaurant became busy, everybody would still be making jokes, and we would have a good atmosphere.

While working at Frog and Onion, I never felt alone. All the workers would greet you every day with a smile. At times my workload became challenging, but there would always be a co-worker to help me.

Overall, employment at Frog and Onion was a particularly enjoyable experience. I never dreaded a day going into work because the workers and managers were so welcoming. They made you feel noticed and appreciated while working there. Also, I got to understand a lot about the restaurant industry and what it takes to run a business in Bermuda.

• Bryant Trew can be contacted via e-mail at bryanttrew@mac.com