What If My Only Experience Is Waiting Tables?

Applying for jobs with nothing but restaurant experience? You’re not alone. And you’re not behind.

In this episode of Next Gen Biz, Natasha Navarro Gundersen takes on the myth that only corporate internships count. From 12-hour shifts and customer meltdowns to managing pressure with grace, working in hospitality builds real skills. The question is: do we know how to talk about them?

If you’ve ever felt overlooked or underestimated in the job market, this one’s for you. For many students, the only work experience they’ve had is in the restaurant industry and in a job market obsessed with LinkedIn-perfect résumés and unpaid internships, that can feel like a disadvantage. But should it?

In this episode, Natasha breaks down how service jobs are not only valid experience but often teach the most transferable skills: emotional intelligence, crisis management, adaptability, and communication. She reflects on why the job market feels increasingly impossible for young people and how we can reframe “ordinary” jobs as extraordinary preparation.

Perfect for students, first-time job seekers, and anyone who’s tired of being told they’re not enough.