What do Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Today Extra‘s Sylvia Jeffreys, and Paralympic gold medallist Tristan Knowles have in common?
They all started their careers at Macca’s, as have 1.6 million other Australians.
That’s about one in every 12 Aussies and according to recruiters, many businesses specifically want to hire Aussies with experience at Macca’s.
LIVE UPDATES: Hunt for accused cop killer enters third day
New research commissioned by the restaurant chain itself claims almost 90 per cent of recruiters agree working under the golden arches sets Aussie up for success.
Another 80 per cent said skills workers learn on the job – like teamwork, communication, and customer service – are transferable to any workplace.
We asked recruiters not associated with the Macca’s survey if they agreed that experience in the service industry is a key indicator.
Chief executive Asia Pacific of Hays, Matthew Dickason, told 9news that data and direct experience from Hays staff supports Macca’s claims.
“Our head of delivery’s daughter has worked at McDonald’s for four years, and the resilience she’s developed dealing with the public has been remarkable,” he told 9news.
“When you can handle a frustrated adult berating you over a broken ice cream machine at 15 years old, you develop exceptional emotional intelligence and professional composure that translates directly to client-facing roles and navigating modern work environments.”
The Hays Skills Report shows that 50 per cent of Australian employers now plan to hire people with entirely new skill sets and 92 per cent are focused on upskilling staff.
That shift, in response to ongoing skills shortages, means transferrable skills picked up on the job at Macca’s may be more attractive than ever.
“The key insight for employers is not to dismiss any service industry experience,” Dickason said.
Senior director at Robert Walters Melbourne Rose Guise agreed that employers in almost every sector want to hire candidates who can handle pressure, meet deadlines, and work effectively in a team.
“And those are exactly the qualities that McDonald’s employees develop,” she told 9news.
While recruiters at Robert Walters “don’t specifically seek out candidates” with Macca’s experience, Guise confirmed it’s looked upon favourably even when compared to other fast food jobs.
“McDonald’s has one of the strongest reputations due to its global consistency and structured training model,” Guise said.
“Other places like KFC, Domino’s, or Subway still reflect well, but they don’t always carry the same instant credibility.”
READ MORE: School mourns ‘talented’ year 7 student killed in bus crash
Associate director at Robert Half, Emma Sestic, said how useful having Macca’s experience on your CV is will also depend on the role and industry you’re applying for.
It can be great for entry-level roles in business support and customer service but not all employers view it as directly relevant.
“In more technical or specialised fields like finance or IT, employers mostly prioritise industry-specific experience over general soft skills,” she told 9news .
“Still, it can show strong work ethic and adaptability.”
So while there are some caveats, it looks like working at McDonald’s really can set Australians up for great careers.
That may come as no surprise to the millions of Aussies who have worked at Macca’s.
More than nine in 10 alumni surveyed by McDonald’s believe working there sets people up for success.
Eight in 10 parents also believe it’s a great place to have your first job.
Brad McMullen started working at a Macca’s restaurant on the NSW central coast when he was just 15 and is still with the company years later, now as McDonald’s Australia chief restaurant officer.
“The training I got from that first time in the restaurant, all those sorts of fundamental skills, they set you up for business,” he told 9news.
READ MORE: Teenager stabbed to death at Sydney bus terminal in ‘callous, vicious’ attack
McMullen even attended Hamburger University, which he confirmed is a real thing.
Available in eight countries around the world, Hamburger University is where prospective McDonald’s restaurant managers receive their training.
It’s just one of the employee training avenues McDonald’s spends more than $60 million on every year.
“We take our responsibility as one of the biggest employers of young people in Australia really seriously, and we’re really proud of that,” McMullen said.
More than 100,000 Aussies currently work at McDonalds, from teenagers starting their first job to former corporate workers in their 60s who want something different before they retire.
Today McDonalds has launched a new campaign titled ‘1 in 12’ celebrating the 1.6 million Aussies who have worked under the golden arches since it opened Down Under in 1971.
DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
