'I never have to drag myself out of bed': How a part-time job at McDonald's turned into a career

“IF YOU GAVE me the chance to stand at a drive-thru window, I’d stay there all day chatting to customers.”

Like many teenagers, Elaine Sterio wanted to find a job to support her during her studies. When a friend told her that McDonald’s on Grafton Street was hiring, Elaine applied for a part-time job as a crew member.

That was in 1989 – and, 31 years later, she’s still with the company. 

“I got an interview, got hired and started working part-time,” says Elaine. “By the time I finished studying, I went full-time.”

“I started out working as a crew member. It’s a really sociable job, as you can imagine, and it was an instant new social outlet. The people you work with are similar to you.”

Tessy Tracey, who has been working at McDonald’s for an impressive 39 years, tells a similar story as part of the Made at McDonald’s campaign: “It was just after my debs and I didn’t know what I wanted. A girl down the road from where I lived was working at McDonald’s, so I said I’d see what it was like.”

“Now I’m 55, still working there and, excuse the pun, I’m still lovin’ it,” she says. 

A little encouragement goes a long way

Not many people can say they joined a company as teenagers and are still there over 30 years later, so how did it happen for these two women?

“All I wanted was to go in, do my job and that was it,” says Tessy. “I was at the O’Connell Street branch for 25 years, O’Connell Bridge for two years, I spent a year at Grafton Street and then moved to Northside.”

Tessy Tracey, General Manager at nine McDonald's restaurants. McDonald's McDonald's

“But the franchisees at Northside saw something in me and encouraged me to become a General Manager.”

“I said ‘no way’, but I was talking to my husband and daughter and they said I should go for it,” she says.

Tessy is now the General Manager of nine restaurants around Dublin.

I’d always doubt myself, but through the years I’ve been able to progress and that has given me so many skills and so much confidence. Now it’s my greatest strength.

It was this same level of encouragement from management that progressed Elaine’s career at McDonald’s too. “I would have never put myself forward for more senior roles or positions, but my manager could see what I was capable of doing and encouraged me to put myself forward,” she says.

“Over the years, I went from Crew Trainer to Floor Trainer, to Salary Manager, to Business Manager in 1994. There weren’t even 20 McDonald’s restaurants in Ireland then. Seeing that growth almost feels like you were part of building a family business.”

And some growth it was. Today, McDonald’s has been operating in Ireland for 42 years, has 95 restaurants, and employs almost 6,000 people across its head office and restaurants across the country. 

Room for change

After progressing to the role of Field Consultant, Elaine was due to go on maternity leave. “When I came back, my manager said, ‘you could be a franchisee’, and the timing was just lucky for me,” she explains.

Elaine Sterio at McDonald's Drogheda. McDonald's McDonald's

Today, Elaine is a franchisee and owner of five McDonald’s branches in the north east of the country. “To be a franchisee, you have to have a broad skill set and be able to adapt to your surroundings. I’ve skills in human resources, in business control, profit and loss. I work with different groups across the business, I know about the supply chain, logistics, finance. On the ground, there’s a lot of problem-solving – including things like plumbing and electrics. You’ve to put all of your skills together to be an owner,” she says.

“There’s an old McDonald’s quote, ‘we’re a people business that serves hamburgers’, and I love it. I’ve over 300 employees now and I know all of them. I interview all of them and get to see them grow and achieve what they want. That’s what I like.” 

If you love what you do…

For General Manager Tessy, every day at work is different – but her favourite moment remains the same. “As cheesy as it sounds, my favourite moment of the day is when I wake up and know I’m going to work in a place I love – a place that makes people happy. Not many people can say that, and I count myself very lucky.”

“I never want to retire, and that’s the truth,” she continues.

To this day, there’s been more ups than downs. I’ve always said, ‘the morning I don’t want to get up and go to work, that’s it.’ 

Like any job, however, each position comes with its own challenges. “Personally, I struggle with being able to turn off,” says Elaine. “I like being accessible, but you learn to draw the line. Even when I’ve free time or I’m on holidays, I’ll read something from work that I haven’t read. It’s very fast-moving. There are a lot of changes and you have to keep up.”

“Saying that, I love getting up for work and don’t have to drag myself out of bed every morning, which is what I also try to teach my kids.”

Tessy Tracey, General Manager at nine McDonald's restaurants. McDonald's McDonald's

The same, but different

For both Elaine and Tessy, it goes without saying that their own lives have changed and evolved dramatically since they were teenagers, but one thing remains the same: the company which they work for. 

“I started at Grafton Street when I was 19 and have gone on to work at McDonald’s as a single parent, through getting married, through having more kids,” says Elaine. 

“My job has been flexible the whole way. When I needed to do pick-ups from school or from creche, I could work my schedule around that. If I needed to go to the school for something, I’d work a late shift. The schedule changes with you.”

Whether you’re there for six months, six years or 31 years, like me, you always get something from it – whether that’s a skill or a friend.

And Tessy agrees: “Working in McDonald’s is sometimes people’s first job, and I love watching them grow and progress. Even if I meet someone who doesn’t work there anymore, they always tell me that their McDonald’s training stood to them.”

“I took 12 weeks off when I had my daughter, but other than that I’ve never taken a sick day in 39 years. I’m very proud of that. I haven’t stood still since I started – and I have no intentions of stopping any time soon.” 

The Made at McDonald’s campaign highlights McDonald’s commitment to its employees and showcasing amazing people who have worked their way up through the business. McDonald’s is committed to providing career opportunities that genuinely work for people, whatever their age, life stage or ambition. Working at McDonald’s provides training, progression and experiences that stick with people for life – wherever your journey may take you. Find out more about the Made At McDonald’s campaign, plus career opportunities, here.