2022 Waiter/Waitress Resume Example & Tips

There’s a reason why there are so many restaurants in this world. The food business is booming, and there’s always a new restaurant opening up somewhere. And even if you don’t work at a restaurant, you can still get hired as a server or waiter. You might be surprised at how many opportunities exist for people who want to make some extra cash by serving customers!

 

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There is a great demand for waiters and waitresses, so you want your resume to be as impressive as your table setting skills.

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You may need to make a few adjustments. If you’re new to the industry, it’s likely that you don’t have much experience yet. Your resume should reflect this in your experience section by highlighting the soft skills needed for the job: communication, customer service and organizational skills, among others.

The right skills will help employers overlook any lack of experience or ability to manage large groups simultaneously — all while keeping customers happy!

Experience is the key to a good waiter resume

When writing your resume, it’s important to include specific details about your experience and how you can use that experience for the position.

For example:* “Waited on tables at a high-end restaurant where I introduced myself to guests and helped them make their selections from the menu.”* Or:* “Dover Street Market in New York City, NY; served customers at their table as well as assisted in food preparation and kitchen cleanliness.”* These examples are clear and concise ways of stating that you worked at a restaurant or bar (which is what most servers do).

Waiter/Waitress Resume Writing Tip #1

Use waitering/waitressing terminology. A lot of servers use terminology like “busboy” or “busser” when they talk about their jobs. If you want to sound like a professional, avoid using these words in your resume, and instead describe what you did with more formal language. For example, instead of “I cleaned tables,” write “I cleared tables and reset them for new guests.”

What if you have no waitressing experience?

If you don’t have any waitressing experience, don’t worry. There are still ways to get a job as a waiter or waitress.

First off, let’s talk about what makes someone good at their job as a waiter or waitress. We’re looking for people with good customer service skills and people who are comfortable working in fast-paced environments. In other words: friendly people who don’t mind being on their feet all day long (and running back and forth between tables). If this describes you, then you’re already halfway there!

But wait—what if your only experience is in retail? Or maybe food preparation? Don’t worry—those can be excellent skills too! Try listing your duties in those positions as relevant work experience on your resume. You could also include any volunteer work where you were serving food or helping customers out (e.g., school cafeteria jobs).

    Waiter/Waitress Resume Writing Tip #2

    Mention the extra tasks a server does. There’s more to being a server than just taking orders from customers—you also have to clean up after them! As part of your resume, make sure you mention all of the tasks you performed at previous jobs as a server, including washing dishes or cleaning tables at the end of shifts. Employers will love seeing that you were willing to go above and beyond for each role you held as an employee so they know they can count on you in similar situations when working together at future job opportunities!

      Include these soft skills on your waiter/waitress resume

      There are a few important soft skills that are essential to include in your waiter/waitress resume. These include:

      • Positive attitude

      • Good communication skills

      • Good people skills

      • Team player

      • Strong work ethic and flexible when needed to accommodate schedule changes or to perform duties outside of the waitstaff job description (e.g., helping out in the kitchen, setting up tables)

      In addition, it’s also wise to list some of the following:

      • Organizational skills – Organizing items and keeping track of them (e.g., ensuring that customer orders are handled properly)

      These are just a few examples of what you should consider including on your waiter/waitress resume.

      Highlight your customer service experience on your server resume

      You should highlight your customer service experience on your server resume. You need to show that you have the necessary skills and abilities to provide outstanding service. To do this, put together a list of all of the difficult situations that you’ve encountered and how you resolved them, including any steps or changes in procedure that were made as a result. This shows the hiring manager that you have an understanding of what makes customers happy and how to improve customer service.

      Waiter/Waitress Resume Writing Tip #3

      Show you’re a team player. Many restaurants are looking for people who know how to work with other members of their staff; if your last job required teamwork (e.g., working with other servers or kitchen staff), mention this fact in your resume!

        These hard skills are key to getting hired as a waitress

        As a server, you’ll be required to work as part of a team and independently. You must have excellent communication skills, because you will be responsible for interacting with customers. Your resume should reflect your ability to get along well with people and adapt to different situations quickly. You should also highlight any relevant work experience that demonstrates these skills, such as working in fast-paced environments or handling stress under pressure. If possible, include specific examples from previous jobs where you demonstrated these traits while serving customers food or drinks at a restaurant or bar.

        Include your photo on your waiter/waitress resume

        The goal of a waiter/waitress resume is to get you hired. While there are many things you can do to ensure that, including having a stellar cover letter and making sure your experience matches the position well, one way to stand out immediately is by including your photo on your waitress resume. Here’s why:

        • It helps employers remember who you are after they scan through dozens of applications. The more they can remember about each applicant, the better they’ll be able to match candidates up with jobs.

        • Even if it isn’t required in your area (make sure by asking around), or even if there aren’t any jobs available at all right now (which happens often), including a photo on your waitressing resume will still help because employers will remember you later—and when new opportunities come up for which you’re qualified, if there are two people vying for one job and one’s application includes their photo but not the other’s does that tell us anything?

        The job market for waiters and waitresses is booming. Employers will look beyond a lack of experience if you highlight the right soft and hard skills.

        The job market for waiters and waitresses is booming. Employers will look beyond a lack of experience if you highlight the right soft and hard skills. The right soft and hard skills are key to getting hired as a waitress, so they should be featured in your resume under the “Skills” section.

        Some of these skills include:

        • Communication (i.e., listening carefully)

        • Time management (i.e., working quickly without making mistakes)

        • Punctuality (i.e., showing up on time)

        Conclusion

        Now that you know how to write a waiter/waitress resume, it’s time to get started! We hope this article has inspired you to create an impressive resume that will help you secure the job of your dreams.