If you want to work in table food service, you'll need to put together a resume specifically focused on this type of job resume before starting your job search. Your resume needs to show that you aren't looking for "any job you can get" if you want to be taken seriously as an applicant, but rather that you are truly interested in working as a server and that you have the appropriate skills.
Creating a Resume for Food Server Positions
The customizable template provided here provides an outline that you may want to follow when preparing your own resume to submit along with applications for waitress positions. To get started, click the image below and the fill-in resume template will open as a PDF document.
This PDF guide can help if you need information on working with this type of file. You'll need to edit the template to include your specific job objective and any relevant qualifications.
Use a Specific Objective
Begin with a specific server-focused resume objective statement that clearly spells out that you are seeking employment as a server. There are many types of restaurants, so it's a good idea to specify which type of environment you want to work in.
Change your resume objective for each job so that it includes the specific name of the restaurant where you are applying to work. The more specific you can get to the needs of a particular employer and the more clear it is that you are interested in this job (as opposed to "any job"), the more your resume will stand out from those of other applicants.
Relevant Skills
List specific skills associated with working in a restaurant in a section titled "Key Hospitality Skills" or "Server Skills" This is important because employers who hire waitresses are interested in learning about relevant work history and skills that will transfer to their places of business.
Don't be too wordy in describing the things you know how to do. Instead, use a bulleted list that highlights what you are able to do that will be of interest to people who are hiring waitresses. If you've completed classes or certifications, such as ServSafe or TiPS, be sure to specify these credentials on your resume.
It's also a good idea to include major accomplishments or awards you have received relevant to the type of job you're applying for. If you were "employee of the month" in a previous waitress position, highlight that fact on your resume. If you established a regular clientele of patrons who requested to sit in your section frequently, that fact may also be worth highlighting.
Work Experience
It's important to list your previous employers so that managers who view your resume will know the types of experience you have as they get a sense of your work history. This is true even if you have not previously worked as a server, so they can get a sense of where you worked and what you have accomplished in a work environment.
When deciding which duties to highlight from your previous jobs, consider what aspects of your past experience will translate effectively to success working as a server.
Education
It is also advisable to include information about your educational background, starting with your current or most recent academic or career-focused training experience.
Additional Food Server Resume Examples
While the template here can easily be customized to meet your needs, you may also find it beneficial to look at some other examples of resumes appropriate for server jobs. Viewing what other people seeking the same type of employment have used can be a great way to get inspiration to write or update your own statement of work history and goals.
You can find good examples of resumes organized a bit different from the template provided here on sites like Work Bloom and Job Spider. If are in school and don't have previous work experience, you may find it more helpful to review samples of student resumes, being sure to highlight skills related to serving in the specific type of restaurant where you are applying.
