Waiter/Waitress Resume Examples
Years of Experience
- Entry-level
- Mid-career
- Senior-level
Clark Ryan
(123) 456-7890 | [email protected] | 123 Address Rd, Philadelphia, PA 12345
Profile
Energetic Waiter with 2+ years of experience in a high-volume chain restaurant. Committed to providing attentive service while driving sales of daily specials, appetizers, and desserts. Fast learner who adapts readily to new work challenges and conditions.
Key Skills
- Customer Relations & Service
- Efficiency Improvement
- Lightspeed POS
- Task Prioritization
- Team Collaboration
- Time Management
Work Experience
Waiter, Applebee’s, Philadelphia, PA | October 2020 to Present
- Serve food and beverage orders to ~30 customers per shift
- Use Lightspeed POS system to process cash, credit, debit, and gift card payments
- Support other servers and kitchen staff by completing side work such as cleaning, restocking, and food running
Highlight:
- Grew personal sales 25% through effective up-selling and cross-selling
Receptionist, LMN Incorporated, Philadelphia, PA | September 2019 to September 2020
- Consistently praised for strong efficiency and customer relations in a fast-paced environment
Education & Credential
Candidate: Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA | expected May 2023
ServSafe Certified
Carly Williams
(123) 456-7890 | [email protected] | 123 Address Rd, Philadelphia, PA 12345
Profile
Waitress with nearly 10 years’ experience at popular Italian restaurants. Enjoy working on a team to provide a memorable and positive dining experience for all guests.
Professional Experience
Waitress, Le Virtu, Philadelphia, PA | April 2016 to Present
- Take and serve food and drink orders to patrons of this 75-seat rustic Italian restaurant
- Proactively learn new seasonal food and cocktail menus and ingredients
- Use POS system to input orders and process cash, debit, credit, and gift card payments
- Perform side work including set-up, sanitization, restocking, and assisting other servers
Highlight:
- Named “Employee of the Month” 3 times for delivering top-quality customer service and team support
Waitress, Birra, Philadelphia, PA | June 2013 to April 2016
- Took orders and delivered food and beverages to guests at this 90-seat casual Italian restaurant
- Increased personal sales 20% by effectively promoting specials and food/alcohol pairings
Education & Professional Development
Bachelor of Arts (BA) – Communication, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
ServSafe Certified
Key Skills
- Customer Relations & Service
- Efficiency Improvement
- Menu & Ingredient Memorization
- POS Systems (Toast, Upserve)
- Process Streamlining
- Product Sales & Promotions
- Team Collaboration
Julie Bonner
(123) 456-7890 | [email protected] | 123 Address Rd, Philadelphia, PA 12345
Profile
Personable Waitress with 10+ years of experience in fast-paced restaurant settings. Skilled at memorizing menus, optimizing customer service, and training new hires on restaurant protocols. Draw on strong knowledge of POS systems including Toast, TouchBistro, and Upserve.
Professional Experience
Head Server, The Capital Grille, Philadelphia, PA | December 2019 to Present
- Oversee shifts of 10-12 servers at this upscale, 100-seat restaurant
- Memorize daily specials, seasonal cocktail list, and regular menu to quickly address customer questions and advise on possible allergens and substitutions
- Take food and drink orders for ~40 guests per shift
- Onboarded and trained 20 new servers to date
Waitress, Talula’s Garden, Philadelphia, PA | October 2016 to November 2019
- Served ~20 guests per shift at this 50-seat farm-to-table restaurant
- Studied extensive list of locally-sourced ingredients to accurately answer guests’ menu questions
- Anticipated customers’ needs by promptly refilling drinks, providing extra napkins, and clearing away empty plates
- Recommended appropriate food and beverage pairings on request
Waitress, Cantina Los Caballitos, Philadelphia, PA | August 2012 to September 2016
- Served food and drink orders to guests at this casual Mexican restaurant
- Performed side work such as cleaning, restocking, and assisting other servers
- Processed cash, credit, debit, and gift card payments on POS system
Education & Credential
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in History, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
ServSafe Certified
Key Skills
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Customer Relations & Service
- Efficiency Improvement
- Gastronomy
- Menu & Order Memorization
- New Hire Training
- Personnel Management
- Point-of-Sale (POS) Systems
- Team Leadership & Motivation
Tips for Writing a Better Waiter/Waitress Resume
Turn unrelated jobs into an asset
Although you must outline your recent work history on your resume, you don’t have to nor should you give more than basic details on any job that doesn’t pertain to your current goals. Keep this tip in mind when drafting your Experience section, so you don’t type out long descriptions of jobs that won’t speak to your target employers.
Often a great resume strategy for unrelated jobs is to focus your description on the transferable “soft skills” you gained there that now complement your overall skillset. For waiters and waitresses, good transferable skills usually include efficiency, customer relations, adaptability, and team collaboration.
Receptionist, LMN Incorporated, Philadelphia, PA | September 2019 to September 2020
- Consistently praised for strong efficiency and customer relations in a fast-paced environment.
Quantify your serving experiences and achievements
You can demonstrate your value as a waiter or waitress by giving specific numbers on your past performance. Restaurants often evaluate waitstaff on things such as how many patrons they serve or how much revenue they bring in. Keep track of this information, so you can include it on your resume when you apply for future jobs.
Examples
- Provided prompt food and beverage service to ~80 guests across 8 tables per shift, with increased volume on weekends and holidays
- Used cross-selling methods to increase dessert and appetizer sales by 15%
Common Key Skills for Waiter/Waitress Resumes
One of the best ways to improve your resume is to add keywords.
That’s because most employers now use an applicant tracking system (ATS), which scans each submitted resume for keywords relevant to the job opening at hand. When the ATS finds a resume with many relevant keywords, it flags the document for the hiring manager.
To make your resume ATS-friendly, add a keyword-rich “Skills” or “Expertise” section. Here are some common keywords for waiter/waitress resumes:
Note: As the list below indicates, you should use short noun phrases in this section to reflect your activities. Reserve personal attributes and adjectives (like “collaborative” or “strong work ethic”) for your Profile summary. Here’s a quick way to know whether you can add any term to your Key Skills section: Plug it into the phrase “I’m skilled in [term].” If the term makes a correct sentence (“I’m skilled in team collaboration”), it’s an OK addition. But if it’s nonsense (“I’m skilled in highly collaborative”), leave it out.
| Key Skills & Proficiencies | |
|---|---|
| Cash & Credit Card Handling | Customer Relations & Service |
| Efficiency Improvement | Food & Beverage Sales |
| Food Sanitation Standards | Menu & Order Memorization |
| New Hire Training | Point-of-Sale (POS) Systems |
| Process Streamlining | Task Prioritization |
| Team Collaboration | Time Management |
Common Action Verbs for Waiter/Waitress Resumes
One of the most frequent resume mistakes is using too few verbs. You may repeat the same generic verb (say, “Manage”) many times or rely on passive phrases like “Responsible for” or “Accountable for.” These tendencies can distract the hiring manager and fail to show the varied nature of your experience. The following list will help you mix up the verbs on your waiter or waitress resume:
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Answer | Assist |
| Carry | Coordinate |
| Engage | Ensure |
| Greet | Memorize |
| Order | Prepare |
| Promote | Provide |
| Recite | Recommend |
| Reduce | Serve |
| Solve | Train |
| Upsell | Welcome |
How to Align Your Resume With a Job Posting
One thing unique to most job postings is the description of the hiring organization. You can enhance your resume by tailoring it based on any details about the organization that resonate with you. Follow these four steps:
Step 1: Jot down a few notes on the type of work environment you like best. For instance, you may prefer an environment that’s one or more of the following:
- Customer-focused
- Collaborative
- Fast-paced
- Forward-looking
- High-pressure
- Process-oriented
- Quality-focused
Step 2: When you find a job posting that intrigues you, look for any details about the hiring organization or its work culture.
Step 3: Compare those details against your preferred work environment, and highlight any overlap.
Step 4: Add a line or two to your Profile emphasizing that similarity. For example, say you prefer a work environment that’s customer-focused. You find a posting that says “We are a team that places customer satisfaction at the center of all our efforts.” You can then add a Profile line such as:
- “Thrive in customer-focused work environments.”
- “Drive repeat business by helping build positive relationships with customers.”
This simple exercise can make your resume more accurately show why you’re a great fit for the role as well as why the hiring manager should call you for an interview.
More Resume and Cover Letter Resources
The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that jobs for waiters and waitresses will increase by about ten percent between 2021 and 2031.
For more on finding opportunities in this field and related fields, check out the links below: