A restaurant server ensures that customers are comfortable and have a great dining experience by taking food orders, serving food and beverages, and providing information on various menu items in dining establishments.A server job requires you to do more than serve food and drinks. You need to have excellent communication skills and interpersonal skills. You also need a resume that stands out and sets you apart from other job seekers. If you are not sure about how to go about it, you can check some server resume examples to get an idea of how to write a job-winning resume.
A restaurant server job is a great way to get started in the food industry and gain some knowledge and hands-on experience in restaurant operations. If you are passionate about the food industry, love to work in a fast-paced environment, and strive to give exceptional service to customers, you will thrive in a server position.
It is essential to have a professional server resume, especially if you want to get a job in fine dining restaurants that value giving their customers quality service. Let's look at some tips that will help you write a server resume that gets you your dream job.
What to Put on Best Server Resume Examples
If you are looking for a new job as a restaurant server, you need to have a resume that will grab the hiring manager's attention. Your resume should have all the relevant information and communicate your skills and experience to the hiring manager. You can use a resume builder or check out our resume examples to help you write an impressive cv that will get you that server position.
Here are some of the sections you need to have in your server resume.
The header section
The header contains your full name, title, contact information, and a link to your portfolio or career blog.
The resume summary or resume objective
The summary/objective summarizes your experience or skills and should compel the hiring manager to read the rest of your resume.
Work experience
This section contains your work history and relevant experience as a restaurant server.
Education section
If you have any educational qualifications, such as a college degree or high school diploma, you should list them in this section.
Skills section
A restaurant server job requires various hard skills and soft skills that you should list in this section.
Additional sections
The additional sections include volunteer experiences, language skills, awards, and certifications that help your server resume stand out.
Introduce Yourself with a Credible Career Objective for Your Server Resume
A resume objective gives a quick overview of your skills and expresses your passion for the job while showing how you will bring value to the company. It is an excellent choice for people starting their careers as restaurant servers and those that are changing careers and don't have a lot of experience.
An objective is vital on your resume because it gives the hiring manager a summary of your skills and works as a sales pitch that compels them to read the rest of your server resume. You should add the resume objective after your header section in your restaurant server resume.
A server resume summary gives an overview of your professional accomplishments and experience and is an excellent choice for restaurant servers with experience.
Server Resume Objective Example
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Resourceful and committed restaurant server willing to take on a server role to support efficient restaurant operations and increase customer satisfaction. Highly skilled at preparing food in line with safety and quality standards, with an adaptable attitude, an exceptional work ethic, and a flexible schedule.
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A recent graduate without much experience in a server role but willing to take on any food preparation duties. I'm a hardworking individual and work well with other employees.
Employment Experience for Server Resume
The work experience section usually has your work history, your role, duties, and responsibilities at each workplace. Hiring managers tend to spend a little more time in this section as it gives them an idea of what you can do. It is advisable to start with your most recent job and quantify your achievements with figures to show your potential employer the value you will bring to the company.
It is also better to add only the relevant experience to your server resume and leave out any previous jobs that are not relevant to the server position you are applying for. If you do not have a few years of experience, you can include internship experiences and talk about the transferable skills you earned from those experiences.
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Example
Server
Fifteen Rooftop, Chicago
February 2020-date
Responsibilities
Guided patrons in selecting daily specials, wine pairings, and desserts to persuade them to choose menu items that were more profitable to restaurant owners' bottom line.
Recorded customers' orders and worked with team members to serve food and beverages in a timely manner.
Achieved increase in wait staff average sales by 20% by promoting upsells to customers and increasing customer turnover through quick and superior service.
Duties and Responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities added under your work history are important because they show the hiring manager what you can do but ensure you add your achievements. Your achievements and the impact you made at your previous workplace show the recruiter the value you will bring to the company. It is always best to list the duties and responsibilities using bullet points to make it easy for the recruiter to see them.
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A good server resume example of a duties and responsibilities section
Worked as a customer service representative and took care of all customer complaints, increasing sales by 20% and gaining customer service experience.
Received commendations for exceptional service provided at Denny’s restaurant while serving a daily average of 45 patrons.
Worked as a banquet server and increased the daily wine sales by 10%, upselling to customers.
Assisted other staff members with preparing cold dishes, salads, and desserts as required.
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A bad server resume example of a duties and responsibilities section
Cleaned the dining areas every day.
Helped the Barista with brewing coffee.
Recorded customer's orders and offered accurate service
Able to memorize orders and answer questions about the menu items.
Education Section for Server Resume
Server resumes should have an education section whether you have formal education or not. If you have a college degree, you should add it to this section, but you can add your high school diploma if you don't. If you don't know how to add your education to your resume, you can go through a server resume example to guide you. You can also check out our resume templates which are easy to use and will help you write a resume that sets you apart from the other candidates.
Most server jobs do not require formal education since you can learn on the job. However, if you are applying for a senior role in the hospitality industry, it helps to have a degree or an advanced certification.
What is the Best Format for Server Resume?
The right resume format allows you to present your skills and experience in a way that captures the hiring manager's attention. It also communicates that you are a professional and compels the recruiter to read the rest of your resume.
There are three different formats you can choose from for your restaurant server resume. They include:
Reverse-chronological format
The reverse-chronological format prioritizes your work experience, starting with your most recent job. Most hiring managers love this format because it is easy to scan on the ATS systems. The chronological format works best for candidates with more than five years of experience as restaurant servers .
Functional resume format
The functional resume is also known as a skills-based resume. It focuses on your skills, allowing you to list your skills first on your restaurant server resume. It is perfect for entry-level candidates and people who are changing careers and lack relevant experience. It allows you to add any transferable skills from your previous jobs, useful in a server job.
Combination resume
The combination/hybrid resume format blends the best features of the reverse-chronological and functional resume formats and highlights both your skills and experience. It is perfect for candidates who have more than five years of relevant experience.
Server Resume Skills
The skills section gives a chance to talk about the relevant abilities that make you the best candidate for the job. The job description is essential because it lists some of the required skills that you can add to your restaurant server resume as your own skills to help your resume stand out.
The server resume skills are also essential in your resume because recruiters scan resumes using software and filter resumes without the required keyword skills included. Your server resume should contain both hard and soft skills. Some of the skills you should add to your server resume include:
Hard skills
Knowledge of POS systems
Basic math skills
Dining room setup
Cuisine knowledge
Restaurant intercom
Food and wine pairings
Handling the cash register
Computer skills
Soft skills
Excellent communication skills
Excellent customer service skills
Interpersonal skills
Time management
Conflict resolution
Attention to detail
Teamwork
Multitasking
Decision-making
Patience
Tips for Taking Your Server Resume to the Next Level
While there are many available server jobs, you still need to work on your server resume and ensure it stands out, especially if you want high-level server jobs. One way to take your server resume to the next level is by adding additional sections such as volunteer experiences, languages, awards, and certifications. Let’s look at these sections in detail.
Volunteer experiences
If you have done any volunteer work and gained some skills that will be useful at a server job, you should add them in this section as it will help your resume stand out. If volunteer work is the only experience you have, you can add it to the work experience section.
Languages
If you know a foreign language, you should add it in this section to make it easier for the recruiter to see it. When you add the language, include the proficiency level as it can help you land the job.
Awards
If you received an award in your previous workplace for the best server, this is where you should add it to your server resume. It may not seem important, but it helps your resume stand out.
Certifications
There are a couple of certifications and licenses required for servers, and if you have any of them, you should add them to your server resume. It is better to list the certificates in a separate section instead of the education section to ensure that your potential employer sees them.
Cover letters
Most server jobs will not ask you for a cover letter, but you should accompany your server resume with one if you want it to stand out. Cover letters help you express your passion for the job and speak about some of your achievements, allowing you to stand out and beat the other candidates.
Avoid spelling and grammatical errors .
It is vital to double-check your work to ensure it does not have any errors. Failure to do a simple spell check might cost you an opportunity as the recruiter will think you lack attention to detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I describe server duties on my resume?
You should list the server duties under your work history. You can describe each duty and add an achievement/accomplishment to show the value you will bring to the job. It is also better to quantify your accomplishments using facts and figures to show that you positively impacted your previous job.
Should I include references on my server resume?
Usually, you don’t need to include references on your server resume, but if your potential employer says they want to speak to your references, you should add them to your resume.
Should I put a serving job on a resume?
If you have previously done any serving job, you should add it to your server resume as it counts as experience and can help you get your next job.
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