Waitress Job Description for a Resume

If you’re looking for your next job, your resume is a key part of getting your name out there and noticed by top hiring managers. A quality resume can help employers see exactly what you have to offer in a position. That’s why it’s a good idea to spend lots of time writing, editing, and revising your resume for each job posting you find.

If you’re not sure where to start with revamping your resume, look at sample resume documents from your field. Another idea is to take a look at the waitress job description for creating a resume and comprehensive writing guide included here.

You will find a detailed waitress resume that gives you a glimpse of what kind of information you should include, such as duties, skills, and accomplishments. Now, start reading the information presented below to get closer to your goals.

Using a Waitress Job Description for a Resume

People looking for waitress jobs typically have a wide range of different abilities, knowledge, and experiences from their careers. There are, however, a few standard waitressing skills, duties, and certifications most hiring managers want to see on a resume.

Waitress Summary

The first part of your resume that truly needs to showcase how special you are is the professional summary. To make the hiring managers want to find out more, you should focus on presenting your most impressive accomplishments.

Give details using specific metrics to make it more meaningful. Focus on some of the most desirable waitressing attributes, such as customer-service skills, organization ability, and food and drink knowledge.

Waitress Education & Certification

Those who go into waitressing or food service come from many different backgrounds and educational histories. Restaurants don’t typically require specific educational credentials from their waitress candidates, but it’s standard to have at least a high school diploma if you want to work at a top restaurant.

In your resume, you should simply list your high school credentials and college experience if you have any. Details about student organizations, leadership experiences, and honors are also helpful to include.

Some restaurants may want to see specific certifications from waitress candidates, such as a ServSafe Alcohol certificate. Having a certificate in safe food handling is also another plus you should consider adding to your resume.

Waitress Duties & Responsibilities

Employers want to have plenty of compelling evidence you’re capable of being a successful team player on their staff. In your resume’s work history section, you can show off this evidence by including plenty of details about your success.

Employers would appreciate information about how you have increased restaurant sales and wowed customers. You can also give examples of some of the ways you worked together with the rest of the staff in the restaurant and supported cooks and others.

Waitress Skills

With your skills section, you can go into further detail about your specific areas of expertise and experience as a waitress. The most common technology skill for waitresses is experience with a point of sale system for ordering food. Employers also want to see that waitresses have at least a working knowledge of basic math to be able to give out accurate change when ringing up checks.

Waitresses also need to be well-versed in customer service and excellent communicators. Top restaurants also want to hire waitresses who have an understanding of food, wine, and other restaurant offerings so they can be confident there will be an effort to educate customers about the menu.

Waitress Resume

How to Get Your Waitress Resume Past an ATS

Today’s jobseekers have a new challenge in the typical search for a new position: the Applicant Tracking System. An ATS is a computerized resume reader that scans documents for specific information the employer wants from candidates.

If you don’t optimize your resume for such a tracking system, a human reader may never look over your document. For the technological job search setting of today, you’ll need to learn some ways to make your resume pass this first step.

The simplest way to get your resume to get through this first screening stage is to review the job description. Scan the description for specific words and phrases related to the restaurant industry and waitressing. Many successful jobseekers use this technique for a waitress job description for creating a resume.

When you submit your resume for an open position, the tracking system will flag your document as a match and push it to the next stage for review. At that point, a hiring manager or human resources staff member will read your resume and possibly place you into consideration for an interview.

In the same waitress resume above, you’ll see a selection of essential industry words and phrases that may give a tracking system a match. Words and phrases related to customer service are typically included in the restaurant industry’s ATS algorithm.

The sample resume also includes phrasing about increasing sales, food and drink knowledge, and a strong work ethic. The resume also uses the job title from the job description to make sure the skills, qualifications, and experiences are all aligned with a waitress position.

For your own document, make sure you place these important keywords and phrases throughout your work history, skills section, and professional summary. Make sure you format your resume for maximum readability, including short phrases, bullet points, and strong as well as vivid action verbs for the experience section. Be careful that you have made your keywords and phrases clear throughout your resume so the tracking system and a human reader can understand your talents.