4 Waitress Resume Examples & Templates for 2024

Waitresses are crucial in the hospitality industry, responsible for providing excellent customer service, taking orders, serving food and beverages, and ensuring a pleasant dining experience for guests. Their role requires multitasking, attention to detail, and the ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment. Crafting a waitress resume that highlights your skills and experience is essential to stand out to potential employers and secure a position in a competitive job market.

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Waitress Resume Example

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Entry-Level / Junior Waitress Resume Example

An entry-level or junior waitress is typically new to the field and is gaining experience in customer service and food handling. They’re eager to learn and contribute to the team while developing their skills. Here's a resume sample for an entry-level waitress.

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Middle Waitress Resume Example

A middle-level waitress has a few years of experience in the field and is proficient in providing excellent service to guests. They have developed a good understanding of restaurant operations and can handle more complex customer interactions. Here's a resume sample for a middle-level waitress.

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Experienced / Senior Waitress Resume Example

A senior waitress has extensive experience in the field and is highly skilled in managing large sections of the dining area, training new staff, and handling complex customer service issues. They’re capable of leading teams and ensuring a high level of service in the restaurant. Here's a resume sample for a senior waitress.

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Resume Templates for Waitresses

After analyzing 11 million resumes using the Zety Resume Builder, these are the top 3 resume template choices for waitresses.

Cascade

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I recommend the Cascade resume template for waitresses looking for an effective and simple resume template. The dual-column layout brings refreshing organization to your personal details and job history. By clearly separating these sections, it ensures that hiring managers can effortlessly navigate your information. This template's minimalistic approach makes it ideal for highlighting your customer service skills and work experience in a straightforward manner.

Concept

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In my opinion, the Concept resume template is perfect for waitresses aiming for a modern and functional design. This single-column format emphasizes clarity, with a well-organized sidebar for your contact information and key skills. The overall polished look draws attention to your professional experience and interaction capabilities. By picking this template featuring a modern resume style, you can present a comprehensive and professional narrative of your hospitality career.

Crisp

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The Crisp resume template stands out for waitresses who want to make a lasting impression. Its sophisticated dual-column design effectively divides your personal information and skills from your detailed work experience and education. The visually appealing structure, enhanced by subtle design elements, guides the reader through your resume seamlessly. This template's eye-catching style is perfect for showcasing your qualifications in a professional and organized manner, ensuring that your abilities are easily appreciated by recruiters.

How to Write a Waitress Resume:

1. Start With the Right Format for a Waitress Resume

Before you can seat guests and serve them food, you’ll set the table first. In a resume for waitresses, that means formatting correctly before you start. Good formatting is the first step to getting hired.

Here’s how to format a waitress resume template:

• Resume format: reverse-chronological resume format.
• Subheadings: standout titles make it easy for restaurant owners to find things quickly.
• Resume margins: put a 1-inch margin on every edge of your waitressing resume.
• Resume fonts: choose easy-to-read typefaces.
• Font size: 11–12 pt for general text, 2–4 points larger for section headings.
• Line spacing: single line spacing to 1.15.
• Best resume appearance: give it a menu-like look with lots of white space.
• File type:PDF resumes work best unless the restaurant’s job ad asks for MS Word.

Include these resume parts:

• Resume header: your name and relevant contact information.
• Introduction: a quick summary of the best selections from your resume.
• Work experience: history of your past job duties and achievements, restaurant or otherwise.
• Education: brief description of academic accomplishments.
• Skills: shortlist of your most job-related abilities.
• Extra sections: certifications, awards, languages, etc., to round it out.

Don’t start your waitress resume at the top. Instead, start with easy-to-write resume sections like your work experience. Then, come back and add the garnish later.

Are there other resume formats? See our guide: Best Resume Structure.

2. Start Your Waitress Resume With Work Experience

According to the BLS, waitress jobs should increase by 6% between 2018 and 2028. That’s great, but—too many of those will be at bottom-feeder chains. To beat the other candidates for the best waitress jobs, you need to wow the manager with a perfectly seasoned work experience section.

What’s the recipe?

Here’s the best plan to make a work experience section for a waitress resume that works:

• List your most recent job title first.
• Write the restaurant’s name, location, and the dates you worked.
• Include up to 6 bullet points detailing your restaurant job responsibilities.
• Tailor your resume to personalize it to the waitress job requirements and ad.
• Include proud achievements using numbers 
• To make your waitress description for resumes more impactful, use the PAR (Problem-Action-Result) formula.
• Start each entry with action words to be most effective.

Don’t wear yourself out by trying to write the perfect resume. If you customize it to the job like I showed above, the restaurant manager will give it rave reviews.

Now—

What if you’re applying for a first-time waitressing job? If you’re writing an entry-level resume with no experience (or little experience), don’t panic. You just need to show them you can take what you learned in your past job and use it as a great starting point. To do it, show transferable skills and add the right resume achievements.

When detailing your experience as a waitress, highlight your customer service skills and ability to manage a busy dining environment. Here are some examples of responsibilities for a waitress resume:

Waitress Keywords for a Resume

• Greet and seat customers, presenting menus and explaining daily specials.
• Take accurate food and beverage orders, ensuring special requests and dietary restrictions are noted.
• Deliver food and drinks to tables promptly, ensuring an excellent dining experience.
• Handle customer complaints and inquiries professionally, resolving issues to maintain satisfaction.
• Process payments, including cash and credit transactions, using POS systems.
• Maintain cleanliness and organization of the dining area, restocking supplies as needed.
• Assist with opening and closing duties, including setting up and breaking down tables.
• Upsell menu items and promotions to increase sales and enhance the dining experience.
• Collaborate with kitchen staff to ensure accurate and timely delivery of orders.
• Monitor and manage multiple tables simultaneously, balancing tasks efficiently during peak times.

Remember to use action verbs that convey your responsibilities and achievements effectively. Here are some action verbs for waitress resumes:

Waitress Resume Action Verbs

• Greeted
• Took
• Delivered
• Handled
• Processed
• Maintained
• Assisted
• Upsold
• Collaborated
• Monitored

Pro Tip: Should you ever write a 2-page resume? Usually, you should manage to fit all your experience into a single page.

3. Add Your Education to a Waitress Resume

You usually don’t need a degree to get a waitress job. But—you do need to document your education effectively. Otherwise, they won’t take your restaurant waitressing resume seriously. When you have plenty of experience, just list your school, degree, and completion date.

But—if you have little waitressing experience, dig deeper in your resume education section, like this: If you’ve got a completed culinary school certificate or college degree, leave your high school off the restaurant resume. Otherwise, add it as a secondary entry below. Also—do you have little or no waitressing experience but a legit education section? Move the education above your work history.

That way, your waitress resume gives them the tastiest dish first.

Read up more on adding smarts to your resume: How to List Education on a Resume. 

4. Choose the Right Waitress Skills for a Resume

Whether you can spin a tray of cocktails on one finger or you have the memory of a dolphin, you’ve got the restaurant skills to be a fine waitress. But—you can’t list every ability you have. You must include the best waitress skills for a resume to work. 

Here’s how to select the best resume waitress skills:

1. List all your waitress skills on a resume.
2. Make another skill list of the abilities listed in the restaurant’s job ad.
3. The matches in both lists are your resume keywords.
4. Prove them in your bullet points with achievements backed with numbers.
5. Include both soft skills and hard skills to get the best reception.

Still not sure which skills you should add to a resume for waitresses to make your application tempting? To help you get inspired, see this list of skills for waitress resumes:

Waitress Resume Skills

• Taking Food and Beverage Orders
• Register Operation
• Serving Drinks
• Serving Food
• Food Safety
• Vacuuming & Mopping
• Customer Service
• Menu Knowledge
• Food & Wine Pairing
• Stocking Supplies
• Opening & Closing
• Types of Dining (Chinese, French, etc.)
• Interpersonal Skills
• Teamwork
• Verbal & Written Communication Skills
• Leadership Skills
• Decision Making Skills
• Active Listening
• Public Speaking Skills
• Problem Solving
• Time Management
• Organizational Skills
• Critical Thinking

5. Add Bonus Sections to Your Waitress Resume

Extra resume sections are the maple syrup, blueberries, and whipped cream on top. They add flavor to your job application and get the manager excited. Here are a few examples of delish additional sections to add on a resume for waitress jobs:

1. Resume Licenses & Certifications

Foodservice certifications and food handling licenses show any restaurant manager you’re worth your salt. Here are a few of the best in the industry:

• ServSafe Food Safety & Food Handler Certification
• Food Protection Certificate: NYC Health Academy
• Alcohol Seller and Server Certification
• Certified Food Protection: Association of Nutrition and Foodservice Professionals (ANFP)
• Certified Dietary Manager, Certified Food Protection Professional (CDM, CFPP) 

2. Resume Volunteer Work

Have any volunteer experience under your apron? Though unpaid, it can be a great way to show work experience, especially when you don’t have much other real-world working expertise.

3. Second Language on a Resume

Do you know another language? Adding your proficiency in a foreign language to a waitressing resume makes a strong impression, especially if it’s particularly relevant to the restaurant (knowledge of French in a French restaurant, Spanish in a Latin American neighborhood, etc.). 

4. Hobbies on a Resume

Don’t think your hobbies and interests belong on a waitress resume? Think again. When they relate to restaurant servers, such as your passion for food blogging, add it to your wait staff resume. 

5. Memberships in Trade Organizations

Adding your membership in a waitstaff or food service association shows the restaurant supervisor you’re a professional choice. Take a look at these examples:

• Association of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals (ANFP)
• Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management (SHFM)
• National Restaurant Association (the other NRA)
• American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF)
• American Hotel and Lodging Association Educational Institute (AHLA-EI)

For more possibilities when it comes to additional parts of a resume, see this guide: What to Include on a Resume: 20+ Top Examples.

6. Blend the Best Bits Into a Waitress Resume Objective or Summary

Let’s take it back to the top. An effective specials board stands just outside the restaurant and lures in hungry guests. Likewise, the right heading statement attracts the restaurant manager and makes them hungry to read more. But there are two flavors: summary and objective.

Write a resume summary if you have some experience, but if you’re a newbie, pick a resume objective instead.

Here’s how to write a career summary:

1. Start with an adjective like friendly or efficient.
2. Add your job title (waitress).
3. List your years of experience (1+, 8, etc.).
4. Share your goal for the job and how you can add value.
5. Include the restaurant’s name.
6. Share your most delectable achievements.

Now—what if you’ve never served tables before?

An entry-level waitress's resume needs a career objective. Back before credit cards, that meant talking about your hopes and dreams for the job. Don’t do that. Instead, delight the restaurant manager with relevant accomplishments from non-waitressing jobs, from school, or from your life at large.

Looking for the full recipe for starting a resume correctly? Look no further: Best Resume Introduction Examples.

7. Write a Great Waitress Cover Letter

Does your waitress resume need a cover letter? Yes. The cover letter is as important as the tables in a restaurant—and our HR statistics report shows why. Nearly half the hiring managers out there trash resumes without them. Why? An application without a letter looks like job search spam.

To write your waitress cover letter:

1. Format your cover letter before you start to write it.
2. Start your waitress cover letter with the restaurant manager’s name.
3. Write an enticing cover letter introduction.
4. Show you understand the job by repeating the job duties.
5. Put the 2–3 best morsels from your resume in your cover letter.
6. End your cover letter with a call to action to get the interview.

Read more: How To Write A Cover Letter in 8 Simple Steps and How to Make a Resume: A Step-by-Step Guide.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Here are several other related resume examples and restaurant resume guides that you may be interested in:

• Server Resume
• Banquet Server Resume
• Food Service Resume
• Waiter Resume
• Server Resume
• Fast Food Worker Resume
• Restaurant Resume
• Catering Resume
• Culinary Resume
• Restaurant Server Resume

Also, you can check Best Resume Examples for even more examples.

About Zety’s Editorial Process

This article has been reviewed by our editorial team to make sure it follows Zety's editorial guidelines. We’re committed to sharing our expertise and giving you trustworthy career advice tailored to your needs. High-quality content is what brings over 40 million readers to our site every year. But we don't stop there. Our team conducts original research to understand the job market better, and we pride ourselves on being quoted by top universities and prime media outlets from around the world.

Sources

• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/waiters-and-waitresses.htm
• https://www1.nyc.gov/nycbusiness/description/food-protection-certificate
• https://www.anfponline.org/
• https://www.anfponline.org/become-a-cdm/cdm-cfpp-credential
• https://www.anfponline.org/about-anfp/anfp-membership