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Waitress Resume Examples
Use these free waitress resume samples as visual guides — they’ll teach you how your colleagues and fellow job seekers describe their work history. Visit our extensive library of customizable good resume templates.
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Waitress Resume Example (Text Version)
[Your Name]
[City, State ZIP Code]
[Email Address]
[Phone Number LinkedIn]
Resume Summary
[Insert your summary here. This should be a brief statement highlighting your core qualifications and career goals.]
Summary of Qualifications
- [Insert qualification #1]
- [Insert qualification #2]
- [Insert qualification #3]
- [Insert qualification #4]
[Type of] Skills
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 1]
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 1]
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 1]
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 1]
[Type of] Skills
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 2]
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 2]
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 2]
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 2]
Education
[Degree Earned]
[High School Name, Location]
[Graduation Date or Estimated Graduation Date]
- [OPTIONAL: Add relevant coursework or academic achievements]
- [OPTIONAL: Add any honors or awards received]
Work History
[Job Title #1 | Club or Employer Name #1]
[Location, Year]
[Job Title #2 | Club or Employer Name #2]
[Location, Year]
How to Write a Wait Staff or Waitress Resume
Your resume format is as important as how you write your resume. This sample resume for waitresses uses the best resume layout: 1-inch margins, bullet points and clear headings to help applicant tracking systems and hiring managers skim your resume.
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Professional header and contact info
The top third of your resume includes your name, contact information and a professional email address.
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Compelling summary statement
This two or three sentence introduction pitches two waitress-related skills, experiences or accomplishments that encourage managers to read more.
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Highlight your skills
Create a dedicated section to showcase hard and soft skills specific to food and customer service, like attention to detail, communication skills and interpersonal skills.
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Emphasize your work history
List your work experience in reverse-chronological order. Include job titles, company names, dates of employment and key responsibilities and achievements for each role in a bullet list.
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Supporting education section
Detail your educational background, mentioning any relevant degrees, diplomas or certifications obtained.
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Additional sections
Although most wait jobs don’t require certifications, you can boost your waitress resume by adding a food safety certification or certified food protection manager (CFPM).
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How to Write a Waitress Resume Summary
Use the waitress job description for resume sections like your summary statement. Carefully scan the job description for resume keywords like repeated or highlighted phrases — hiring managers use these treatments to train applicant tracking systems and
Highlight relevant skills and experience
Tailor your resume summary to emphasize the waitress resume skills and experience directly related to the waitress role. Focus on examples of great customer service, taking orders, handling payments, and maintaining a clean and organized dining area.
Quantify achievements
Use numbers and data to demonstrate your positive customer service. For example, mention the number of tables you managed, customer satisfaction ratings or staff recognition for exceptional service.
Keep it short and focused
A resume summary should be brief and focused on the most relevant aspects of your experience. Use strong action verbs and industry-related buzzwords to grab the attention of hiring managers and highlight your suitability for the waitress position.
Strong and weak Waitress summary
“Dedicated and personable waitress with four years of experience delivering exceptional customer service in fast-paced restaurant environments. Proven ability to efficiently manage tables, accurately take orders and handle cash transactions. Recognized for maintaining a clean and inviting dining area, resulting in a high customer satisfaction rating. A reliable team player committed to ensuring a positive dining experience for all patrons.”
Why does this summary statement work?
This candidate knows how to describe waitress on resume summaries— they highlight their years of experience, customer service expertise, ability to manage tables, take orders and handle cash transactions accurately. Including specific achievements, such as maintaining a clean dining area and achieving high customer satisfaction ratings, adds credibility and demonstrates the applicant’s value as a waitress.
“Looking for a waitress job. I have some experience working in a restaurant. I am friendly and can handle busy shifts.”
How it fails:
This poor resume summary doesn’t share relevant information to convince a hiring manager to spend more than six seconds on this waitress resume. It provides no measurable evidence of the candidate’s abilities or contributions as a waitress. The summary is vague and does share measurable evidence from this candidate’s experience. This waitress can improve their resume by adding their average shift length, how often they successfully promote specials or how quickly they can suggest substitutions based on customers’ dietary needs.
PRO TIP:
If you’re a current student or new-time job seeker, use a resume objective to highlight your transferable skills and experience related to socializing, catering or hosting.
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How to Write Waitress Resume Descriptions for Your Work History
Your waitress resume’s resume work history section will be the longest and most detailed section if you use a timeline resume like the chronological resume or hybrid resume. Hiring managers rely on this section to measure your qualifications, so add the following waitress job descriptions to make the most of this space.
Start with your most recent experience
Begin the work history section with your most recent waitress position, and then list your previous roles in reverse-chronological order. Include the job title, employment dates and the restaurant’s name and location.
Highlight responsibilities and achievements
Clearly outline your key responsibilities and notable achievements for each waitress role you held. Focus on customer service, order taking, food and drink preparation, cash handling, and maintaining a clean and organized dining area.
Quantify achievements and demonstrate impact
Quantify your accomplishments to provide tangible evidence of your performance. For example, mention the number of tables you served, sales targets you achieved, or any recognition received for excellent service.
Strong and weak Waitress work history
Waitress | Red Whistle Cafe
Sanford, NC | May 2021 — Present
- Managed a section of 15 tables in a high-volume establishment, consistently receiving customer satisfaction scores of 95%+.
- Introduced a new drink-pairing suggestion strategy that increased upselling revenues by 20%.
- Trained and mentored 10 new staff members, enhancing team efficiency and service quality.
Why this work history works:
This waitress resume example uses detailed bullet points and clear numbers to highlight their ability to work in a busy restaurant, train fellow servers and promote new cocktails. Their ability to demonstrate their positive contributions to their previous workplaces makes them a valuable candidate for the new job.
- Consistently meet or exceed sales targets while serving food and handling cash.
- Provide exceptional customer service by warmly greeting and assisting patrons, creating a positive dining experience.
- Efficiently handle multiple tables, take orders accurately, and promptly deliver food and beverages.
How this work history fails:
In this poor example, the descriptions are too vague and fail to convey the candidate’s capabilities or distinguish them from other applicants. This waitress can improve their resume by adding the number of tables or patrons they typically serve during a shift, how they accommodate requests or how frequently they successfully recommend additional courses, plates or drinks.
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How to Add Your Waitress Resume’s Education Info
Although most wait staff and waitress gigs require more than a high school diploma or GED, you can strengthen your resume with relevant classes, training programs or certifications like bartending, hospitality or food safety certifications. Here’s how to format and improve your education section.
1List your highest level of education.
Start with your highest completed degree or qualification, such as a high school diploma or relevant certifications. Include the name of the institution, the degree or certification earned and the dates of attendance or completion.
Example of waitress-related education
Associate in Applied Science, Hospitality and Travel Management | Monroe College
Expected Graduation Date: May 2024
High School Diploma | International Community High School
Graduation Date: May 2021
2Highlight relevant coursework or training programs.
Mention any classes or training related to the hospitality industry, customer service or food safety. This section can include courses in restaurant management, food and beverage service or responsible alcohol service.
Example of relevant waitress classes or training programs
Wine Tasting: Sensory Techniques for Wine Analysis
UC Davic Online | April 2024
Food Science and Nutrition: From the Farm to You
University of Leeds Online | January 2023
3Include relevant certifications
Add professional certifications valuable to a waitress position, like food safety certifications, ServSafe certifications, or specific service techniques; be sure to include them. Certifications demonstrate your commitment to professionalism, customer satisfaction, and compliance with industry standards.
Certifications formatting example
Food Handler Certification | Local Health Department | 2020
- Completed comprehensive training on food safety and sanitation practices, ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations.
Responsible Alcohol Service Certification | Beverage Control Board | 2019
- Received training in responsible alcohol service, including recognizing signs of intoxication, checking IDs, and enforcing legal drinking age requirements.
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15 Waitress Resume Skills to Impress Managers
Your skills will live within your summary statement and work history sections, but the waitress resume skills section helps you showcase up to eight more unique abilities that showcase your qualifications. Here’s a list of five soft skills, five hard skills and five technical skills specific to waitress responsibilities.
Soft skills
- Communication skills
- Customer service
- Critical thinking skills
- Teamwork
- Problem-solving
Hard skills
- Order taking
- Food and beverage knowledge
- Table setting
- Cash handling
- Menu memorization
Technical skills
- POS systems and computer skills
- Reservation software
- Food safety and hygiene
- Espresso machine operation
- POS inventory management
PRO TIP:
Focus on transferable resume skills to highlight your customer-facing strengths and experiences to make your resume stand out to potential employers.
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20 Dynamic Waitress Action Verbs
Since waitressing is a customer-facing job, managers want dynamic candidates who can use dynamic language and behavior to keep customers happy and engaged. Your waitress resume can reflect these personality traits with action verbs and power words. Here is a starter list of 20 action verbs that can help your waitress resume stand out:
- Assist
- Cater
- Collaborate
- Coordinate
- Deliver
- Enhance
- Execute
- Facilitate
- Greet
- Implement
- Improve
- Manage
- Operate
- Organize
- Prepare
- Recommend
- Serve
- Support
- Train
- Upsell
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Additional Resume Sections
Consider adding the following sections to your wait staff and waitress resume based on your specific circumstances and to enhance your qualifications:
Use a Cover Letter to Express Yourself
A resume is a concise overview of your skills and experience — a cover letter expands on this foundation. Add a cover letter to share one or two examples of how you excelled in similar roles or how your skills match a company’s needs. Use this sample as a guide, or visit our helpful resources to boost your application.
Waitress Resume FAQ
Should I include references on my resume?
Don’t add your references unless the job listing specifically requests them. Otherwise, you can delete this section to save more space for your other resume sections. However, you should have a dedicated resume references page ready for the later stages of the application and interview process.
How do I make my resume compatible with applicant tracking systems (ATS)?
Most companies use ATS to grade and delete up to 75% of applications. To score in the top half of applicants, use a simple, clean format and include relevant keywords from the job description. Avoid using tables or columns, as they can confuse the ATS. Try one of our free ATS-friendly resume templates.
What is the average salary for a waitstaff or waitress?
Waitress salaries depend on the location and establishment, but most wait staff can expect the minimum wage. Our food and beverage service job description and the Bureau of Labor Statistics delve into more information, but your average pay could range from minimum wage to daily tips.
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Last edited by: Gabriela Barcenas, CONTENT STRATEGIST - November 12, 2024
Gabriela Barcenas
CONTENT STRATEGISTGabriela is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and career adviser. With 10 years of digital media experience and five years of resume writing expertise, her publication history includes fashion, education, travel, social justice, equitable design and career advice.