Use this Waiter and Waitress job description for a job-winning resume.

Waiting tables is a great part-time or full-time career option for those wanting to make some extra cash, seeking to gain experience, or looking for a career path with flexibility and the opportunity to work throughout the country and world. If you're seeking a Waiter or Waitress job, you need a resume that does what it's supposed to do – land you interviews. 

To meet that goal, it's beneficial to refer to Waiter and Waitress job descriptions to help create your resume. In this post, we share a Waiter and Waitress job description and tips to help you craft a resume that's sure to turn heads.

What are the duties of a Waiter and Waitress?

Waiters and Waitresses have the critical job of greeting guests and ensuring they have a pleasant dining experience. Out of all of the types of positions at dining establishments, Waiters and Waitresses spend the most time with guests, making these roles fundamental to the success of the business. 

From ensuring their stations are clean and refilling drinks regularly to explaining menu options and sending special food requests to the kitchen, Waiters and Waitresses interact with dining guests on several levels. They're also responsible for providing guests with their bills and ensuring they receive the correct change or credit card receipt. 

Waiters and Waitresses are also assigned rotating opening and closing duties to support the entire wait staff. At the end of a shift, for example, they might be assigned to clean coffee pots, restock items, or clean the food runner station.  

What is the difference between a Waiter, Waitress, and Server?

The term “server” can be used interchangeably with the terms “waiter” and “waitress.” Servers, Waiters, and Waitresses all serve the same function of waiting on or serving guests at dining establishments. 

The term “waiter” refers to those identifying as male, and the term “waitress” refers to those identifying as female. The term “server” is gender-neutral and often considered more politically correct compared to “waiter” and “waitress.” However, many patrons and establishments still use these latter terms today. 

In what types of establishments do Waiters and Waitresses work?

Waiter and Waitress positions are available in numerous establishments serving food. You might find a Waiter and Waitress job description for any of the following types of dining experiences:

  • Casual restaurants

  • Fine-dining restaurants

  • Wine bars

  • Coffee shops

  • Hotels

  • General bars

  • Resorts

  • Convention centers

  • Banquet halls

As you research Waiter and Waitress job description, search for any of the following titles:

  • Cocktail Waiter or Waitress

  • Fine-dining Waiter or Waitress

  • Server

  • Fine-dining Server

  • Cocktail Server

  • Waiter or Waitress

  • Food and Beverage Waiter or Waitress

  • Food and Beverage Server

  • Bar Server

  • Bar Waiter or Waitress

  • Head Server 

  • Head Waiter or Waitress

  • Banquet Waiter or Waitress

  • Banquet Server

Regardless of the type of Waiter or Waitress position you hold, most of the skills and job duties will be similar. However, you might require specialized skills for some establishments. For example, a Waiter or Waitress that works at a coffee shop might also need to know how to use an espresso machine, where this skill wouldn't be needed at establishments that didn't sell specialty coffee drinks. 

What are the five things a Waiter and Waitress must have?

There are several qualities a Waiter or Waitress must have to succeed in serving guests, making tips, and supporting the establishment. If we had to choose the five top required competencies, the following would be in the running: 

  1. Customer service. Customer service is a must to meet the needs of guests. Customer service includes having strong interpersonal skills, the ability to actively listen, empathy, problem-solving skills, and more. 

  2. Menu knowledge. It's frustrating for guests when a Waiter or Waitress can't answer their questions about the menu. And, if a Waiter or Waitress doesn't have a deep appreciation for menu items, it makes it challenging for them to do things like upsell, inform guests of their options, know ingredients for those with allergy concerns, and offer wine and cocktail options that complement meals. 

  3. Effective and clear communication. To meet their needs and the needs of others, Waiters and Waitresses must be able to effectively communicate with guests, kitchen staff, other servers, hostesses, bartenders, bussers, and anyone else working in or visiting the restaurant. 

  4. Positive attitude. Working in a dining establishment can be extremely rewarding, though it can come with a lot of challenges, as well. As such, it's essential and helpful for Waiters and Waitresses to  maintain a positive attitude to navigate the more challenging aspects of their jobs.

  5. Work well under stress while multitasking. Waiters and Waitresses have a lot of tasks they're doing simultaneously or back to back, from greeting guests, refilling drinks, and cashing guests out to taking orders, communicating with the kitchen, and keeping up with their assigned tasks during their shifts. As a result, they have to be able to do these things efficiently and while staying calm.  

We cover several additional skills and qualities necessary for a Waiter or Waitress later in this post. 

Why use a Waiter and Waitress job description for resume development?

Reviewing a Waiter and Waitress job description provides three specific benefits in terms of your job search, including:

  1. You can identify potential skills and experience gaps. If you're searching job descriptions and notice a common theme where you're missing a particular skill for the positions you most desire, you have the opportunity to remedy it. You can search for things like training courses, certifications, volunteering, and internships to help fill those gaps.

  2. You learn what a particular employer is seeking. Reviewing a Waiter and Waitress Job description allows you to assess a bit about the company and what the employer is seeking – including credentials, skills, and experience – and whether you would be a good fit and enjoy working for that organization. 

  3. You can identify keywords to help target your resume. As you explore job descriptions, you want to highlight the skills, experience, and training you have that meet what the employer is seeking. These highlights are the keywords you can use to target your resume for each job application.  

Wisely incorporating keywords into your resume is one way to create an ATS-friendly resume that gets past an employer's ATS or applicant tracking system. Keywords also catch the eye of hiring managers. 

Waiter and Waitress job description example

Let's now take a look at a Waiter/Waitress job description. As you review this job description, practice noticing the skills and experiences you have that align with the listed requirements. Also, pay attention to any skill gaps you might have, so you can work on those. 

Waiter/Waitress job description:

The Waiter/Waitress will take customer orders and serve food and beverages to guests in our restaurant. They're always aware of guest satisfaction to deliver the perfect service experience and ensure high-quality food and drinks to guests. 

Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, servicing the guest in a friendly, efficient manner while maintaining a clean and safe work environment. Guests must feel welcome, comfortable, and well attended to at all times.

Waiter or Waitress duties and responsibilities:

  • Provide the perfect service experience for restaurant patrons

  • Ensure the guest feels important and welcome in the restaurant

  • Ensure hot food is hot and cold food is cold

  • Adhere to timing standards for products and services

  • Look for ways to consolidate service and increase table turns

  • Present menu, answer questions, and make menu recommendations

  • Serve customers in an accommodating manner

  • Must know all food, liquor, beer, wine, and retail offered

  • Apply positive suggestive sales approach to guide guests

  • Pre-bus tables, maintain table cleanliness, bus tables, and remove dirty plates

  • Look for ways to avoid waste and limit costs

  • Assist in keeping the restaurant clean and safe

  • Provide responsible service of alcoholic beverages

  • Deliver food and beverages to any table as needed

  • Must follow all cash handling policies and procedures

  • Report to property on time and in proper uniform

  • Process payments of food and drink orders with the cash register

  • Coordinate with kitchen staff to deliver accurate food orders

Waiter or Waitress job requirements:

  • Must be of legal age to serve alcoholic beverages 

  • Must have all certifications and licenses as required by local Health Department and Alcoholic Beverage Commission statutes, including a Food Handlers Card

  • Must have clear written and verbal communication skills

  • Must have the physical abilities to carry out the functions of the job description

  • Must be able to responsibly handle cash transactions

  • Must be able to consolidate and coordinate needs for all tables within their station

  • Must be able to carry food and beverages

  • Must be able to work in a team environment

  • Must attend food safety training 

  • High school diploma or equivalent; college degree preferred

  • At least one year experience as a food server within a restaurant, hotel, or conference center operation

  • Any related customer service/oriented experience will be considered

  • Ability to comprehend and effectively communicate in fluent English

Waiter and Waitress skills & proficiencies

Several hard and soft skills are necessary to be a successful Waiter or Waitress, and your resume needs to showcase these skills to land interviews. Soft skills are the people skills required to get along well with others. Unlike hard skills, they're not easily measured. We can improve our soft skills through professional and personal experiences and training. 

Hard skills are the technical skills you need to complete necessary job functions. They are measurable and objective. We acquire hard skills through education and training. 

Let's look at some of the most in-demand skills employers seek in a Waiter or Waitress, broken down by hard and soft skills. 

Hard skills for a Waiter or Waitress

  • Basic Math

  • Upselling

  • Selling to Customer Needs

  • Physical Strength

  • Point-of-sale Systems

  • Food Safety

  • Food Handlers Card certification

  • OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Association) standards

  • Food and Beverage Knowledge

Soft skills for a Waiter or Waitress

  • Verbal Communication

  • Excellent Customer Service

  • Conflict Resolution

  • Problem-solving

  • Teamwork

  • Persistence

  • High Energy

  • Thoroughness

  • Professionalism

  • Interpersonal Relationships

  • Stamina

  • Patience

  • Social Perceptiveness

  • Positive Attitude

  • Dependability

  • Friendly

  • High Stress Tolerance

  • Dexterity

  • Adaptability

  • Flexibility

  • Time Management

  • Organization

  • Good Memory

How can AI help craft my Waiter/Waitress resume?

Some struggle to come up with the right keywords and content to include in their resume. If this defines you, AI might be able to help. Though it's not ever recommended to submit an AI-generated resume, AI can serve the purpose of helping you determine what's best to include in your resume. An AI tool like ChatGPT can analyze various job descriptions and the content that stands out in them. It can also analyze various sections of your resume and help identify keywords for you to use, as well

Should I put Waiter or Waitress on my resume?

This post is geared toward those seeking a Waiter or Waitress position, and it goes without saying that if you're seeking a Waiter or Waitress position, then you definitely want to include your past experience in those types of roles on your resume. 

For future reference, if you're seeking a different type of position, then it depends. If a Waiter or Waitress position is clearly relevant to the position you're applying to, include it. If not, then you should forgo including it in most instances, especially if you have plenty of other relevant experience. 

However, if you're changing careers or are an entry-level candidate, it could be worth including your role as a Waiter or Waitress due to the transferable skills required for the position. Holding down a Waiter or Waitress job shows you have interpersonal, time management, multitasking, and organizational skills, for example. It also shows you can do basic math and work well under pressure. 

If you need to showcase these types of skills and have limited experience to do so, then including a Waiter or Waitress position on your resume makes sense. 

Use Waiter and Waitress job descriptions to enhance your resume

You now have a Waiter and Waitress job description and list of skills to help guide the creation and updating of your resume. Allow your skills to shine and stand out to land a job waiting tables today!

Is your resume ready to submit to employers? If you're unsure, why not take advantage of our free resume review to receive valuable insights and tips to help you stand out in your job search.

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