As seen in 1

Table of contents

Waitress resume example
More waitress resume examples
Choose the right resume format for your waitress resume
How to write a waitress resume in 5 simple steps
Add a cover letter
Key takeaways for your waitress resume
Commonly asked question about resume writing

To bring home the bacon as a waitress, you’ll need potential employers to know that you have the skills it takes both to perform the role and to charm your customers. To do that, you’ll need a great resume.

Show employers what you’ll bring to the table by studying our waitress resume examples. They show you how to serve up your skills and experience in a way that will get you noticed.

With the additional help of some easy-to-follow instructions on how to write a resume and writing tips for every section, you’ll have a resume that’s done short-order style. Here, you’ll learn exactly what you need to know to write an impressive waitress resume in a matter of minutes.

Keep reading to learn more about:

Examples of waitress resumes for applicants with and without experience.
What makes a waitress resume example great.
Tips and tricks for writing waitress resumes, including how to study a waitress job description for resume keywords.
What to include in every section of your waitress resume.
How to choose the right resume template and format for the role.

Ready to write a waitress resume now? Use our professional AI Resume Builder for step-by-step help writing every section.

Waitress resume example

Entry-level waitress resume example

Create your resume

Build your resume now

What makes this a great waitress resume sample?

It’s an industry-appropriate resume template.
This resume features a colorful creative resume template, which is appropriate for a waitressing role at a casual restaurant.
Utilizes the right resume format.
Since this applicant has limited work experience, she has chosen a functional resume format to highlight her education and impressive skill set.
Packs in valuable skills.
Limited work experience doesn’t mean you are unqualified. This applicant has wisely chosen to use multiple skills sections to show potential employers what she will bring to the table if hired.

Experienced waitress resume example

Create your resume

Build your resume now

What makes this a great waitress resume sample?

Utilizes a chronological resume template.
Since this applicant is a highly experienced waitress, she chose a resume template that highlights her years of work experience and strong career progression from serving coffee to lead waitress at a busy restaurant.
Uses data and metrics.
To highlight the volume of work she is capable of, this applicant uses numerical data and metrics that show tangible accomplishments from her waitressing career.
Uses additional sections.
In addition to mentioning her associate degree in the Education section, this applicant highlights that she has acquired her ServSafe Certification to show employers that she is well-versed in food safety regulations.

More waitress resume examples

Not finding the food service resume examples that you need? Check out the job titles below or take a look at our library of resume examples. With hundreds of job titles, you’re bound to find what you’re looking for.

Browse other popular samples

Waitress Cover Letters

Choose the right resume format for your waitress resume

To land the waitress job you want, you need to get the right information in front of a recruiter. How do you accomplish that? By selecting the right resume format for your waitress resume.

Here’s how to decide which one is right for you:

Applicants with no related experience should consider using a functional resume format, which puts transferable skills front and center.
Midlevel applicants with a few years of related experience should consider using a combination resume format, which is ideal for showing employers both your skills and work experience.
Experienced applicants who have five or more years of relevant experience should consider a chronological resume format to highlight work experience and a strong career progression.

Visit our guide to learn more about how to format a resume for more information on how to best showcase your skills, training and experience.

Select an appropriate waitress resume template

Create your resume

While every resume template will have the same basic sections — a professional summary or resume objective, skills, work history and education — you can customize the look and feel of your resume by selecting the right template.

Since waitressing is a profession that can run the gamut from fine dining to serving pizza at a Chuck E. Cheese, selecting a resume that reflects the restaurant’s ambiance is critical. For a casual restaurant, choosing a resume template with some flair is appropriate, like one of our creative resume templates. Or, for more upscale establishments, consider one of our modern resumes or simple templates for a more button up presentation.

How to write a waitress resume in 5 simple steps

While there are some basic rules for writing a great resume, savvy applicants for competitive waitressing jobs know that the key to getting noticed is to write a resume that is specific to the industry and the role they seek.

Let’s break down how to accomplish this on your resume.

Step 1

Study the waitress job description

A well-written waitress resume is customized to include keywords that show employers that you have what it takes to perform the role. Why is this important?

Many employers run resumes through applicant tracking systems (ATS) that screen out unqualified candidates based on preset keywords. If your resume doesn’t contain the right keywords, you’ll be eliminated before a human ever sees your resume. To make your resume ATS-friendly, you’ll need to customize it to the job description. That’s why if you’re able to successfully incorporate the right keywords, you’ll improve your chances of landing a job interview.

You may be asking yourself, “Each job is different. How do I know which keywords to use?”

Don’t worry — it’s easy.

While every waitress role is different, a good job ad should tell you everything you need to know about which keywords to add to your waitress resume. Study the job description and make a list of critical keywords.

For example, if the waitress job description asks for strong people skills, ability to multitask, experience with point-of-sale (POS) systems and experience working in a high-volume dining establishment, you’ll want to be sure to use those exact words in your waitress resume.

And don’t just stick to the skills section. Also look for opportunities in your professional summary and work experience section to add the keywords you’ve identified. Then, go through your resume and make sure what you wrote matches the wording in the job description so that the ATS recognizes it.

It may sound like a lot, but once you get used to the process, it should only take you a few minutes to do and will get your waitress resume better results than if you don’t tailor it.

Step 2

Write a professional summary or resume objective

Depending on your level of experience, your waitress resume should include either a professional summary or a resume objective to start. This section is your resume profile, where you provide potential employers with a summary of your most relevant skills and experience and some professional highlights.

Candidates with less experience should choose a resume objective, which states your transferable skills and your career goals. Applicants with more direct experience in waitressing should use a professional summary, which outlines your skills and experience and highlights some of your most notable professional accomplishments.

Here are some strong examples for your waitress resume:

Waitress professional summary example:

Dedicated and skilled professional server with six years of experience in fine dining. Exceptional ability to anticipate customer needs and provide unparalleled customer service. Elevate the dining experience through meticulous attention to detail, adept interpersonal skills and an in-depth understanding of fine dining etiquette. Consistently recognized for seamlessly managing high-volume dining environments, serving an average of 75+ discerning customers daily, while maintaining composure and ensuring a seamless dining journey.

Waitress resume objective example:

Energetic and motivated waitress with a dynamic skill set honed through a summer of dedicated service at a bustling diner. Adept at managing fast-paced environments and delivering prompt, courteous service to patrons. Demonstrated capacity to handle daily customer volume averaging 150+ while maintaining a positive attitude and ensuring a memorable dining experience.

Step 3

Highlight your most relevant waitress skills

You’ve learned how to start your resume, now let’s move on to the skills section for your waitress resume. Skills for a waitress resume should be added to your resume skills section and peppered into your professional summary (or resume objective) and your work experience section. Since waitresses have direct contact with the public and require technical skills, it’s critical that you provide employers with a solid mix of hard and soft skills.

Hard skills are the measurable skills needed to perform a job, such as an understanding of point-of-sale (POS) software. These skills are easily taught in a classroom.

Soft skills, on the other hand, are nontechnical, making them difficult to measure. They are behaviors and personality traits, like strong communication skills and problem-solving abilities, that help you do your job well.

Here’s a side-by-side list of hard and soft skills to help you see the difference between the two.

Hard and soft skills for a waitress resume

Hard Skills

Square
Microsoft Office
Customer Management System (CMS)
Advanced wine training
Safe food handling skills
Strong math skills

Soft Skills

Ability to multitask
Time management skills
Problem-solving
Attention to detail
Communication skills
Conflict resolution

Here is an example of a strong waitress skills section:

Proficient in point-of-sale (POS) systems, including Square
Strong verbal communication skills
Friendly personality
High attention to detail
Strong ability to multitask

Pro tip

When writing your skills section, adding computer skills, like familiarity with point-of-sale systems, is great. However, in waitressing soft skills count, too. A lot. Do your best to find a mix of hard and soft skills that make you great at your job. It will help show employers that you are a well balanced applicant.

Step 4

Write a standout waitress work experience section

While the required background and experience will be different for each role, the key to getting noticed is writing a work experience section that demonstrates what you will bring to the table.

Here is an example of a great waitress work experience entry:

Waitress, XO Kitchen
New York, NY
January 2022 – Present

Deliver exceptional customer service to 50+ patrons daily in a high-end fine dining establishment, ensuring a memorable dining experience.
Present and explain the menu, including the three daily specials with their wine pairings, showcasing an in-depth knowledge of cuisine offerings.
Take precise orders and relay them accurately to the kitchen, paying close attention to dietary restrictions and allergies.
Execute fine dining etiquette, including wine service, table settings and proper utensil usage, contributing to an elegant and sophisticated dining atmosphere.
Collaborate seamlessly with 10 fellow waitstaff, kitchen staff and management to ensure smooth operations and timely service delivery.
Address customer inquiries, concerns and special requests with professionalism, effectively resolving issues to uphold guest satisfaction.
Process payments accurately, handling cash and credit transactions while maintaining the integrity of financial transactions.

Pro tip

Make your waitress resume pop by using action words, along with numerical data and metrics when describing your work experience. Using interesting language will give you a better chance at capturing the attention of a hiring manager than just writing a boring list of responsibilities.

Step 5

Showcase your education and training on your waitress resume

To be hired as a waitress, you’ll need to show employers that you have the required education and training. While there are no set educational requirements for becoming a waitress, if you have an advanced degree, list it. If not, just add your high school education and any professional certifications or special training you’ve completed.

How to list your waitress education:

Education:

Bachelor of Arts
Hospitality
Penn State University
College Park, PA

Certifications:

ServSafe Certification
Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW)

Pro tip

There is no need to list your year(s) of graduation unless you are a very recent grad.

Optional sections for your waitress resume

Awards and honors

Adding honors and awards on your resume is a smart way to show off your abilities, achievements and qualifications. Waitressing is all about customer service and volume, so including awards for exceptional performance can be a real boon to your resume by showing the employer you are truly dedicated to your field and capable of making significant contributions to their establishment, which ultimately will increase your chances of landing the job.

How to list awards on your waitress resume:

2021 Customer Satisfaction Award Applebees – Floral Park, NY
2020 Employee of the Month Crown Diner – Yonkers, NY

Languages

As a waitress, being multilingual gives you the ability to communicate with a wider variety of customers and co-workers, which is a huge plus for employers. In some cases, with all else being equal, if a job opening comes down to two candidates and one of them lists multiple languages on their resume, the multilingual candidate may be more attractive to the employer, especially in diverse cities and towns.

How to list languages on your waitress resume:

Fluent in Spanish and English.
Proficient in Portuguese.

Interests and hobbies

Adding hobbies to your waitress resume is appropriate, especially if they’re relevant to the job. They offer an opportunity to show your personality and emphasize your transferable skills, like creativity or leadership — qualities you take from job to job.

Finally, hobbies and interests can demonstrate whether you’re the right culture fit for a dining establishment. They enrich your overall profile, showing the employer how you are a unique and fully defined person.

How to list interests and hobbies on your waitress resume:

Passion for sports, especially basketball and football
Community theater

Add a cover letter

Create your cover letter

Adding a cover letter to your waitress application can help you stand out. Why? Because it gives you extra space to convince the employer that you’re the right person for the job.

Learning how to write a cover letter for a waitressing job starts with studying our cover letter examples to learn how to express your unique candidacy in a compelling way and how to format your cover letter for success.

Or, if you want a job-specific cover letter in a matter of minutes, use our professional Cover Letter Builder, which offers professionally written text suggestions for every section. Use the wording as-is or customize it to suit your needs.

Key takeaways for your waitress resume

Follow our steps for crafting a resume:

Take care to write all five sections of your resume in a way that is specific to the job you seek. Your professional summary, skills, work experience and education section should all contain information that is targeted to the job ad.
Select the appropriate resume format:

Decide what you’d like to emphasize the most on your waitress resume — whether it be your strong skills, an impressive work history at Michelen star restaurants or both — and then select the format that will help you put your best foot forward.
Be specific to the role:

Use specific information from the job ad for the waitress role rather than generic resume filler when crafting your document. Again, a well-written job description will tell you the critical credentials you must emphasize on your resume.
Include both hard and soft skills:

Being a waitress requires a mix of technical and personal skills to do the job well. Study our list of hard and soft skills to be sure that you include a balance of both types in your resume.
Make your work experience section shine:

Accomplish this by using action verbs, data and metrics to show the impact of your work.
Choose an appropriate resume template:

Waitresses work in a variety of settings so choose a resume template that matches the company. If you’re applying for a job at a conservative place, like a country club, you’ll want to choose a conservative resume design. For more relaxed environments, like a diner or family restaurant, your waitressing resume can be more colorful and creative.
Go the extra mile:

Including a well-written waitress cover letter can increase your chances of landing a job interview.

Commonly asked question about resume writing

Was this information about Waitress Resume: Examples, Templates And Tips helpful? Let us know!

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

Heather is the Content Strategy Manager for Resume Now and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with more than ten years of experience writing about job search and career topics. She is based in San Francisco.