Dishwasher Resume—Sample, Guide and 25+ Writing Tips

Anthony Bourdain credited his mentor with teaching him “every important lesson in life”. And his mentor was a sink with a dish hose.

Dishwashers are the unsung heroes of every kitchen—every top chef can tell you that. But how do you actually get a dishwasher job with generous pay, free meals, time off and staff you want to be around? By writing the perfect dishwasher resume.

This dishwasher resume guide will help you get there with:

• A dishwasher resume sample that will give you an unfair advantage.
• A walkthrough on how to nail your restaurant dishwasher job description.
• Adjustments to make when writing a dishwasher resume with no experience.
• Expert hints to increase the chances of your dishwasher job application.

Are you ready to step up to the plates?

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Need a different restaurant resume, or you’re considering a range of positions? See our resume guides:

• Restaurant Resume Examples
• Line Cook Resume Examples
• Sous Chef Resume Examples
• Barista Resume Examples
• Culinary Resume Examples
• Food Runner Resume Examples
• McDonald's Resume Examples
• Server Resume Examples
• Retail Resume Examples
• Housekeeping Resume Examples
• Hospitality Resume Examples

Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our Professional Resume Examples.

Dishwasher Resume Sample You Can Copy and Use

Here is how to make sure your dishwasher resume steps up to the plate: 

1. Start Strong With the Right Dishwasher Resume Format

Make your dishwasher resume format clean and readable. Restaurant managers don’t have the time to analyze your resume like it was a five-star restaurant menu. Cut to the chase.

Here’s how to do just that:

Dishwasher Resume Format

• Go for the reverse-chronological resume format to display your best stuff up front.
• Choose easy-to-read resume fonts like Calibri or Tahoma in 10–12pt.
• Set 1-inch resume margins and space the sections out neatly.
• Limit yourself to a one-page resume. This is not just dishwasher-specific advice. 
• Order your resume sections like this: Header, Objective, Experience, Education, and “Additional.”
• Save your resume as a PDF, unless specified otherwise. In case you need it, here's a list of the best free resume templates for Microsoft Word. 

Now let’s get polish the smudges out of your dishwasher.

Expert Hint: How much do dishwashers make? The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the median pay for dishwashers as $13.52. Prep cooks do a little better, at $14.12, and chefs average $24.30. This is why you should present yourself as versatile and ready to learn in your dishwasher resume—they get a worker that will do anything needed, and you get a chance to move up.

2. Compose a Shining Dishwasher Resume Objective or Summary

The world assumes washing dishes is easy. But the world doesn’t understand the challenges of polishing 60 dollar wine glasses while breathing in tear gas created by hosing down a habanero-covered plate with 160 degree water.

Plus, according to the National Restaurant Association, dishwashing is also a stepping stone for many great a restauranteur. 9 out of 10 managers start here, or in a similar entry level position.

Want to be part of that crowd? Certain characteristics will make you suitable for the more prestigious, high-traffic joints.

Highlight your strongest skills, and above all, a willingness to learn.

Arguably, anyone can wash dishes. Not arguably, few contribute to the proper operation of a restaurant and pick up the slack when needed. The best way to show that you’re that person is with a resume objective. 

A dynamic and efficient dishwasher with 1+ year of experience, and an ambition to learn the restaurant business from the bottom up. At The Ivy, I help a kitchen serving 400 covers a night run smoothly and safely. An active athlete, with success in track and field at high school level. With a penchant for teamwork, and a hunger for learning new things whenever possible, I aim to be a valuable and flexible addition to your team at Fine Dining Inc., and fill in the gaps to help the kitchen run smoothly.

Having just graduated high school, I am seeking a dish washer position to pay my bills and Playstation network subscription. I am young, fit, and athletic, and I can handle washing dishes all day long.

Get your dishwasher resume objective right:

• Use strong, active power adjectives like energetic, efficient. 
• Refer to yourself by your job title, even if you don’t have it yet. 
• List your years of experience, if you have them. 
• Explain how you will contribute to your new employer—what you bring to the table (even though that’s the server’s job).
• Back up whatever you can with achievements and numbers.

Another way to write your dishwasher resume profile, is to use a resume summary. This is more effective when you have more experience. 

3. Polish Up Your Job Description For Dishwasher Resumes

When describing your work experience as a dishwasher, don’t say that you wash dishes. It does not need to be said. It can literally be mimed. Think about the impact you make on the running of the kitchen and try and put it into numbers.

If you only washed dishes, you wouldn’t need a name. A model serial number would do.

As long as you can deliver the equipment back to the right people and stations, as long as you can help a chef slice or dice something—you stand a chance of being more useful than an Electrolux Professional. This dishwasher job description nails it:

Dishwasher Job Description for a Resume

Dishwasher

The Ivy 

2018–2019

• Helped to ensure smooth operation of a kitchen serving 400 covers a night by performing dishwashing, janitorial and stocking duties.
• Managed multiple food stocking areas, as well as multiple equipment storage areas for different kitchen sections—ensuring everyone has the tools and ingredients they need.
• Full knowledge of every kitchen tool and equipment through disassembly for cleaning.
• Experience of ordering food and supplies needed.
• Always eager to help with new tasks and learn new skills—assisting with food prep almost every day.

• Washed dishes, pots, pans, equipment and the rotisserie oven.
• Brought food from freezers
• Mopped and scrubbed floors
• Took trash outside

The good example shows the impact—something that is sometimes hard to measure, or even hard to imagine that we can have it. Show your versatility and potential.

But what if you are writing a dishwasher resume with no experience? Write about accomplishmentsthat you may have from other work experience, volunteering, or school related activities. 

It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. Show that you can work hard, listen, and are eager to learn and you’ll be good to go.

Adding a resume skills section can help. But beware: Don’t just write anything down. Your Photoshop or beat-making skills are cool, but you’d get your laptop wet.  What’s relevant to a restaurant dishwasher? What could they possibly ask you to do? Here's a sample list:

Dishwasher Skills for Resume

• Attention to detail
• Basic Food Prep
• Basic Knife Handling (and Sharpening)
• Basic First Aid and CPR
• Enthusiasm
• Teamwork
• Friendliness
• Punctuality
• Organization
• Time Management
• Interpersonal Skills
• Work ethic

Expert Hint: Check your state’s requirements for food handler cards. Your employer would rather hire someone that can legally help them out in other tasks, too. Check your local community colleges and institutions for cooking courses that will help you move up in the ranks.

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4. Make Your Education a Reason to Hire You

You’d be forgiven for saying washing dishes doesn’t require an education. Which doesn’t mean you can’t make it one additional reason to get hired.

List your school name, diploma type, GPA, and graduation date. This dishwasher resume example shows how:

Dishwasher Resume Sample—Education

Education 

Portland Grove High School

High School Diploma

GPA: 3.5

2014–2018

• Represented school in track and field events regionally.
• Helped with organizing 3 events for parents, gaining teamwork and customer service skills.

Stand out by using bullet points to highlight your achievements.

If you haven’t been able to fill much space with work experience, you may extend your resume education section further! Think about things and events that taught you some of the dishwasher skills we listed in the previous section—this is as good a place as any other to show you have them.

Expert Hint: Is this your first job out of school? You can find more guidance in our high school resume guide.

5. Rack Your Dishwasher Resume With Added Sections

Let’s face it, most dishwasher resumes will be thin and unimpressive. You’ve done so much already, it’s time to get the last polish in with a few bonus resume sections such as:

• Awards
• Additional Activities
• Foreign Languages
• Hobbies and Interests
• Volunteering
• Certifications
• Professional References
• Skills—if you haven’t included them as part of your other sections

These two dishwasher resume examples show you clearly the difference it can make:

Dishwasher Resume—Extra Sections

Certifications

• First Aid, CPR—American Red Cross
• Food Handler Card

Awards

• 3rd place in 100m at Autumn 2017 Portland Track Meet

Languages

• Conversational Spanish

Key Skills

• Basic Food Prep
• Basic Knife Handling (and Sharpening)
• Punctuality
• Organization
• Time Management

Other 

• Cycling 2x week
• Have 2 dogs
• Interested in photography

Keep it relevant. The good dishwasher resume example proves your versatility and readiness for the job.

Expert Hint: Now, seriously, the last thing (get used to this if you want to work in a kitchen)—Depending where you’re applying to, you may need to know how to write a cover letter for a dishwasher. Are cover letters necessary for an unskilled position like this? Maybe. Either way, ResumeLab is full of advice and tips, even for writing the most entry-level cover letters.

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Key Points

To make sure your dishwasher resume gets your foot in the kitchen door:

• Remember the resume format guidelines—margins, fonts, 1 page, reverse chronological.
• Use our dishwasher resume sample as a backbone for your own. It’s neat and contains everything the manager might want to know, without the unnecessary. 
• Rack your dishwasher job description with descriptions of how you impact the running of the kitchen. 
• Show your versatility and readiness with the right dishwasher skills and a strong education section. Make sure they know you are ready for whatever they throw into your sink.
• Consider writing a dishwasher cover letter. It might boost your chances of getting hired.s

Got questions on how to write a great resume for dishwasher jobs? Did we help you get your dishwasher resume right? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply.

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