
How Long Should a Resume Be: The Best Resume Length
How long should a resume be? One page? Two pages? Does it even matter? We’re here to answer all your questions about resume length!
Make a server resume that no restaurant manager can decline. Follow our guide and learn the best tips and practices on how to write your resume with proven server resume examples.
As a server, you know better than anyone that presentation is everything. From the garnish on a dessert to the perfect wine pairing, every detail counts.
The same goes for your server resume - it needs to be just as carefully crafted and presented as if it was a dish. Want to gain recognition? Make it perfect.
This guide will show you how to create a winning server resume (+ server resume description) that will showcase your skills and experience in the most appetizing way possible.
This guide will show you:
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Looking for something else than a server resume? Explore our other guides:
Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our Resume Examples.
Lettuce begin with a good server resume example that ticks all the boxes:
Rachel Williams
Food Server
513-5125-0000
rachel.w.williams@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/rachelwwilliams
rachel-munchies.blogspot.com
Summary
Dependable Fine Dining Server with 5+ years of experience in a renowned French restaurant. Increased average monthly sales by 18% by actively upselling and recommending wine-pairing decisions. Trained 10 employees. Seeking to leverage my expertise to help Restaurant XYZ boost customer happiness scores.
Experience
Head Server
ABC Restaurant, New York City, NY
2013–
Key achievement: Increased average monthly sales by 18% by designing and introducing a system of recommending wine-pairing decisions based on taste and menu.
Server
PHO 206, Newark, NJ
2011–2013
Hostess
Seaside Grill, NJ
2010–2011
Key Skills
Education
Forest Hills High School
Queens, NY
2011
Hobbies and Interests
For step-by-step guidelines on how to write a server resume, read on!
There’s your server resume, on the restaurant manager’s desk, somewhere in the middle of a pile 300+ resumes deep.
The manager casts a glance on it… Whoops! It just landed in the trash. What happened? Your server resume was confusing to read. The manager didn’t have the time to dig for necessary information.
How to avoid it? Use a clear, legible server resume format.
Your server resume should include the following sections in this order:
Also, don’t forget some basic resume formatting rules:
You can also start by choosing a proper resume template, where most of the formatting will be taken care of. See our list of best resume templates for 2023 and Google Docs resume templates.
Expert Hint: Once you’re done, save your server resume in PDF. This way you’ll keep the layout intact across all devices and software. But remember to double-check with the job ad. Some employers only accept MS Word server resumes.
Remember those 300 restaurant server resumes I mentioned? The hiring manager won’t read all of them. Each will get an average of 6 seconds of her attention.
The good news? You can make her read yours in full.
How? Open your server resume with a resume objective or summary. A succinct paragraph of 60 words tops that explains why you’re the right server for this gig.
Not much serving experience? Write a resume objective. Discuss what skills you’ve learned so far and how well you’d fit in.
Already a seasoned, three-plates-in-one-arm server? Go for a professional summary of qualifications.
Show off your best achievements and outline your career. Whichever one will be your choice, keep one thing in mind: make your heading statement personalized.
Drop the name of the restaurant you’re applying to. Show you’ve got what it takes to help them achieve their goals.
(Yes, that means you can’t just spam one general server resume around. And that’s precisely the point.)
See these server resume examples for reference:
The difference is clear, isn’t it?
The good example? Gordon Ramsay and Nigella Lawson would fight over who gets to hire this entry-level server.
Bad example, in turn, reads along the lines of “I know nothing about waiting tables but need a job, so give me one.”
Now, check out these two very different examples of server resume summaries.
Expert Hint: This section comes at the top of your resume, but it’s best to write it last. It should work like a trailer for the rest of your food service resume. To make a good trailer, first have the rest of the contents ready and choose the best bits.
Now, time for the main course. The meat and potatoes of your resume. Here’s how to make sure it’s as delicious as chateaubriand with dauphinoise. What? Your server resume description.
Have a look at this fine dining server resume example.
The job ad calls for candidates: (1) with exceptional customer service skills, (2) experienced with cash registers, (3) knowledgeable about pairing food and wine.
Here’s a server resume job description that proves she’s (1), (2), and (3).
Head Server
ABC Restaurant, New York City, NY
2013–
Key achievement: Increased average monthly sales by 18% by (3) designing and introducing a system of recommending wine-pairing decisions based on taste and menu.
ABC Restaurant
2013 - today
Head server
Responsibilities:
Expert Hint: Dreaming of becoming a restaurant manager or running your own trattoria in the future? You’re on the right track. A recent study has shown that 8 out of 10 restaurant owners and 9 out of 10 restaurant managers started out as food servers!
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When it comes to listing your server skills, here’s the single most important thing: relevance.
Remember when I mentioned tailoring? Here it comes again!
It’s better to limit yourself to 4–6 most relevant skills than to copy-paste a generic server skills list. Only for reference, check out the table below:
Expert Hint: Especially on server resumes with no experience, create a good list of you soft skills. Employers want to know what skills you’ll be able to transfer into your new workplace!
For experienced servers, the education section is the least important on a resume, that’s true.
Does it mean you can skip it altogether? Not at all. Most employers require at least a high school degree. So: make sure you prove you have the necessary education to take up the job.
In the education section of your server resume, limit yourself to the highest degree of education obtained.
List:
To all food service candidates with little experience: You can elaborate on your education a bit more to show you have what it takes to be successful at the job.
See this server resume example:
ABC High School
2016
Expert Hint: If you finished a semester or two of college, include it on your food server resume. If you’re currently in college, put that on a resume as well. Add a note “Expected to graduate in 20XX.”
You think you’ve got all you need for a standout food server resume? Contact information, summary, work history, skills, and education—all check.
But wait—you can still kick it up a notch. Include extra resume sections that prove your passion for the industry.
Don’t have any of the above?
Include a hobbies & interests section. As a recent report has revealed, nowadays up to 90% of employers want candidates to be a good cultural fit for the company. A compelling hobbies section can help you show just that.
And, for the final word: attach a cover letter to your resume. A lot of employers still expect them! Not sure how to make one? Our guide on how to write a cover letter will help you!
Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.
Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.
For a server resume that gets any restaurant job you want, follow these steps:
All check? Well—good luck at your big interview!
Questions about a server resume? Doubts or Concerns? Drop me a line in the comments and let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to learn about writing a food service resume. I’ll do my best to help!
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