Server Resume: Examples & Guide for 2024

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:

• A server resume example that's better than most.
• How to ace your server resume description.
• How to write a food server resume that gets the interview.
• Why picking the right server skills for your resume is the #1 key to get hired.
• Server resume examples to copy and use when writing your application.

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Looking for something else than a server resume? Explore our other guides:

• Bar Manager Resume
• Bartender Resume
• Budtender Resume 
• Busser Resume
• Career Change Resume
• Cashier Resume
• Customer Service Representative Resume
• Fast Food Resume
• Food Service Resume
• Food Runner Resume
• Hospitality Resume
• Lifeguard Resume
• McDonald's Resume
• Restaurant Resume
• Retail Resume
• Sous Chef Resume
• Starbucks Resume
• US Resume
• Waiter Waitress Resume

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:

Server Resume Example You Can Copy and Use

For step-by-step guidelines on how to write a server resume, read on!

1. Use a Professional Server Resume Template

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:

Server Resume Template

1. Contact Information
2. Objective,  Summar, or Summary of Qualifications.
3. Work Experience
4. Skills for Resumes
5. Education
6. (Optional) Additional Sections

Also, don’t forget some basic resume formatting rules:

• Pick an elegant resume font.
• Go for single or 1.15 line spacing.
• Set one-inch margins.
• Make section headings larger than the rest of the text.
• List your experience in reverse-chronological order. Current or most recent position first, then the one before it, and so on.
• White space is good. Make smart use of it. You don’t want your serving resume to feel jam-packed.

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 2024 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.

2. Write a Mouth-Watering Server Resume Objective or Summary

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:

Server Resume Examples: Resume Objectives

Personable waitress and part-time food service worker. Three semesters of experience in a college cafeteria. Commanded by supervisors for exceptional customer service skills and work ethic. Seeking to join restaurant X to help ensure a smooth workflow.

High school graduate looking for a job as a server. No real-life waiting experience yet but I’m a hard worker willing to learn on the job.

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.

Server Resume Examples: Resume Summaries

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.

Experienced server looking to join a fast-paced restaurant. Skilled in taking and bringing orders, recommending food and resolving conflicts.

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.

3. Create Server Job Description That Stands Out

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.

Server Resume Description Step by Step

• Read the job ad carefully.
• Jot down the most important server responsibilities and tasks.
• Use those resume keywords: write a targeted job description.
• List your experience in reverse-chronological order (most recent position at the top, followed by the previous one, then the one before it, and so on).
• Add up to 5 bullet points under each job.
• Don’t just list server duties. Focus on your achievements.
• Use action verbs: “provided” or “delivered” instead of “responsible for providing and delivering.”
• At the bottom, add a “Key Achievement” subsection. Showcase your proudest professional win.
• Quantify whenever you can. Numbers pop!

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).

Server Job Description for a Resume

Head Server
ABC Restaurant, New York City, NY
2013–

• Worked in a high-paced environment, typically serving 10–15 tables at a time.
• (1) Provided excellent customer service: greeted customers, provided perfect seating by their requests, explained food and beverage specials.
• (1) Actively resolved customer complaints and issues without delegating them to higher management.
• (2) Reconciled cash register at the beginning and end of day to verify revenue sales. Decreased register errors by 40%.

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:

• Waiting tables
• Serving menu items
• Clearing tables
• Reconciling the cash register
• Recommending wines

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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4. Pepper the Right Skills on Your Server Resume

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!

How to Put Proper Skills on a Server Resume?

1. Start with a spreadsheet with all your professional skills.
2. Look at the job ad again. Look for skill-related keywords and mark them.
3. How many of these match the skills from your spreadsheet? Quite a few, right?
4. Voila! That’s your server skills list!

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:

Top 25 Hard and Soft Skills for Your Server Resume

• Restaurant Intercom Operation
• Safety Consciousness
• Math Skills
• Physical Fitness
• POS (Point of Sale) Systems
• Cash & Credit Transactions
• Computer Skills
• Dining Room Setup & Layout
• CPR and First Aid
• Vendor Management
• Inventory
• Restocking
• Register Skills
• Problem Solving
• Friendliness
• Stress Tolerance
• Decision Making
• Communication
• Multitasking
• Teamwork
• Conflict Resolution
• Active Listening
• Interpersonal Skills
• Time Management
• Active Learning

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! 

5. Turn Boring Education into a Reason to Hire You

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:

• Your degree
• School name
• Graduation date

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:

Server Resume Example: Education

ABC High School
2016

• Volunteered during school fairs, helped prepare and serve snacks and drinks.
• Girls Softball Team Captain.
• Excelled in Mathematics Course.

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.”

6. Spice Up Your Server Resume With These Extra Sections

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.

Sample Server Resume Additional Sections

• Certifications
• Volunteer Experience
• Courses Taken
• Languages

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!

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Key Points

For a server resume that gets any restaurant job you want, follow these steps:

• At the top, put a server resume objective or summary.
• In your server job descriptions, focus on achievements over regular duties.
• If you don’t have much professional experience to show off on your server resume, focus on transferable skills you’ve gained through other activities.
• Personalize every resume you send to match the requirements from the job ad.

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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