The service industry continues to be a promising sector to find work. However, employers want to see you have the right skills for the job before they hire you.
Show that you’re a strong candidate by including these top server skills on your resume.
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Example of server resume with relevant skills
Here’s an example of a server resume with all the relevant hard and soft skills bolded:
Best hard skills for servers
Hard skills come from hands-on experience, education, or training, such as operating point-of-sale (POS) systems, recommending wine pairings, or setting tables.
Sales
Serving in a restaurant is essentially a sales job. You’re in the customer service business, and employers want to hire servers who know how to upsell.
Show your sales skills like:
- building rapport
- understanding customer needs
- persuasion
- upselling and cross-selling
- maximizing the bill amount
Example of how to show sales skills on your resume
- Consistently upsold appetizers, desserts, and premium beverages, increasing average check totals by 15% per shift
Product knowledge
How can you convince customers to order a dish without knowing how good it tastes or what ingredients it’s made from? Make sure you know the menu well, and if you can make wine-pairing suggestions, even better.
Example of how to mention product knowledge
- Maintained in-depth knowledge of menu items, daily specials, and wine pairings to provide personalized recommendations and enhance the guest dining experience
Physical stamina
Working in the service industry means being on your feet for long periods. As a server, you need to:
- balance plates of food and drinks
- take orders at different tables
- work at the cash register
- clean up after customers
These duties are a regular part of your shift, so having a lot of energy and being physically fit are great qualities to mention on your server resume.
Example of how to demonstrate stamina
Memory
A crucial part of being a server is having an excellent memory. You need to memorize the menu, table numbers, and customers’ faces and orders.
Accurately remembering a customer’s face and specific details about their food order is essential for preventing food allergy issues, helping the restaurant operate smoothly, and brightening a customer’s day — resulting in memorable dining experiences and positive restaurant reviews.
Example of how to highlight good memory
- Memorized and accurately recalled orders for up to 15 tables at a time, including allergies and other customizations, ensuring prompt and correct service delivery
Cleanliness and good personal hygiene
To be a successful food server, you need to look presentable and neat while working.
Example of how to mention cleanliness and good personal hygiene
- Adhere to strict cleanliness and hygiene standards, ensuring a professional appearance and maintaining a sanitary workspace to uphold restaurant health and safety protocols
Alcohol and wine pairing knowledge
Customers at higher-end restaurants often ask for their server’s opinions on alcohol and wine pairings to enhance their meals.
If you’re knowledgeable about wine pairings, highlight this talent on your resume to catch the eye of hiring managers — especially if your recommendations have resulted in higher sales.
Example of how to highlight alcohol and wine pairing knowledge
- Provided expert recommendations on wine pairings and alcoholic beverages, leveraging extensive product knowledge to enhance the dining experience and boost sales
Knowledge of point-of-sale-systems and restaurant equipment
As a food server, you regularly ring up customers on a cash register and use point-of-sale (POS) systems. If you have previous experience using POS systems, mention this skill on your server resume.
Some of the most common SOP systems are:
If you don’t have POS experience, employers are happy to train you if you indicate your adaptability and willingness to learn on the job.
Example of how to highlight knowledge of point-of-sale-systems and restaurant equipment
- Familiar with Square and Lightspeed to accurately process orders, payments, and reservations, ensuring smooth transactions during high-volume shifts
- Proficient in using and maintaining restaurant equipment, including espresso machines, soda dispensers, and kitchen tools, to support efficient service delivery
Best soft skills for servers
Soft skills are personality traits that relate to how you interact with customers and colleagues in a work environment.
As a customer service position, soft skills are essential for working as a server. This list of server soft skills will help you identify the qualities you need to highlight on your resume to land an interview:
Customer service skills
Servers interact with customers, so showcase your customer service skills on your server resume.
Employers seek servers who speak respectfully to customers and create a welcoming environment. If you provide excellent customer service, customers will revisit the restaurant and recommend it to others.
Example of how to highlight customer service skills
- Delivered exceptional customer service by promptly addressing guest needs, resolving concerns with professionalism, and ensuring a positive dining experience that led to a 90% customer satisfaction rate
Interpersonal skills
Having strong interpersonal skills is vital for servers. Use your interpersonal skills to illustrate your strong work ethic and ability to have positive interactions with your customers and staff members.
Interpersonal skills are one of the most sought-after skills because they show employers that you’re friendly and a good fit for the team.
Here are some examples of strong people skills:
- Positive attitude
- Emotional intelligence
- Conversational skills
- A sense of humor
- Reliability
- Approachability
Example of how to highlight interpersonal skills
- Built strong rapport with guests and team members through effective communication and a friendly demeanor, fostering a collaborative work environment and repeat customer loyalty
Organizational skills
If you’ve worked in a restaurant before, you know that tables fill up quickly during the lunch and dinner rush. Be sure to highlight organizational skills on your resume so employers know you won’t spin.
Example of how to demonstrate organizational skills
Problem-solving skills
If you can handle feedback and criticism well, respond quickly to different issues, and stay calm, then mention these qualities on your resume. Illustrating that you’re an excellent problem solver can also lead to management positions.
Example of how to highlight problem-solving skills
Flexibility
Serving is a dynamic job and employers prefer to hire candidates who can showcase flexibility to meet the demands of a busy restaurant.
Stand out as an applicant by proving that you’re open to changing circumstances and responsibilities.
Example of how to mention flexibility
Adjusted seamlessly to different roles within the restaurant, including hosting, bussing, and assisting in the kitchen, to ensure excellent service during busy periods or staff shortages
Teamwork
Being a team player is essential because chefs and managers rely on you to relay correct information about each table and bond with the customers.
Employers are also looking to see if you’re open to:
- Assisting servers with taking their customers’ payments at the cash register
- Collaborating with coworkers to ensure tables are served efficiently during peak hours
- Communicating with kitchen staff to address special requests or dietary restrictions
- Assisting teammates by running food, bussing tables, or refilling drinks when needed
- Coordinating with hosts and bartenders to manage seating and drink orders smoothly
- Training new servers to help them adapt to the workflow and maintain service quality
So if your previous work history includes collaborating with others in a team, bring it up on your resume.
Example of how to highlight teamwork
- Collaborated with team members to manage large party reservations, ensuring smooth coordination between servers, kitchen staff, and management for timely service and customer satisfaction
Time management skills
As a server, you need time management skills to prioritize your customers and check on them appropriately.
If you can finish all of your tasks on time, you’ll directly improve the workflow of a restaurant and make sure the staff doesn’t fall behind on orders, so use this skill to help you stand out as a candidate.
Example of how to highlight time-management
Communication skills
Servers need to be excellent communicators. You need to explain the menu clearly to customers, provide recommendations, and speak with multiple tables.
Example of how to highlight communication skills
- Utilized non-verbal cues such as body language and eye contact to anticipate guest needs and resolve issues discreetly
- Provided bilingual service in Spanish and English, assisting diverse clientele and improving guest satisfaction
- Collaborated with kitchen staff through clear and concise communication to ensure accurate and timely food delivery
Having foreign language skills is another great way for employers to notice you. Employers appreciate staff who can make small talk with customers in their native languages and help them translate a restaurant menu.
Additional skills-related resources
Below are more skills-related resources to help you write your server resume:
- How to write a resume skills section
- Hard skills vs soft skills
- Best soft skills for your resume
- Skills to put on a resume
- Skills-based resumes
- Transferable skills
- In-demand job skills
- Hard skills
- Technical skills
- Is a skills section necessary on a resume?
- How many skills should you list on a resume?
The Resume Genius Team
The Resume Genius Team is a tight-knit crew of career coaches, hiring managers, and staff writers who are passionate about providing the best, most up-to-date career advice possible and helping job seekers land their dream jobs. Every article is reviewed by either Geoff Scott, Samuel Johns, Eva Chan, Corissa Peterson, or Dominique Vatin, our team of in-house Certified Professional Resume Writers. Resume Genius and its authors' career and resume advice have been featured in major publications such as CNBC, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and USA Today.
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