7 Server Resume Examples & Skills
Written By
Samuel Johns
Reviewed By Conrad Benz
After you're done making your resume, write a strong server cover letter to introduce yourself to employers.
Server resume examples by experience level
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Server resume template (text format)
A fast way to create your resume is to copy and paste this text into your favorite resume template and change it to reflect your own situation:
[Your Name]
[Your Address], New York, NY
[Your Email Address] | [Your Phone Number]
[LinkedIn Profile] (optional)
Server with 3+ years of experience in food preparation and service, and a Certificate in Food Handling and Safety. Possess a keen knowledge of wines, entrees, and upselling techniques. Aiming to leverage my knowledge to effectively fill the open Server position at Convene.
Server | Chicago, IL | May 20XX – Present
- Memorize restaurant’s wine stock and accompanying meals, contributing to daily wine sales of $150
- Take and memorize orders and enter them into Square POS for transmittal to kitchen staff in a 150+ seat restaurant
- Clean all work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, and silverware, and ensure they are stored appropriately in accordance with state law
- Contributed to increasing sales revenue by 15% by training 3 new staff members in upselling and suggestive selling techniques
- Perform food preparation duties such as assembling salads, appetizers, and cold dishes, portioning salads, and brewing coffee in a fast-paced line kitchen
Server| Chicaco, IL | August 20XX – April 20XX
- Presented menus to patrons and answered questions about menu items in a 70+ seat restaurant, making recommendations upon request
- Assisted host or hostess by answering the phone to take reservations and to-go orders as well as by greeting, seating, and thanking guests
- Stored food in designated containers and storage areas to prevent spoilage and increase shelf life
- Presented wine samples for guests to taste and opened bottles for them upon their approval
- Served food and beverages to patrons and prepared specialty dishes at tables as required
Certificate in Food Handling and Safety | Chicago Community College, Chicago, IL
Graduation Date: June 20XX
- Skilled at providing high-quality customer service
- Expert communicator and problem solver
- Fluent in Spanish
Top server skills from job ads
Hiring managers look for servers whose resumes align with the skills and keywords emphasized in their job ads.
To help you identify the most relevant skills to highlight on your resume, we analyzed 311 server job listings from multiple job search platforms.
Our research shows that these keywords appear most often in server job postings:
Data
| Keyword | Count |
|---|---|
| Teamwork | 106 |
| Food Safety & Sanitation | 69 |
| Knowledge of Menu Items | 66 |
| Customer Service | 63 |
| Standing for Long Periods | 62 |
| Timely Manner | 59 |
| High School Diploma | 58 |
| Food & Drink | 57 |
| Beverage Service | 52 |
| Willing to Work Weekends & Holidays | 43 |
| POS System | 36 |
Banquet server resume
Why this is a good example of a banquet server resume
This applicant has received both training and a certification relevant to the food service industry, which they chose to highlight in an “education & certifications” section.
By listing them in a separate section on their banquet server resume and not just mentioning them in a resume bullet point, they ensure the hiring manager doesn’t accidentally miss them if they skim the resume quickly.
Fine dining server resume
Why this is a good example of a fine dining server resume
This fine dining resume example highlights many of the skills a server needs, such as:
- POS systems
- Menu knowledge
- Fine dining etiquette
- Customer service
- Multitasking
Some of the most important skills employers look for – like POS systems, menu knowledge, and customer service – are included in the resume summary at the top. This is a great resume-writing strategy, because it means that employers immediately can tell that they have the experience necessary to serve customers in a fine dining environment.
Fast food server resume
Why this is a good example of a fast food server resume
The template used for this food service resume uses a two-column layout which leaves the applicant with plenty of room to explain their previous server experience in the professional experience section.
The left column also includes skill bars that show which skills the applicant is close to mastering, and which they’re already an expert in.
Waiter/waitress resume
Why this is a good example of a waiter/waitress resume
A server resume with quantified accomplishments is more likely to make a lasting impression than one without.
In the waitress resume example above, the applicant includes hard numbers and percentages to give employers a clear idea of their accomplishments.
By quantifying your bullet points you also show that you keep track of the impact of your work, indicating that you’re goal-oriented and ambitious.
Average server salaries in the US
The following table includes information from O*NET Resource Center by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license, this data is pulled from the most recent US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment & Earnings report (as of 10/16/2024), featuring the top states by use.
Average server annual salaries by state
| State | Salary / Year |
|---|---|
| California | $34,780 |
| Florida | $29,940 |
| New York | $41,540 |
| Texas | $27,030 |
| Pennsylvania | $29,710 |
| Illinois | $28,030 |
| Ohio | $28,950 |
| Georgia | $23,030 |
| North Carolina | $21,060 |
| Michigan | $35,400 |
| National Average | $30,084 |
How to write a server resume that lands you a job
These are our 5 top tips for writing a server resume:
1. Include key server skills
Your resume should list both soft and hard server skills to show restaurant hiring managers that you can handle the challenges of the job.
Listing soft skills, like people skills and attention to detail, on your resume will help convince employers you’re able to work well on a team and provide excellent customer service.
Meanwhile, including hard skills like product knowledge and familiarity with POS systems indicates that you’ll be able to hit the ground running because you’ll require less training than someone without this knowledge.
2. Write a convincing server resume objective
Your resume should start with an effective resume objective so that the hiring manager can see you’re a skilled server who can handle a heavy workload while retaining customer loyalty.
To write a server resume objective:
- State your years of experience
- Highlight earned titles or certificates
- Emphasize your knowledge of the business
- State the position you want to fill
Here’s an example of an attention-grabbing server resume objective:
Resume objective example
Server with 5+ years of experience in food preparation and service, and a Certificate in Food Handling and Safety. Possess a keen knowledge of wines, entrees, and upselling techniques. Aiming to leverage my knowledge to effectively fill the open Server position and provide excellent customer service to patrons at Convene.
This example works because it draws attention to the candidate’s areas of expertise and professional qualifications, showing hiring managers why they’re a suitable candidate for the role.
Your resume objective shouldn’t relate to what you want from the job, but rather what you can do for the restaurant.
3. Write effective descriptions for your resume
Describing your server responsibilities on your resume in the correct way is crucial, because it ensures that employers get a comprehensive overview of your strengths. This can be done by quantifying the achievements on your resume.
Adding hard numbers to your server resume bullet points helps the hiring manager understand the scope of your responsibilities as a server and emphasizes the depth of your experience in the industry.
The easiest way to include numbers on your server resume is to state the size of the restaurants you’ve worked at, or mention how many customers on average you serve per day.
Additionally, most restaurants—especially big chains—track their servers’ sales statistics for the purposes of budgeting. Ask your manager to see these statistics and include them on your resume, like in this example:
Resume bullet point examples
- Memorized restaurant’s wine stock and the meals they should accompany, leading to daily wine sales averaging $150, fully 20% higher than company average
- Accurately processed orders using a point-of-sale system, handling an average of $1,500 in transactions per shift with a 99% accuracy rate
- Maintained cleanliness and organization of dining areas, passing all health and safety inspections and contributing to a safe dining environment
Here’s an example of a well-written server job description on a resume to give you an idea of what yours should look like:
RIVERSIDE RESTAURANT – Chicago, IL
Server, September 2019 – Present
- Memorize restaurant’s wine stock and accompanying meals, contributing to daily wine sales of $150
- Take and memorize orders and enter them into Square POS for transmittal to kitchen staff in a 150+ seat restaurant
- Clean all work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, and silverware, and ensure they are stored appropriately in accordance with state law.
- Contributed to increasing sales revenue by 15% by training 3 new staff members in upselling and suggestive selling techniques
- Perform food preparation duties such as assembling salads, appetizers, and cold dishes, portioning salads, and brewing coffee in a fast-paced line kitchen
Not sure how much experience a server resume typically requires? Many employers require no prior server experience to be listed on your resume for you to be considered for the role, unless you’re applying for work in a high-end establishment.
4. Use strong action verbs to begin your server resume bullet points
Strong action verbs are key to presenting your accomplishments on your resume in the best possible way. Use action verbs to replace overused phrases like “Responsible for” and “Tasked with” to highlight your accomplishments as a server instead of just telling hiring managers what duties you performed.
Below are some server-oriented action verbs to start your bullet points with:
Action verbs for your server resume
| Allocate | Lead | Present |
| Arrange | Manage | Promote |
| Assist | Memorize | Recite |
| Ensure | Package | Serve |
| Execute | Perform | Train |
| Introduce | Prepare | Optimize |
These action verbs make you seem like someone who takes the initiative rather than someone who simply performs the server responsibilities your supervisor gives you.
5. Include relevant certifications and training
While there’s no specific education or training required to become a server, adding certifications on your resume increases your competitiveness on the job market. Certifications demonstrate your commitment to professional development and improving customer experience.
Here are a few examples of server certifications to get to strengthen your server resume:
- ServSafe Food Handler Certification
- First Aid and CPR Certification
- Food Allergen Awareness Certification
- Responsible Beverage Service Certification
Unless you have more than two certifications (in which case you should create a separate “Certifications” section), add them to your skills section.
You can also mention certifications in your resume introduction to immediately show employers that you’re a highly qualified applicant.
Resume examples for different industries
Not sure what your resume should look like? The best way to learn is by taking inspiration from resume examples written by other candidates in your industry.
How to answer common server interview questions
Here’s a video that explains how to answer the most common interview questions you’ll face as as an aspiring server:
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7 Server Resume Examples & Skills
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