Server Resume Examples for 2023

A server’s job description includes handling POS systems, working well in a high-stress environment, and — most importantly — serving, attracting, and retaining customers. Showcase your ability to perform these duties in your resume with the four following tips.

1. Include these key server skills

Restaurant hiring managers are looking for strong server skills to decide if you’re a worthwhile candidate. As a server, you should list both soft and hard skills.

Soft skills are essential for a server because they relate to how you interact with colleagues and customers, handle your workload, and adapt to new situations.

Here are the top soft skills to highlight on your server resume:

• Customer service skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Good memory
• Time management skills
• Ability to keep calm under pressure
• Knowledge of food–wine pairings
• People skills

There are also key hard skills you need to handle a service industry role.

Hard skills are skills you learn through training or education, and important ones for server candidates include:

• Point of sales (POS) systems
• Foreign language skills
• Math skills
• Knowledge of alcoholic beverages
• Ability to use restaurant appliances (blenders, ovens, etc.)

When you’re writing the skills section of your resume, try to include these key server skills if you have them. And if you have other abilities relevant to service-industry work, include these skills on your resume too.

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 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.

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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.

3. Write effective server 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 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:

Bullet Point Example

• Memorized restaurant’s wine stock and the meals they should accompany, leading to daily wine sales averaging $150, fully 20% higher than company average

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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:

Adding numbers to your server resume makes it more compelling because you provide context to your achievements.

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 telling hiring managers what duties you performed.

Below are some server-oriented action verbs to start your bullet points with:

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

When it comes to listing your certifications on your resume, unless you have more than three (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.