As a catering server, one specific resume challenge you might face is effectively showcasing the diverse skill set required to excel in a high-paced and dynamic event environment. Our guide can help you translate your hands-on experience into compelling resume language that captures the attention of potential employers, ensuring your versatility and commitment shine through.
- Format your catering server resume to ensure that it balances professionalism with creativity, and follows the best practices.
- Match the catering server job requirements by including industry keywords on your resume.
- Use various resume sections to showcase your skills and achievements to answer why you're the best candidate for the catering server role.
Take inspiration from leading catering server resume examples to learn how to tailor your experience.
Creating the best catering server resume format: four simple steps
The most appropriate catering server resume format is defined by precision and a systematic approach. What is more, it should reflect upon how your application will be assessed by recruiters. That is why we've gathered four of the most vital elements to keep in mind when designing your resume:
- It's all about presenting how your experience or skills align with the job. Use the reverse-chronological resume format , if your expertise is relevant to the catering server role. Otherwise, select the functional skill-based resume format or the hybrid resume format to shift the focus to your skill set.
- Resume header - make sure you've filled out all relevant (and correct) information, like your contact details and link to your portfolio.
- Resume length - unless you've over a decade of applicable expertise in the field, stick with a one-page resume format. If you'd like to present more of your professional experience, go up to two pages.
- Resume file - submit your catering server resume in a PDF format to ensure all information stays in the same place.
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If you're in the process of obtaining your certificate or degree, list the expected date you're supposed to graduate or be certified.
Ensure your catering server resume stands out with these mandatory sections:
- Header - the section recruiters look to find your contact details, portfolio, and potentially, your current role
- Summary or objective - where your achievements could meet your career goals
- Experience - showcasing you have the technical (and personal) know-how for the role
- Skills - further highlighting capabilities that matter most to the catering server advert and your application
- Certifications/Education - staying up-to-date with industry trends
What recruiters want to see on your resume:
- Experience with various types of events (weddings, corporate gatherings, private parties, etc.)
- Knowledge of food safety and handling protocols
- Ability to carry large trays and stand for long periods
- Excellent customer service skills and the ability to interact positively with guests
- Flexibility with work hours and the ability to work under pressure
What is the resume experience section and how to write one for your past roles
The experience section in a catering server resume is critical for your profile and overall application. It should not only display your work history, but also highlight your achievements in previous roles.
Many candidates either simply list their duties or provide excessive details about past, irrelevant jobs. A more effective approach involves first examining the job advertisement for keywords - specifically, skills essential for the role. Then, demonstrate these key requirements throughout different parts of your resume, using accomplishments from your roles.
Format each bullet point in your experience section by starting with a strong action verb. Follow this with a description of your role and its impact on the team or organization.
Aim to include three to five bullet points for each role.
Finally, gain insights into how professionals have crafted their catering server resume experience sections by exploring some best practice examples.
- Provided attentive service for various high-profile events, maintaining consistent 95% positive feedback from event planners and guests.
- Skillfully managed the preparation and presentation of food stations for up to 300 guests, ensuring timely and aesthetically pleasing setups.
- Collaborated with a team of 10 servers to implement customized dining solutions, contributing to a 15% increase in repeat business for our company.
- Efficiently coordinated and executed dining service for weddings and corporate events, serving up to 500 guests per event.
- Assisted with event planning and menu selection, providing insights based on guest demographics, which improved customer satisfaction ratings by 20%.
- Led a quality control initiative that reduced food waste by 10% through effective portion control and waste tracking systems.
- Operate state-of-the-art catering software to manage event orders, guest preferences, and dietary requirements, increasing overall event efficiency by 25%.
- Mentored and trained new servers on best practices, leading to a reduction in service errors by 30% over a 6-month period.
- Developed a systematized approach to setup and breakdown procedures that streamlined event operations, cutting down the average event closing time by 2 hours.
- Executed seamless service during multiple course meals at galas and fundraisers, often receiving personal letters of commendation from clients.
- Pioneered a sustainable sourcing initiative that led to the catering team primarily using local and organic produce, boosting our green credentials and appealing to health-conscious clients.
- Facilitated a smooth collaboration with event coordinators and vendors, which led to a 30% increase in successful event executions.
- Spearheaded a customer service training program that was later adopted company-wide, leading to an improvement in client retention rates by 18%.
- Orchestrated the catering setup for an international food festival, handling logistics for vendors from 15 different countries and serving over 10,000 guests.
- Negotiated with suppliers to reduce equipment rental costs, resulting in a 15% cost saving passed onto our clients without compromising service quality.
- Managed the inventory control for catering supplies, cutting down on excess orders and reducing company expenses by 12%.
- Championed an initiative to enhance the presentation of buffet setups, which was directly correlated with a 22% uptick in guest satisfaction scores.
- Routinely served VIP guests at private events, showcasing the company's commitment to excellence and personalized service.
- Devised and executed innovative serving techniques for themed events that increased guest engagement and social media mention by 30%.
- Conducted detailed after-event reports that provided insights for continuous improvement and were vital for the strategic planning of future events.
- Fostered a team-oriented environment that reduced staff turnover by 20%, maintaining high morale and a committed team.
- Initiated a cross-training program that empowered servers with multi-faceted skills, significantly improving adaptability and problem-solving during events.
- Implemented an innovative guest follow-up system post-events, cultivating more personalized experiences and increasing repeat bookings by 25%.
- Partnered with the culinary team to introduce a series of signature dishes that became a hit, enhancing the company's reputation and competitive edge.
Quantifying impact on your resume
- Managed service for events with up to 300 guests, ensuring a smooth dining experience and customer satisfaction.
- Reduced wait times by 15% through the implementation of efficient food delivery systems.
- Maintained an accuracy rate of 98% in order fulfillment amidst fast-paced work environments.
- Trained and supervised a team of 10 new servers, improving overall team performance by 20%.
- Achieved a guest satisfaction score of 95% based on post-event feedback surveys.
- Coordinated with kitchen staff to reduce food waste by 25%, aiding in cost control measures.
- Handled inventory and bar stocking for large-scale events, effectively managing supplies worth up to $50,000.
- Participated in over 200 successful catering events, contributing to the company's reputation for excellence.
Action verbs for your catering server resume
No experience, no problem: writing your catering server resume
You're quite set on the catering server role of your dreams and think your application may add further value to your potential employers. Yet, you have no work experience . Here's how you can curate your resume to substitute your lack of experience:
- Don't list every single role you've had so far, but focus on ones that would align with the job you're applying for
- Include any valid experience in the field - whether it's at research or intern level
- Highlight the soft skills you'd bring about - those personality traits that have an added value to your application
- Focus on your education and certifications, if they make sense for the role.
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Highlight any significant extracurricular activities that demonstrate valuable skills or leadership.
The heart and soul of your catering server resume: hard skills and soft skills
If you read between the lines of the catering server role you're applying for, you'll discover that all requirements are linked with candidates' hard skills and soft skills.
What do those skills have to do with your application?
Hard or technical skills are the ones that hint at your aptitude with particular technologies. They are easy to quantify via your professional experience or various certifications.
Meanwhile, your soft skills are more difficult to assess as they are personality traits, you've gained thanks to working in different environments/teams/organizations.
Your catering server resume skills section is the perfect opportunity to shine a light on both types of skills by:
- Dedicating a technical skills section to list up to six technologies you're apt at.
- Focusing a strengths section on your achievements, thanks to using particular people skills or technologies.
- Including a healthy balance of hard and soft skills in the skills section to answer key job requirements.
- Creating a language skills section with your proficiency level - to hint at an abundance of soft skills you've obtained, thanks to your dedication to learning a particular language.
Within the next section of this guide, stay tuned for some of the most trending hard skills and soft skills across the industry.
Top skills for your catering server resume:
Food Safety Certification
Point of Sale (POS) Systems
Table Setting Techniques
Catering Management Software
Inventory Management Tools
Serving Equipment Operation
Beverage Dispensing Systems
Kitchen Utensils and Equipment Knowledge
Event Setup and Breakdown Tools
Transportation and Delivery Equipment
Customer Service
Communication
Teamwork
Time Management
Attention to Detail
Problem-Solving
Adaptability
Interpersonal Skills
Multitasking
Conflict Resolution
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Bold the names of educational institutions and certifying bodies for emphasis.
Certifications and education: in-demand sections for your catering server resume
Your academic background in the form of certifications on your resume and your higher degree education is important to your application.
The certifications and education sections pinpoint a variety of hard and soft skills you possess, as well as your dedication to the industry.
Add relevant certificates to your catering server resume by:
- Add special achievements or recognitions you've received during your education or certification, only if they're really noteworthy and/or applicable to the role
- Be concise - don't list every and any certificate you've obtained through your career, but instead, select the ones that would be most impressive to the role
- Include the name of the certificate or degree, institution, graduation dates, and certificate license numbers (if possible)
- Organize your education in reverse chronological format, starting with the latest degree you have that's most applicable for the role
Think of the education and certification sections as the further credibility your catering server resume needs to pinpoint your success.
Now, if you're stuck on these resume sections, we've curated a list of the most popular technical certificates across the industry.
Have a look, below:
The top 5 certifications for your catering server resume:
- ServSafe Food Handler (SFH) - National Restaurant Association
- Training for Intervention Procedures (TIPS) - Health Communications, Inc.
- Certified Food Safety Manager (CFSM) - National Registry of Food Safety Professionals
- Food Protection Manager Certification (FPMC) - American National Standards Institute
- National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) - ManageFirst Program
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Highlight any significant extracurricular activities that demonstrate valuable skills or leadership.
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The catering server resume summary or objective: integrating keywords, achievements, and more
Deciding whether to include a resume summary or an objective in your catering server resume is crucial. Both serve as key introductory elements at the top of your resume, encapsulating your profile in up to five sentences and incorporating relevant keywords from the job advert.
Here are the key differences between the two:
- The resume summary focuses on aligning your achievements and experience with the job requirements. It provides recruiters with a snapshot of your expertise, helping you stand out as an ideal candidate for the role.
- The resume objective, on the other hand, centers on your career goals and aspirations, detailing how the role aligns with your career progression. It's particularly suitable for candidates with less professional experience or those new to the job market.
Below are examples demonstrating best practices in utilizing the resume summary and/or objective to make a strong first impression with your catering server resume.
Resume summaries for a catering server job
- With over five years of experience in high-volume event catering, this applicant is skilled in efficient service, guest satisfaction, and expert event coordination. A proven track record of serving up to 500 guests, ensuring timely food and drink delivery, and maintaining impeccable presentation at luxury hotels and large corporate events.
- A former restaurant manager with a decade of experience in the food service industry, seeking to leverage expertise in team leadership and customer service into a new career path as a catering server. Excelled in driving sales growth and managing teams of up to 20 staff at a renowned fine dining establishment.
- Diligent professional with a passion for culinary arts, transitioning from a successful career as a head chef to the dynamic environment of catering service. Brings an in-depth understanding of menu planning, food safety, and presentation, along with experience managing kitchen teams at high-end restaurants.
- Recent graduate eager to apply a strong work ethic and a fresh perspective to the catering industry. Enthusiastic about creating memorable experiences for clients and guests, drawing on internship experience in hotel banquet services where the art of presentation and customer satisfaction were the primary focus.
- Keen to embark on a full-time career in catering services, leveraging a background in customer service and a lifelong passion for gourmet food and event planning. Eager to learn and contribute to a dynamic team, with a personal goal to eventually lead and innovate in event catering operations.
- Transforming a background in theater production and set design into a career in catering, this candidate aspires to deliver outstanding service and presentation in catering events. With a flair for visual storytelling, seeks to enhance events through meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to creating unforgettable guest experiences.
Bonus sections for your catering server resume
Looking to show more personality on your catering server resume? Then consider including a couple of extra sections.
They'd benefit your application by highlighting your most prominent:
Key takeaways
We trust that this Enhancv guide has been informative and useful. To summarize the essential points:
- Opt for a simple and readable format, focusing more on your catering server achievements rather than just duties;
- Emphasize your accomplishments in the catering server experience section over mere responsibilities;
- If lacking relevant experience, utilize various resume sections like education and volunteering to demonstrate your suitable skill set;
- Never overlook the significance of pertinent higher education, training, and certifications;
- Incorporate diverse sections in your resume to highlight not just your skills expertise but also your personality.
