How To Play Up Being A Waiter On Your Resume
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If you are transitioning from a job in food service to a different field, you may be wondering how to incorporate that job experience into your resume. Being a waiter or waitress is an occupation that requires multiple skill sets and customer service abilities. Proudly list all the talents you developed as a food server and describe how they will apply to your new line of work.
How To Make Waitressing Sound Good On A Resume
You have a few waitressing jobs under your belt. That’s great, but how do you stand out from the crowd?
And how do you spin your waitressing experience not just as a positive thing, but also as a way to add value to your future job?
In this article, I will teach you how to write a resume that not only impresses hiring managers but actually gets you the job you want. Read ahead.
Notice: these tips will work whether you want to continue waitressing or pivot to a different career.
Highlight Your Relevant Job Skills
Hiring managers are on the lookout for candidates who have relevant, job-specific skills. While listing a heap of skills on your resume doesnt actually prove youre skilled, incorporating your various skills into different sections will catch the eye of whoever is vetting your application.
For instance, you can showcase your hard and soft skills in your introduction and work experience section. And of course, you should also list your most valuable abilities in your resumes skills section.
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How To Make Normal Things Sound Better On Resume
Professionals whose job descriptions include reading and sorting through resumes for a company consistently say that most resumes are ineffective. The most common offenses relate to boring job descriptions written in drab language that fail to adequately convey the value that the job seeker offers. For job seekers, making normal things such as mundane tasks or routine assignments sound better can give their resume a much-needed jolt. It can make a crucial difference on the way to landing a job.
Write in a vibrant style to make mundane tasks sound more impressive. Avoid the recital of boring lists in favor of pointing out duties that demand responsibility and a sense of purpose. For instance, instead of: “I answered phone calls at the front desk each morning,” write: “I actively managed incoming verbal communication for the firm.”
Highlight the results of your ideas and suggestions, not just that you had them and submitted them. Anyone can spout off a series of ideas. Focus on the outcome instead. For example, don’t write: “I suggested our magazine should start a theater-review column.” Instead, write: “My idea for a theater-review column raised the profile of our publication in the community and led to hundreds of dollars per quarter in new advertising revenue.”
Warning
Never lie or exaggerate on a resume. Simply use your writing and organizational skills to create a better presentation of the facts.
Why Do Employers Want To See Phone Skills On Your Resume
Employers want to see phone skills on a resume because they want to make sure you can communicate effectively over the phone and use complicated operating systems skillfully. Most jobs require some phone usage, whether answering calls in the front office, making cold calls for sales or simply joining in on company meetings.
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Look For Target Keywords
If youre still not sure if any of these skills are right for your situation, one quick way to check which skills the employer is seeking is to check the job description.
Read through it a few times and youll likely spot three or four key skills mentioned several times throughout the document. If thats the case, you should do your best to focus on those skills in your resume, too.
Swipeable Phrases To Inspire You
I spoke with a senior-level job seeker last week who confided to me how hard it was to assess her own work.
She hesitantly shared, I struggle to convey my value.
I get it. Boy, do I get it.
Most of us struggle to explain our value. We know were talented and competent, but conveying that on a resume suddenly induces all kinds of writers block and analysis paralysis.
If you want to reflect what youve accomplished and point out your value to employers, try using a few of these proven resume phrases:
The key is not to throw all of them into your resume. You want to use these sparingly so that theyll have maximum impact.
Read through the list and choose 2-3 that reflect you most accurately.
Include one in your career summary and another in your notable accomplishments section in the top third of your resume.
These 33 phrases are high-impact and sure to grab attentionbut only if you choose ones that accurately reflect YOU and your personal brand.
Employers will be looking for evidence that you possess these qualities as they read through the remainder of your resume.
Thats where the formula comes in that I shared with you earlier in the article. Use that formula to create bullets that prove you possess these qualities and characteristics.
You might also like this how-to for using action verbs or this one on resume keywords.
Phew weve covered a lot in a short time.
Want to binge-read more resume articles?
Ready to punch job search frustration in the face?
Me too.
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Showing Creativity And Innovation
Often, employers look for candidates who display creativity and innovation. Creating a resume that is unique and shows your individuality and singular professional approach is a great way to express your sense of creativity to hiring managers which may help you maintain memorability. A creative resume could also help potential employers visualize the innovation you may bring to a future position.
Top Soft Skills For Your Resume
There are tons of soft skills that you can include in your resume, but how do you know which ones to include? Here is a quick list of soft skills examples you should list on your resume.
Problem Solving Skills
No matter what the job is, eventually something will go wrong and employers want to know that youre capable of coming up with a quick and effective solution. In fact, there are jobs that are essentially nothing but solving problems for the company, the clients, or both.
Critical Thinking Skills
Being able to think rationally and thoughtfully is the basis of critical thinking. Employers want workers who can think through a problem or a project and determine the best steps needed. Critical thinkers come up with new and better ways to work, making it an invaluable skill to put on a resume.
Flexibility
Many organizations and industries covet employees who are dynamic and adaptable to every situation, or who have a natural ability to use a variety of methods and approaches in different circumstances to get the best end result.
Communication Skills
Whether its written or verbal, being able to communicate with your boss, coworkers, and clients/customers in all situations is very valuable. The better you are at it, the better results you will generate.
Teamwork
Most jobs will sometimes require you to work with other people at some point, and employers want to know that you can succeed in a team environment. Some jobs will prize this skill more than others.
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Edit Your Resume For Each Position
To optimize your resume, consider tailoring its contents to fit the job requirements of each position for which you’re applying. This may help to emphasize the relevance of your skills to the role and may help hiring managers more easily visualize how you might use your talents and experiences to excel in a future position. You may do this by carefully reading the requirements and details of each job posting and editing your words and phrases to relate to specific points within each.
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Differentiating Yourself From The Competition
A powerful way to impress hiring managers is to differentiate yourself from the competition. Hiring managers may read several resumes a day while searching for the right candidate, so remaining memorable and unique is an important step toward gaining their attention and may increase your chances of moving forward in the application process.
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Don’t Be Afraid To Brag
Think of your resume as an abbreviated quarterly report or project debrief that you’d deliver at work: It needs to provide context, details, and results to reflect the hard work that went into making something a success. Therefore, being your own cheerleader is essential. So is making sure your responsibilities or day-to-day tasks don’t outweigh the measurable accomplishments throughout your most recent roles. If tooting your own horn isn’t something you feel particularly comfortable with, hiring a professional resume writer can help take the pressure off.
What To Include In A Phone Skills Resume
When creating your phone skills resume, you should include the following details:
- Specific technical skills related to using the phone and phone systems
- Soft skills you use to communicate with customers and callers
- Any phone or call center software you have experience using
- Your job responsibilities associated with phone usage
- Quantifiable details regarding your phone skills
You can incorporate these types of phone skills in the experience listed on your resume. To be considered for a specific role, you should also read through the job posting and then include those relevant skills if you have them.
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Select The Right Format
The two most effective resume formats you can turn to when writing a resume with no experience are functional and combination. Steer clear of strictly chronological resumes, which place emphasis on your work history.
Option 1: Your first option is functional resumes, which emphasize your related skills while downplaying your work chronology. Rather than citing dates of employment, this format uses categories to highlight your aptitudes. For example, if you’re seeking a secretarial position but don’t have any related experience, you may create the following categories: “Computer Skills,””Interpersonal Communications,” and “Office Management Abilities.” The latter may refer to managing your own home office, for example.
Option 2: A combination resume is a chronological resume that leads with a qualifications summary, in which you emphasize the credentials that most qualify you for the job you’re trying to land. The fact is, hiring managers and recruiters are super-busy, so you need to can grab their attention right away. It makes sense that this section would be a detailed, personal, and thorough explanation, but many people make the mistake of writing one vague and unclear statement. A specific reason for why you’re applying makes you look determined and committed to the specialized industry much more than a generic “hire me!” sentence.
Arrange Your Contact Information
Now that you know the format youre going to use, its time to start your resume. First things first, employers need to know who you are and how to contact you.
List the following contact details in your resume header at the top of the page:
- Name
- Telephone number
- Email address
- Link to online portfolio
- LinkedIn profile
Traditionally, you would also include your mailing address on your resume. However, this is no longer mandatory because most job applications are sent via email.
Here are two examples of how you can format your contact information section:
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Talk Accomplishments Not Tasks
It’s tempting when describing a job on your resume to create a bulleted list of tasks, essentially writing down your day to do list when you were on the job. But most likely, that’s information that hiring managers already know from looking at the job title. Instead of a to-do list, share accomplishments and achievements.
Rather than write, “Designed window display on monthly basis,” you might write, “Increased customer walk-in rate by 10% with themed window displays, updated on monthly basis.”
If you led a meeting, talk about what happened during that meeting, how you steered it, or what got done as a result of your leadership. Or, if you create a monthly report, talk about why the report matterdid it help keep the budget on track, prioritize sales efforts, or engage customers? See more tips for sharing accomplishments on your resume.
How To Describe Coaching On A Resume
As you prepare for a new job and start a career search, it is important to know what should be included on a resume and where to place it. As one that has experience as a life coach, there are various skills that will be appealing to an employer. If you want to learn how to describe coaching on a resume, we have the information you need right here.
To make sure that your CV does not go unnoticed, we provide tips on how you can highlight your experiences and skills. Many of these can be used in other areas of employment. Even if you are not pursuing a career as a life coach or an assistant, you can highlight what you have learned and mastered to land that perfect job.
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How To Decide Which Power Words To Use
Some words will be more effective than others in describing your specific skills and experiences. First, take the time to review the job posting and identify which requirements align with your strengths and experiences. Then, look for power words that describe those accomplishments and attributes.
For example, if youre applying for a customer service manager position and the employer has included Experience leading and training new customer service agents, in the job posting, you might describe your experience like this:
Educated new customer service representatives on best practices, coached new hires through their first calls and acted as team mentor.
Next, review the company page for clues about the organizations culture and values to find ways to incorporate those descriptions in your resume and cover letter. For example, if the company describes itself as Seeking employees with a strong work ethic who take ownership and responsibility, you might describe your experience like this:
Sought opportunities to grow my experience and develop my skills, happily accepting challenging projects and working hard to exceed company goals.
Here are several power words you can use to share your experience, divided by type of role:
Group Your Waitressing Jobs
If you had multiple waitressing jobs, especially jobs you held for small amounts of time, you can group them together.
This is also a perfect resume format for those who want to pivot their careers away from waitressing:
Experience:
Sweet Desserts, Austin, Texas Pancake Factory, NYC, New York Burger King, NYC, New York 5 years of experience working as a waitress, providing exceptional customer service and helping business run smoothly.
This prevents you from having to repeat yourself, as many waitressing jobs have similar responsibilities.
Your bullets should be responsibilities and achievements that are generic enough they can fit all jobs you grouped.
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Waiter Or Waitress Jobs
Highlight customer service and diplomacy skills. The restaurant owner relies on the waitstaff to manage relationships with the clientele. When something goes wrong, the managers hope the waitstaff has the tact and diplomacy to assuage the customer without having to involve management. A good waiter or waitress can find clever ways of appeasing even the most contentious restaurant guest.
Document your ability to manage time effectively. Waitstaff typically handle between three to seven tables at once. Each table may be at various stages of its meal. This means the waiter must keep track of the dining activities of several people simultaneously. Not only that, but the waitstaff also is typically charged with what are called side duties, essentially assigned chores such as making sure theres adequate glassware available to all waitstaff, or that theres always fresh coffee, or that the ice cube bins or silverware trays are always well stocked. To be effective in this job, a waiter must have incredible time management skills. Use your resume to highlight your time management skills as well as your ability to work in a fast-paced environment. Its important.
Reference Essential Sales Skills
The benefits of referencing essential sales skills in your resume are twofold. As mentioned, keywords from the job description will optimize your resume to pass ATSs. But at the next stage, your resume will be read by recruiters. By referencing skills in the recruiters own language, you make it obvious that youre a great fit, helping you progress to interview stage.
Here are some common essential skills and abilities you might include in your sales resume:
- Product knowledge
- Attention to detail
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Firstly Build Up Your Active Listening Abilities
The first step toward improving your phone skills is to be a better active listener.
Examples of active listening abilities:
- Staying as focused as possible. Try to remain undistracted from your surrounding environment and concentrate on the call.
- Wait for a significant pause before responding. You will listen more effectively when you allow the caller to finish their sentence before taking your turn.
- Ask questions to gain clarity. If you are unsure of a callers needs, ask questions to make sure you find the best solution for them.
- Recap key points to ensure you understood them correctly. Summarizing the most essential details also shows the caller you are listening to them.