How to Write a Restaurant Resume
The restaurant resume for today’s multi ethnic, fast pasted society has taken on a flavor all its own. There are as many different types of restaurants as there are living styles. There is no “one size fits all” description for kitchen or dining staff. Research as well as training and experience will help you land the best jobs.
There’s lots of competition in the restaurant industry and the hiring manager often does not want to waste time reading through wordy or complicated documents. Make your resume user friendly and easy to read. It’s a good idea to mail in a hard copy as well as an email document. I’ve spoken to several recruiters who told me they always look at all their mail but they often get through less than half their emails. Make sure your resume looks good in both formats.
Use Microsoft Word for your online documents. Restaurant managers are usually not software wizards. If they can’t open your file, they will just go on to the next applicant. Use bullet points, spacing and bold print to emphasis important points. Your resume may get less than a minute of consideration. Make the minute count with a simple clear format.
List experience in chronological order, starting with your most recent job. Keep it simple but emphasizes aspects of past jobs you want noticed in your cover letter or the first page of the resume.
This industry is highly competitive and your restaurant resume needs to take on the competition. Do some ground work before you start writing.Review your skills on the skills checklist. Try to go to the prospective restaurants and mention your visit in your cover letter. Try to find out if there are unpopular shifts and make it clear that you are available to work on those shifts. Since restaurants often have a high turnover rate, demonstrating stability through residency, prior work record and academic achievement will also increase your chances of getting an interview.
Any experience that is related to customer service is beneficial. If you have work experience with customer service be sure to list what you did and how you pleased customers or solved their problems. If you have no work experience include any volunteer work you did with the public. Also see student resume. If you are an older or experienced candidate see resume writing over 40.
Resume writing should have the same goal when applying for jobs in the hospitality industry as any other field of work. You want to get noticed and be invited in for an interview. Since the hiring manager often has many responsibilities and limited time, clear concise writing will give you a competitive edge. Focus on your skills, stability and willingness to do whatever is needed and you will find a good job even in today’s challenging job market.
When you get an interview, make sure you are prepared by checking the interview list.
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