Server Skills
These are the key hard and soft skills required for a job as a server in 2024 based on our database of over 10 million real job listings.
Optimize your resume
Developing strong server skills is crucial for success in the hospitality industry. Learn essential server skills and how to highlight these skills on your resume to stand out to potential employers.How we got the data
The data in this report was pulled from Jobscan’s database of more than 10 million job descriptions and 17 million resumes.
We analyzed the job descriptions to find the skills that employers want the most. Then we analyzed the resumes to see which skills appeared most frequently.
Armed with this knowledge, job seekers can easily tailor their resumes and cover letters to highlight the most relevant skills for each job they apply to.
top 10 server Hard Skills
top 10 server Soft Skills
top 10 server Skills on Resume with High Match Rate
- Communications
- Customer Service
- Professional
- Friendly
- Hospitality
- Sales
- Seating
- Organized
- Cleaning
- Passion
Top 10 server skills
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Consistently provided guests with a warm and welcoming atmosphere, resulting in high customer satisfaction scores.
- Engaged in friendly conversations with customers, making them feel at ease and contributing to a positive dining experience.
- Routinely received customer praise for my friendly demeanor and genuine interest in their needs.
- Successfully diffused difficult situations with patrons by maintaining a friendly and patient attitude.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Communicated clearly with kitchen staff to ensure accurate order preparation and timely delivery.
- Regularly informed customers of menu items, ingredients, and specials to promote an informed dining experience.
- Actively listened to customer feedback and relayed concerns to management to improve service quality.
- Collaborated with team members to optimize efficiency and maintain a seamless service flow.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Adapted quickly to unexpected schedule changes and special event demands, ensuring seamless service.
- Willingly stepped in to cover shifts for colleagues during peak hours or when short-staffed.
- Demonstrated flexibility in adapting to different restaurant sections, providing excellent service regardless of the environment.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Consistently exceeded customer expectations, resulting in increased guest satisfaction and repeat business.
- Promptly addressed customer concerns, offering solutions to maintain satisfaction and prevent issues from escalating.
- Received numerous positive reviews and recommendations from satisfied customers.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Demonstrated excellent multitasking skills by managing multiple tables and orders without sacrificing quality.
- Coordinated with kitchen and bar staff to ensure efficient order preparation and service.
- Effectively prioritized tasks during high-volume hours, maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Accurately processed payments using various methods, including cash, credit, and gift cards.
- Maintained a balanced cash drawer and accurate sales records, ensuring proper financial management.
- Quickly and efficiently handled customer payment disputes, maintaining a positive and professional demeanor.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Regularly assisted customers with menu selections, offering recommendations based on preferences and dietary restrictions.
- Proactively addressed customer concerns and resolve issues to maintain satisfaction and repeat business.
- Offered prompt and attentive service to customers, ensuring a seamless dining experience.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Prepared accurate and detailed bills for customers, ensuring correct itemization and pricing.
- Regularly double-checked bills for accuracy, preventing potential disputes and improving customer satisfaction.
- Efficiently managed split checks for large groups, ensuring a smooth payment process.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Possessed extensive knowledge of the beverage menu, including wine, beer, and specialty cocktails, allowing for educated recommendations.
- Demonstrated proficiency in preparing and serving various beverages, contributing to a comprehensive and satisfying dining experience.
- Successfully upsold beverages by pairing them with appropriate menu items, increasing sales.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Trained and mentored new servers, fostering a supportive and knowledgeable team environment.
- Developed and implemented a training program for new hires, improving onboarding efficiency and staff performance.
- Assisted in the ongoing training of fellow servers, sharing best practices and tips for success.
- Contributed to a collaborative and supportive work environment, increasing team morale and performance.
5 tips for writing a server resume
Create a bulleted resume skills section
Use a simple, clean format that highlights your skills and experiences. Focus on readability by using bullet points and short phrases to present your skills. Properly organize your resume into education, experience, and skills sections.
“Adding a skills section to your resume is a great way to draw the recruiter’s attention to your most relevant strengths and competencies.”
– Ashley Watkins, NCRW, NCOPE, Job Search Coach
For example, a server’s bullet points might look like this:
- Offered prompt and attentive service to customers, ensuring a seamless dining experience.
- Assisted guests with special needs or requests, demonstrating empathy and understanding.
- Contributed to a collaborative and supportive work environment, increasing team morale and performance.
Hitting all the top job requirements with your skills list will help you rank highly for a keyword search within an applicant tracking system. But don’t stop there. Add context for every skill elsewhere in your work experience. If a recruiter is excited by server skills in your skills section, the first thing they’ll do is skim your work experience to figure out when, how, and how much you used that skill.
Highlight skills and accomplishments in your work experience section
As a server, you must emphasize your skills and major accomplishments in the work experience section of your resume. This will make you stand out to potential employers and show them you have the expertise they seek.
As you list your responsibilities, it’s also important to highlight your specific achievements wherever you can.
“For soft skills, it’s often more effective to demonstrate them in the context of your past work experience. Instead of merely stating “excellent team player”, you are better off saying “collaborated with a cross-functional team of 6 on a new product launch that boosted sales by 30% in one year”. Examples of specific accomplishments or business outcomes speak louder than buzzwords.”
– Ana Lokotkova, Career Coach and Advisor
Instead of saying,
“Managed daily tasks and responsibilities.”
You could say,
“Efficiently managed daily tasks, consistently meeting or exceeding customer satisfaction targets by 15%.”
This demonstrates your expertise in the server skills you listed, giving recruiters more reasons to be interested in you as a candidate.
Break resume skills sections into categories
If you’re applying for a role requiring a broad skillset, categorize your skills.
“If you opt to include a designated skills section on your resume, include up to 10 of your core competencies. Excessive skills lists are overwhelming and sometimes confusing to the reader.”
– Kelli Hrivnak, Marketing and Tech Recruiter
For instance, someone applying for a role as a server might benefit from segmenting their skill lists as follows:
Communication Skills
- Active listening
- Verbal communication
- Conflict resolution
- Customer Service
Building rapport
- Handling complaints
- Anticipating needs
- Time Management
Prioritizing tasks
- Multitasking
- Working under pressure
By categorizing your skills in this manner, you make it easy for potential employers to understand your range of expertise in the server role.
Quantify your achievements
Use numbers to quantify your achievements wherever possible. This helps potential employers understand your abilities and the impact you can have on their organization.
“Recruiters and hiring managers are looking for relevancy of how and when you applied those skills, so provide examples of this in your experience section. Bonus tip: Don’t just insert the skill like a task–include results.”
– Kelli Hrivnak, Marketing and Tech Recruiter
Instead of saying,
“Provided excellent customer service and increased repeat customers.”
You could say,
“Delivered exceptional customer service, contributing to a 20% increase in repeat customers and a 10% boost in overall sales.”
Using numbers gives hiring managers a better sense of your value and demonstrates your expertise in the server role. Quantifying your achievements makes your resume more compelling and effectively communicates the impact you can have on a potential employer’s organization.
Tailor your resume to the job description
Read the description carefully and emphasize the relevant skills and experiences. Highlight the skills that the employer seeks and provide examples of how you’ve used those skills in your previous roles. Doing so can demonstrate that you’re a strong fit for the position and increase your chances of being invited to an interview.
“The ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach doesn’t work when it comes to your resume. For every job application, tailor your skill set to match the job description. Most companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that filter candidates based on keywords and skills listed in the job description. So, research the role you’re applying for and distill the skills required.”
– Ana Lokotkova, Career Coach and Advisor
In order to do this, “you must first understand what skills are most important for the target role,” says Ashley Watkins.
Here’s an example of how to tailor a server resume to a job description:
Job Title: Server at a Fine Dining Restaurant
Requirements: Experience providing exceptional customer service, food and wine pairings knowledge, and ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment.
Tailored Resume Description:
- Delivered exceptional customer service to high-end clientele, resulting in a 25% increase in positive feedback and repeat customers.
- Possess a strong knowledge of food and wine pairings, providing personalized recommendations that led to a 15% increase in upselling and overall revenue.
- Demonstrated ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment, handling multiple tasks simultaneously while maintaining high attention to detail.
“Focus on the sought-after and in demand skills. A great way to figure out what is currently in demand is by researching current job openings from your preferred companies and reading through the posting. Pay close attention to the preferred requirements section and build your skills section based on this list.”
– Chelsea Jay, Career & Leadership Development Coach – Seasoned and Growing
By tailoring your resume to the job description, you can showcase your expertise in the skills required for the server role and make your resume stand out to potential employers.
Bonus Tip: Use action verbs
Start each bullet point with an action verb. An action verb expresses an action, such as “create,” “build,” “manage,” “lead,” or “implement.”
Action verbs grab the reader’s attention and paint a vivid picture of what you accomplished at work.
Action verbs make your resume more interesting to read. They also show the kind of can-do attitude that employers are looking for.
FAQs
Some essential skills for a food server include excellent communication, attention to detail, multitasking ability, good memory, physical stamina, and customer service skills. Additionally, servers need basic math skills to handle cash and calculate tips.
Soft skills are crucial for waitresses, including excellent communication skills, empathy, patience, active listening, conflict resolution, teamwork, and adaptability. Waitresses must be able to interact with customers effectively, listen to their concerns, and provide solutions to any issues that may arise.
Servers usually have several skills on their resumes, including customer service, communication, multitasking, time management, cash handling, menu knowledge, and problem-solving. Depending on the restaurant’s needs, they may also have additional skills, such as wine knowledge, food safety, or foreign language proficiency.
Hard skills for food service include specific knowledge and training related to the job, such as food preparation, cooking techniques, equipment operation, and inventory management. Hard skills may also include familiarity with software for point-of-sale systems, reservation management, and scheduling.
The key skill in serving is excellent customer service. A good server must interact with customers effectively, anticipate their needs, provide recommendations, and handle any issues that may arise with patience and professionalism. Serving also requires multitasking, attention to detail, and teamwork.
It is possible to be a good server without experience, but it may be more challenging. Some restaurants may provide training for entry-level positions, but candidates should possess basic customer service skills, a positive attitude, and a willingness to learn. Additionally, having relevant skills such as multitasking, time management, and communication skills can help a candidate succeed in a server role.