Top Server Resume Skills for 2026

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.