Food Service Worker Resume Example & Writing Guide

Where would we be without food service workers? If all we could ever eat was our own cooking, some of us would probably die of a mac and cheese overdose. From the magnificent to the mediocre, food service workers offer our palates new flavors in random places – who wouldn’t want a Fenway Frank when taking in a baseball game in Boston? If food service is your passion, then first of all, thank you, and second of all, you’re going to need a food service worker resume.

But why, you might ask, if the employer only needs me to fill out an application? And the answer is: because that’s what most of your competitors are probably thinking. Having your own resume demonstrates a dedication to your occupation and a sense of professionalism. Instead of sitting down to fill out an application with a cheap pen that’s low on ink, you could just hand over your beautiful resume and spend all this time chatting with the manager.

This writing guide, along with the attached food service worker resume example, will cover everything you need to know about cooking up a CV for this occupation. Specifically, we’ll discuss:

• What does a food service worker do?
• How to write a food service worker resume
• The five crucial ingredients of any resume
• Best format for a food service worker resume

Now let’s put on our aprons, wash our hands and get started.

What does a food service worker do?

We’re tempted to say that even Gordon Ramsay is a glorified food service worker, but we’re a bit afraid he would start screaming at us in Scottish: “What the &@%# were you thinking, you donkey?!?”

So we’re going to go with a narrower definition. Food service workers are not really chefs, or even cooks, though they assist cooks with food and beverage preparation, and may perform chores like dishing up salads or serving desserts. Food service workers often perform dining room setup, act as servers bringing food to guests, bus tables and operate cash registers. And when it comes time to clean up after everyone and take out the garbage, guess whose job that is?

The term “food service worker” is often used in settings like schools, hospitals and retirement homes where buffet-style meals are served to large populations, and fast-food workers such as McDonalds employees also qualify. 

If you're looking for a similar job in the hospitality or catering sector, you may find these related resume examples also helpful: 

• Server resume sample
• Pastry Chef resume sample
• Barista  resume sample
• Hotel Management  resume sample 
• Doorman resume sample
• Cook resume sample
• Restaurant manager resume sample
• Hostess resume sample
• Caterer resume sample
• Waitress resume sample
• Recreational Facility Attendant resume sample
• Food and Beverage Director resume sample
• Food service manager resume sample
• Concierge resume sample
• Bartender resume sample
• Hotel Front Desk Employee resume sample
• Sommelier resume sample

How to write a food service worker resume

A food service worker resume actually contains fewer elements (five) than a basic McDonald’s hamburger (six), so let’s not overthink this. We won’t say that writing a resume is necessarily easy, but the ingredient list is pretty simple:

• Resume header with contact info
• Summary/profile
• Employment history
• Education
• Skills

What else should you add? Nothing! Not even chopped lettuce. 

A food service resume should be one page only, so don’t supersize it. Containing these five elements to one page, in fact, may be your biggest challenge, but consider it a must. 

Choosing the best format for a food service workers

Good formatting for a food service resume sample involves issues of structure, design and layout. We’ve already covered the basic structure: header, summary, experience, education, skills.

Now to put all that on one page with an eye-pleasing design and layout. This can be a bit tricky, but still, it’s not rocket science.

Among the design considerations that go into a resume are choice of fonts, font sizes, margin sizes and an appropriate use of white space. Your page needs to look good at a glance, before anyone even starts reading it. It should be balanced visually – not text-heavy at the top and empty at the bottom, nor with a bunch of type on the left and gaping holes on the right.

Check out our hospitality and catering resume samples for even more ideas of how to format your food service worker resume.

Resume header: Who are you?

The resume header is the space at the top of the page where you list your name, occupation, address, phone number and email. That’s all you really need, though you may opt to include a LinkedIn page or even a photo of yourself. (But be aware that while photos on resumes are common in Europe, they are sometimes frowned on in the U.S.)

The header is essential for obvious reasons – so the employer knows how to contact you – but it also serves as an important design element. Good resume headers often involve creative use of typography, layout and an accent color, and they give the overall resume an eye-pleasing look.

Food service summary sample: What can I do for you?

The resume summary is a summation in your own well-chosen words of the top reasons you would be a great hire for this job. If it’s unclear exactly what kind of job you’re seeking, you may also need to specify that here, which is why this is also sometimes called a job objective.

Lead with your strengths, whether that’s experience, education, training or personal qualities like a strong work ethic and a dedication to customer service. Use the most captivating language in your vocabulary to intrigue the hiring manager to keep reading. Check out the summary from our food service worker resume sample for more ideas of how to accomplish this.

Resume employment history: Your work experience

If you have experience in food service, then list your past jobs in the employment history section in reverse chronological order (last job first, first job last). List each company where you worked and its location, your job title and the period you worked there. 

Under each of these past jobs, add bullet points to specify what you did there. Be specific, using facts and figures where possible, like how many customers you served per day. 

And what if you have no experience? Don’t feel lonely. Food service is often an entry-level job, so nobody is going to ask how many Michelin stars you have. If you do have internship or volunteering experience, mention that here.  Check out the employment history section from our food service resume sample.

Food service worker education: Your schooling

You may or may not need even a high school diploma to get a job as a food service worker. But here you should list the highest educational credential you’ve attained in the education section, along with any notations for special academic achievement, and any special training related to food service. Here’s an idea of how to format the education section from our food service worker resume sample.

CV skills example: Where you excel

Finally, your food service worker CV should include a list of the skills that set you apart. These often include a mix of hard skills (technical skills acquired in training or on the job) and soft skills (people skills like friendly customer service with a smile). Check out the skills section from our resume sample below.

Key takeaways

1. Food service workers should have a resume just like everyone else, and the better yours is, the more opportunities will open up to you.
2. Be sure to include the five essential ingredients of every resume, nothing less but nothing more.
3. Choose an attractive design and layout for your resume, ideally by using a proven resume template.

Now get out there and find the job that’s right for you!