Waitress CV Examples & UK Templates

As a waitress, you’re the backbone of hospitality. A master multitasker with a knack for remembering even the most complicated orders and serving them up with a positive attitude. 

The great resignation led to a huge demand for servers and restaurant staff, which means that if you’re looking for a waitress job, the field is wide open. The first step to landing one of these plentiful positions is creating a waitress CV that turns the hiring manager’s head. 

CV guide for a waitress CV

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This CV guide and corresponding waitress CV example will cover the following:

• How to write a waitress CV
• Choosing the right CV format for waitressing
• How to add your contact information
• Using summaries
• Adding your waitressing experience
• Listing education and relevant experience
• Picking the right CV design/layout for a waitress
• What the waitress job market looks like, and what salary you can expect

How to write a waitress CV

Before you start working on your waitressing CV, you need to know what to include. Here are the elements that are important for your document. 

• The CV header
• The CV summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• The employment history section
• The CV skills section
• The education section

Servers are not only expected to have the physical skills needed to take orders and serve food, they are also asked to have a cheery and helpful disposition that will leave customers with a pleasant experience to remember.

No restaurant can survive on first-time customers, so creating an environment that diners want to return to is one of the essential functions of the wait staff. By conveying these innate qualities on your waitress CV, you can show the employer that you’re committed to the success of their business. Here are some of the ways that you can do just that: 

• Highlight your accomplishments. Rather than simply focusing on the tasks that you completed, pinpoint the value you added to the restaurant. For example, instead of merely talking about serving customers, you might talk about how you encouraged customers to buy add-ons with your expert upselling techniques. 
• Tailor your CV to the company. Using a one-size-fits-all CV won’t generate the best results for your job search. One of the quickest ways to enhance your chances of success is to tailor your CV to meet the needs of the prospective employer. 
• Keep the design simple. Rather than overcomplicating things with a chaotic design, make sure that you use a simple look that is easy to read. 
• Optimise your CV. Make sure you are using the right keywords and phrases to get past the CV scanning software. This will increase your chances of success. 

Choosing the right CV format for waitressing

As a waitress, you have a few options when it comes to choosing a CV format. However, any candidate with previous experience will find the reverse chronological format to be their best choice. 

This format is preferred by hiring managers because it features an employment history section where you can list your related jobs going back until about 10 years. 

The functional CV (or skills-based CV) format is another option for job seekers with limited work history. This format focuses more on skills and minimises employment history. It is best reserved for first-time job seekers and students. The combination, or hybrid, CV format can be a great happy medium for people with only one or two previous positions to show.

Include your contact information

Next up, you should complete the header of your CV. This is where you can share your basic contact information with the potential employer. 

Make sure that you use a professional approach here. Let’s take a look at what you need to include in this section of your waitress CV:

• Full name & title. Start with your first name and last name. Also, include the role title.
• Professional email address. Include a professional email address.
• Phone number. Next, add a phone number. Check that your answer phone message is suitable for work.
• Location. You don’t need to include your whole address. Simply put your location.

Don’t include:

• Date of birth: This could lead to age discrimination, so it’s best to leave it off.
• Personal details: The hiring manager does not need to know your marital status, whether you have kids, passport number, etc.

Make use of a summary

Just as a waitress’ greeting sets the tone for the entire meal, the summary of your CV is the place to add some personality and individuality to an otherwise monotone document. 

In these 3-5 sentences, you’ll want to call the employer’s attention to your previous experience, skills and strengths. If you have a connection to the restaurant or are a fan of their cuisine, it doesn’t hurt to mention it here. After all, a waitress who is passionate about the work makes for a better candidate. Add in these flourishes of detail to pique the reader’s interest.

You can also include some action verbs in the simple past or present tense. These will help to take your summary to the next level. Examples include delivered, organised, oversaw, achieved, excelled, enhanced, and transformed. 

Rather than just regurgitating information that is elsewhere on your CV, make sure you give the reader something new to chew on. Now is your chance to directly speak to the manager. For example, you say “Friendly waitress with experience of dealing with 150+ covers per shift.” That immediately lets the reader know that you are a prolific worker.

You can find adaptable waitress example summaries below:

Outline your waitressing work experience

If you’ve held previous jobs, the employment history section is the place to mention them. While waitresses don’t necessarily need to have previous restaurant experience to land their first position, it helps to highlight transferable skills or work in other areas of the hospitality industry. 

You’ll want to list the job title, employer name, dates worked, and location in a bold subheading format. Then, add a list of 4-5 bullet points that call attention to your responsibilities and achievements. Make sure to add concrete numbers or information wherever possible. 

Rather than simply recounting your duties, consider the impact that you had on the company. For example, here’s what you should not put:

• “Served customers”
• “Cleaned down tables”
• “Made recommendations”

While you may have done all of the above in previous roles, these are duties not accomplishments. Include information that showcases your value to the employer, for example:

• “Served 150+ customers per shift”
• “Cleaned down tables within 10 minutes of customers leaving”
• “Recommended complimentary F&B options and boosted sales by c. 20%”

Take a look at the waitress employment history CV sample below:

How to write a waitress CV with no experience 

Since most waitressing roles are casual and shift-based, they make perfect first jobs. For that reason, you shouldn’t panic if you lack direct experience within the hospitality industry. 

Chances are, you have a wealth of transferable skills that will work for this fast-paced industry. Be sure to highlight these as part of your CV to show that you can keep up. Examples include good communication, organisation, and — of course —  time management. 

If in doubt, look back at the job posting and see which skills you already have. If you possess some of the competencies in this description, now is the time to mention them. The more you tailor your CV to meet the employer’s requirements, the better your chances overall. 

Include the relevant key skills that make you a great waitress

Your skills are at the heart of your job as a waitress, but the CV skills section is not always the easiest place to showcase them. That’s because this section is often formatted as bullet points, meaning you’ll only get a word or two to describe your key competencies. 

Prioritise the skills requested in the job description and highlight any areas of expertise that could make you stand out from other candidates. Include a mix of hard skills – or technical abilities – along with soft skills. 

Hard skills may include customer service, food hygiene, Health and Safety, and quality management. Soft skills such as time management, communication, and attention to detail are the types of skills that employers will be on the look-out for.

Here’s what the skills box looks like in our CV template for waitresses. 

Wherever possible, you should try to put your skills into context. You can do this in your employment history section and CV summary. For instance. 

• Time management. Share how your time management allowed you to help out when the team was short staffed. 
• Communication. Include information about your communication style and how you tended to customers’ needs.  
• Attention to detail. Mistakes happen when you work in hospitality. However, having excellent attention to detail can set you apart from the crowd. Highlight this by showing off your customer satisfaction rating and any reviews. 

As always, reflect back on the job advert for more information of what you should include here. 

Detail your education & relevant waitress certifications

While waitresses usually aren’t required to have a formal education to perform their job, the education section on a CV is standard and shouldn’t be overlooked. 

Of course, if you want to make a career in the hospitality industry, you may already have some training under your belt. Here’s what you might include: 

• School or university education. Add your secondary school education or any other degrees you possess, along with the educational institution and dates attended. It’s also fine to add a degree in progress if you are still studying.
• NVQ qualifications. Do you have a City and Guilds qualification? For example, you may have the NVQ Level 1 in Food and Beverage Service, the NVQ Level 2 in Hospitality Services, or even the SVQ Level 2 in Hospitality Services. 
• Food safety training. If you will be working in the kitchen, you may need the Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) or Highfield Qualifications.
• First aid training. First aid training is always a bonus. You might have a Workplace First Aid certificate or the First aid at Work (FAW) Refresher. 

Pick the right CV layout and design for a waitress CV

The layout and design might not seem like key considerations of your waitress CV, but they play a bigger role than you might imagine. 

Just like a restaurant’s interior, cleanliness and menu tell the customer what their dining experience might be like, the layout and design of your CV communicate your professionalism and attention to detail.

While waitresses won’t need an elaborate layout, a simple, well-organised one can make it easier for the employer to find the information they are looking for. A pop of colour may even be acceptable depending on the restaurant’s style. Make sure to choose professional font styles and sizes and to stay consistent with your design choices throughout your CV.

If you’re not ready to fuss with CV formatting, you may want to consider using a professionally-designed CV template to take the guesswork out of the process and ensure your CV looks as good as it sounds.

Waitress text-only CV example

Waitress job market and outlook

While there was a surge of new vacancies in the hospitality industry since the pandemic, that is expected to stall this year. However, there are still many casual and shift-work roles available. It’s never been more important to stand out from the crowd than it is right now. 

During the summer months and in the lead-up to the festive period, there is usually a higher demand for waiting staff. With that in mind, this may be the perfect time to apply for new jobs. 

What type of salary you can expect as a waitress

Hospitality staff often get paid the minimum wage in the UK. For a person over the age of 21, that is currently £11.44 per hour.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that most waitresses work on a shift basis. You may also gain extra income via tips, bonuses, and company incentives. 

Key takeaways for building a waitress CV

If you want to land a job as a waitress, you will need a tailored CV. Craft a summary that captures your personality and more innate qualities while also sharing your motivation for applying to the particular role. 

Opt for the reverse chronological structure whenever possible, as it allows employers to quickly evaluate your previous experience.

Ready to get started? Use our online CV builder to create a stellar waitress CV in a matter of minutes.