Food Service Resume Example

The aim of this article is to equip you with all the knowledge required to create a resume that positions you to succeed in your food service worker applications. You'll find valuable tips on writing a resume that best showcases your unique skills and achievements. There is also extensive guidance on how to structure your resume to match the job description, and to reflect your experience levels to impress HR specialists and employers. Read on to learn how to write a perfect food service resume, from the advice of careers experts at Jobseeker.

Main elements of a food service resume

Most resumes contain similar key sections, with a food service resume being no different. If you're a candidate without much experience, you may wish to present your resume in a way that draws attention to your most valuable skills. These might not be in traditional work settings, so sections like education, projects, hobbies and skills can be more prominent.

How you choose to present your resume is up to you. There are plenty of options for a professional resume layout and format, but every application should include the following:

Resume Header and Personal Information

The resume header is the place to add your name and contact details, along with your LinkedIn URL if you have a profile, so employers can find more information about your career journey and skills. You don't typically need to add a photo, or any other personal information to this section. Keep your header clear and concise, with only the most necessary information included. Opt for a stylish, professional design that creates a strong first impression.

Use an email address that's professional and appropriate for professional communication. Typically this would be an email address based on your first and last name, or your initials. If necessary, you could include your profession or another unique identifier. Avoid using old email addresses that could be considered unprofessional or inappropriate. Additionally, always check your contact details before sending your resume to ensure they're up-to-date.

Resume Objective

Your resume personal profile is a short, concise paragraph to highlight two or three key skills and achievements in food service worker roles. You may also see this section named as 'resume summary' or 'resume objective'. Resume summaries tend to focus on your career experience, while resume objectives cover your ambitions and plans for the future. Furthermore, when writing your profile, focus on two or three key skills and achievements that showcase your suitability for food service worker roles.

Alternatively, focus on introducing your career ambitions, and why this role is a good fit, both for you and the organization.

A good resume summary is short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description, with evidence to back it up. It will also help the reader to form their first impressions of you by providing an insight into your personality and unique qualities. See below for some great examples of what to include in your food service resume summary.

Conversely, a bad resume summary might be too generic, lacking focus on the specifics of the job description. It will also fail to provide any useful insights on what makes you a unique candidate. In the graphic above you can find some negative examples of how to write a resume summary.

Hard and Soft Skills

In your skills section, list any skills you've acquired or developed that are relevant to food service worker positions. Consider adding inventory management skills, customer service excellence or any other necessary skills for the job. Once more, review the job description and pick out any key food service worker skills listed that match yours. Focus on these skills and any other key transferable skills that make you a strong candidate for the job.

How to list hard skills on your food service resume

Under hard skills, add any specialist skills you possess that are specifically required for food service worker jobs. These tend to be technical skills and industry knowledge essential to the position. Furthermore, it's important to show these skills in a food service resume as they provide a strong indication of your experience in the sector. Add up to five key hard skills that show you're an ideal candidate for the role. It can also be beneficial to add context to each skill, showing how you've used it to positive effect in your career to date.

The best resume hard skills sections focus on specific technical skills necessary for the job, showcasing skills that you have particular expertise in. There are some examples of valuable hard skills for a food service resume below.

Soft skills on your food service resume

Soft skills are the personal skills and qualities that make you a good fit for the job. They include transferable skills and strengths that help you settle into the role, adapt to new challenges and build effective working relationships. In fact, you can develop soft skills throughout your career, and they tend to be suitable for various roles and professions. You should generally look to include up to five soft or transferable skills that match the job description.

A good soft skills section would include skills that match the job description, and also reflect your key strengths and qualities. See the graphic below for an indication of what to include in a strong soft skills section for a food service resume.

Education

In your education section, include details of your most relevant food service worker qualifications and educational achievements.

While a degree isn't usually a requirement for a food service worker position, it's still recommended to list your highest or most relevant qualifications. If you have a recognized qualification, such as Food Safety Manager, list these here. Any educational achievements that show food safety certification or menu item knowledge can be useful for this section.

For each entry in this section, add the name and level of your qualification, the institution you studied at, its location and your dates of study. You can also add some bullet points outlining any high grades, awards you won or specialist subjects you studied. Adding this information will show the employer your dedication to learning and your areas of specialist knowledge.

If you organized or participated in any clubs or societies while at university, or you took part in any voluntary work, you could also mention these here.

Relevant Certifications and Licenses

Under this section, list any relevant certifications or licenses that are relevant to food service worker jobs. These could be official licenses required for the job or certifications that improve your employability. Therefore, include the details of any licenses and professional certifications required for food service worker roles, along with completion dates so employers can see you're up-to-date.

See below for some suggestions of relevant certifications for a food service resume:

Work History

Your resume work experience section is the chance to show your relevant previous jobs and career achievements as a food service worker. Mention only the most appropriate and relevant jobs you've had in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent and working backwards. Add your job title, the name of the employer, the location of the role and your dates of employment.

For each job listed in this section, add some bullet points so the employer can understand the skills you developed, and your achievements. Focus on showcasing the impact you made on the organization, and show evidence of how you made a difference.

A successful resume work experience section will always showcase skills and experience relevant to the job description, and how you put each to good use in your previous roles. Offering quantifiable evidence in a food service resume proves you're a strong candidate for the job, such as client feedback, project outcomes, KPIs or financial results. Take a look at the examples below for some guidance on what works best for your work experience section.

The example above can give you some idea of what not to include in your resume work experience section. Poor examples of resume work experience sections tend to be vague and fail to quantify your achievements and the impact you've made in your career to date. They may also focus on responsibilities above relevant skills and how you've used them.

Optional Sections

As well as the main sections of a food service resume, optional sections can help you prove your credentials to employers. Pick from the optional sections below to help show the employer you have the skills and experience for the job.

Hobbies

Adding your hobbies and interests is a legitimate way of showing off your skills and personal qualities. They also help to show a different side of your personality, and can help your resume create a more memorable impression on hiring managers. If you're short on real world work experience, hobbies and interests can be a useful way of providing more information about your qualities. Think about adding hobbies and interests to your resume if they add some insight into your personality that you can't express elsewhere in your application.

Volunteer Experience

Adding voluntary roles can be a useful way of showing relevant experience and skills for food service worker roles beyond your main employment history. Write your volunteer section in a similar format to your work experience, including your role, the organization name, relevant dates and the details of your contribution.

References

It's relatively unusual to include references in a standard food service resume, but they are required occasionally. Check the job advert to see if you'll need to add references to your resume. Only include referees that you've had prior approval from, and notify them to expect contact from the employer.

Best action words for your food service resume

Add strong verbs to your work experience section to show the hiring manager the impact you made in your previous roles. The suggested action verbs below will help the reader to understand your key qualities and the impact you made on the organization.

If you want to create a resume that stands out from the crowd, use Jobseeker's expert-designed resume templates. You can also find cover letter templates that work to get you noticed by employers.

Example of a food service resume

Now that you know everything that needs to go into your food service resume, let's review an example resume that you can use as a guide when creating your own:

How to make an ATS-friendly resume

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) help recruiters and employers to streamline their hiring process. They can store and process data, including applications and applicant data, quickly and efficiently. One of the jobs ATS applications are increasingly responsible for is initial candidate screening. The systems can quickly scan and rank resumes based on how closely they match the job description. If you follow a few simple tips when writing your food service resume, you'll give yourself a better chance of ranking highly in the ATS screening and progressing to the next stage.

Follow these guidelines to create the best ATS-friendly resume:

• Opt for an established, traditional resume format such as a reverse-chronological or functional structure. These will ensure your resume includes all the necessary details ATS systems scan for.
• Use keywords throughout your resume that reflect the job description, so ATS resume scanners can recognize a strong connection between your skills, and those in the job description.
• Add each section with clear headings that match the established resume conventions, so ATS software can easily identify each part of your resume.
• Adopt a clean, unfussy design that gives your content enough white space to breathe. Use professional, readable fonts and subtle use of color and other design elements.
• Use concise language to keep the length of your resume to between one and two pages. This will make it easier to scan for ATS applications.

Key takeaways for your food service resume

The best resumes focus on your skills and the value you've added to previous roles, rather than focusing on your duties and responsibilities. Choose a resume structure that makes the most of your relevant experience, whether through work or other activities, and be sure to tailor your resume to match the job description.

HR-approved resume templates and other tools by Jobseeker are the easiest way to create a winning job application. Sign up and follow the simple instructions to complete a resume that stands out from the crowd. Whatever job you're applying for, a professional cover letter can make all the difference to your chances. Use Jobseeker's HR-approved tools and cover letter examples to inspire your applications.

Sources:

(1) Writing a Resume, California Department of Human Resources: https://www.calhr.ca.gov/employees/Pages/resume-tips.aspx

(2) Resumes, Cover Letters and Job Applications, New York State Department of Labor: https://dol.ny.gov/resumes-cover-letters-and-job-applications