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Waiter CV example

A waiter or server CV should show that you take orders accurately, know the menu, serve and clear quickly, take payments and stay friendly when the restaurant is full. Below is a full example for an experienced server and a version for someone with no table-service job yet, plus the bullet points and tailoring steps behind them.

By Paul and the c-v.ai team, drawing on years of hiring across industries and of writing CVs professionally. Published 10 November 2026.

What employers look for in a waiter CV

Job profiles from the UK National Careers Service, the US O*NET database and Australia’s occupation classification describe table service in the same steps. Your CV (résumé) should give evidence of:

• Taking orders accurately. Greeting guests, giving out menus and taking food and drink orders, often on a handheld or till system. The UK profile lists a good memory as a skill.
• Menu knowledge. Answering questions about the menu and giving advice on ingredients, which includes allergens.
• Serving and clearing. Setting tables, serving food and drinks, clearing and resetting.
• Payments. Handling bills and payments on point-of-sale systems.
• Alcohol service. O*NET lists checking ID for alcohol. Many places also expect a responsible service certificate.
• Staying friendly under pressure. Dealing with complaints and working under pressure in a kitchen that can be hot and noisy.

Waiter CV example

Jake’s summary names the type of restaurant, his strongest skills and the role he wants next. His bullets show the size of his section, his allergen knowledge and how he handles alcohol and complaints, which are the things a manager worries about. Training new servers shows he is ready to lead. His certificates sit in their own line so a hiring manager can find them fast.

How to write each section

Personal statement

Say what type of venue you work in (café, casual dining, fine dining, hotel, events), how long you have done it and what you are good at. Close with the role you want. Keep it to three sentences.

Experience bullets

Skills

List the service skills a manager can check on a trial shift: table service, the POS you use, coffee, cocktails, wine, silver service or banquets. Put alcohol and food safety certificates under extras with the year.

Education

Your school qualification and year are enough. Students should add their current course, since it explains why you want evening and weekend shifts.

Waiter CV with no experience

Chloe has never worked table service, but her café counter job covers orders, payments and running food. If you are starting out, lead with:

1. Any food or drink service. Café counters, fast food, takeaways and event catering all count.
2. Handling money. Tills, EFTPOS and cash tins show you can be trusted with payments.
3. Certificates you can get quickly. An alcohol service certificate makes you easier to roster in many places.
4. Availability. Restaurants need evenings and weekends, so put yours in the summary.

Our guide to a CV with no experience has more tips.

Tailoring this CV to a job ad

Jake applies to a steakhouse. The ad asks for “fine dining experience”, “strong wine knowledge” and “upselling”.

1. He moves wine recommendations up his skills list and adds a bullet about suggesting wine pairings, which he does on banquet menus.
2. He doesn’t call his cantina job fine dining. He puts the plated banquet service first instead, because it is the closest match.
3. He describes upselling with something he really does: suggesting starters and desserts to every table.

Our guide to tailoring a CV to a job description has the full method. In c-v.ai, you paste the ad and the app ranks the must-haves first, then shows which ones your CV already covers. Every proposed change must quote the CV lines it is based on, and you check each one before it goes in.

What changes in other countries

• United States. Server is the usual title, and O*NET lists checking ID for minimum drinking age as a core task. The document is a résumé (see CV vs résumé), and Pomona College’s career office advises no photo, age, birth date or marital status.
• Canada. The occupation is food and beverage server. On-the-job training is usually provided, and responsible beverage service certification is usually required for serving alcohol. Memorial University’s career service advises no photo, age or date of birth.
• Australia. The national classification uses waiter, with food and beverage attendant as an alternative title. In New South Wales, you need a competency card if you sell, serve or supply alcohol. Check the rules in your state.
• India. The government’s National Career Service portal, run by the Ministry of Labour & Employment, lists jobs and lets you register free of charge.
• South Africa. The University of Cape Town careers service says CVs are typically two pages and advises no photo unless the employer asks.
• Germany. EURES says a photo is still part of a typical German application, and the CV is usually a signed and dated table of up to two pages.
• Poland. EURES advises one, at most two, A4 pages, with a consent clause for processing your personal data underneath the CV.

Restaurant groups and hotels often take applications online. Our ATS-friendly CV guide explains what those systems need, and c-v.ai checks every PDF on your iPhone for selectable text, standard headings and reading order. Systems differ, so no check can guarantee a result. For counter and till jobs, see the cashier CV example.

Questions

Can I get a waiter job with no experience?

Often, yes. The UK National Careers Service says you can apply for waiter jobs without experience because training is given on the job. On your CV, lead with café, shop or volunteering work where you served people and handled money.

Do I need a certificate to serve alcohol?

It depends on where you work. Canada’s occupation classification says responsible beverage service certification is usually required for servers of alcohol, and in New South Wales you need a competency card to sell, serve or supply alcohol. Check the local rules and list any certificate you hold.

Should I write waiter or server on my CV?

Use the term in the job ad. Server is common in the US and Canada, waiter in the UK and Australia, and food and beverage attendant is another Australian title.

Sources

• National Careers Service: Waiter
• O*NET OnLine: Waiters and Waitresses (35-3031.00)
• Government of Canada, NOC 2021: 65200 Food and beverage servers
• Australian Bureau of Statistics, ANZSCO 2022: 4315 Waiters
• NSW Government, Liquor & Gaming: Get or renew a competency card
• Pomona College Career Development Office: U.S. Résumé Tips for International Students
• Memorial University of Newfoundland Career Services: Career FAQs for International Students
• National Career Service (Ministry of Labour & Employment, India)
• University of Cape Town Careers Service: Creating a Great CV (2023)
• EURES: Living and working conditions in Germany
• EURES: Living and working conditions in Poland

Related guides

• Cashier CV example
• Receptionist CV example
• Customer service CV example
• How to tailor your CV to a job description
• How to write a CV with no work experience