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How to Write a Service Crew Resume Tips

Your service crew resume’s format is as important as how you write your resume. This sample resume demonstrates the best layout hacks to follow: 1-inch margins, bullet points and clear resume headings for each of the following sections.

how-to-format-resume
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  • Professional header and contact info

    • Include your name, contact information and a professional email address.
  • Compelling summary statement

    • A brief resume summary or objective statement highlighting two or three food service-relevant skills, experience or accomplishments.
  • Highlight your skills

    • Create a dedicated section to showcase hard and soft skills specific to food service work, like food prep, culinary housekeeping or specialized cooking.
  • Emphasize your work history

    • List your work experience in reverse-chronological order. Include job titles, company names, dates of employment and key responsibilities and achievements for each role in a bullet list.
  • Supporting education section

    • Detail your educational background, mentioning any relevant degrees, diplomas or certificates obtained.
  • Additional sections

    • You can add resume sections for licenses, certifications, industry memberships or unions, awards, volunteer experience or spoken languages.

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How to Write a Service Crew Resume Summary

Your resume summary sits at the top of your resume and pitches the best service crew skills, experience and qualifications to match the open job requirements. Here are some tips to help you write an attention-grabbing service crew resume summary:

Be concise and impactful

Keep your resume summary to no more than three sentences. Avoid lengthy paragraphs and use robust, action-oriented language to convey your skills and experience.

Emphasize relevant skills

Tailor your resume summary by focusing on crucial skills pertinent to food service. Some relevant skills include knowledge of food safety regulations, teamwork abilities, and other skills that make you a valuable addition to the service crew.

Highlight accomplishments

Instead of simply listing your job responsibilities, showcase your accomplishments and contributions in previous roles. For example, mention any awards or recognition you received, improvements you made to operational efficiency or positive customer feedback you received.

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Good service crew resume sample

“Dedicated service crew member with 5+ years of experience in fast-paced restaurant environments. Proven track record of delivering exceptional customer service and ensuring a positive dining experience. Skilled in taking orders, accurately processing payments, and maintaining a clean and organized workspace with the ability to work in a team setting and adapt to changing demands.”

This well-written resume summary concisely presents the candidate’s years of experience, customer service skills, and abilities in handling various tasks related to food service. It also highlights their adaptability and teamwork skills, essential in a fast-paced environment. Using specific achievements and positive language adds credibility and demonstrates the candidate’s commitment to delivering exceptional service.

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Poor service crew resume sample

“Food service worker with some experience. Looking for a job in a restaurant or café. Hardworking and friendly.”

This resume summary offers no insight into the candidate’s skills, accomplishments or qualifications, resulting in a generic and unimpressive introduction. Vague terms like “some experience” and generic descriptors like “hardworking and friendly” won’t help a hiring manager accurately assess your potential.

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How to Add Your Service Crew Work History

Your work history section should take up most of your service crew resume — it provides valuable information about your experience and ability to handle multiple kitchen tasks, work in a fast-paced environment, and deliver exceptional food service. Here are some tips to help you create an effective service crew work history section:

Start with your most recent experience

List your current or most recent position. This information includes your job title, employer name, dates of employment and location.

Focus on relevant responsibilities and achievements

Use a bullet list format to describe each job’s key responsibilities and accomplishments. Highlight food service tasks, such as taking orders, preparing food, maintaining cleanliness, and providing exceptional customer service.

Tailor your work history to the job requirements

Carefully read the job description and identify the job-essential skills and qualifications the hiring manager seeks. Prioritize examples that describe your relevant experiences and achievements over impressive but unrelated skills.

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Good service crew resume example

Service Crew Member, ABC Restaurant, Anytown, State
January 2019 – Present

  • Efficiently take customer orders, ensure accuracy, and process payments using a POS system, resulting in a 15% decrease in order errors.
  • Collaborate with kitchen staff to ensure timely and accurate food preparation, minimizing customer wait times and enhancing the overall dining experience.
  • Received multiple customer commendations for providing exceptional service, demonstrating strong interpersonal skills and maintaining a positive attitude in high-pressure situations.

This job seeker wisely uses specific details like decreased order errors and glowing customer feedback. They emphasize how they handle various tasks, collaborate with team members, and consistently deliver exceptional service to help employers quickly calculate their potential value.

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Poor service crew resume example

Service Crew Member, XYZ Café, Anytown, USA
2017 – 2019

  • Took customer orders and served food.
  • Handled cash transactions.
  • Assisted with food preparation.

Although this job seeker describes their daily responsibilities, this work history lacks any information that could help the hiring manager. How many hourly customers can this person serve? How quickly do they complete transactions? Are they limited to vegetable or meat prep? Preemptively answering these questions can improve this resume.

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How to Write a Service Crew Education Section

Your education section highlights relevant academics, training or certifications that build up your work history. Most service crew jobs don’t require advanced education, but these tips can help you boost your relevant credentials and job training.

1 Share relevant degrees or certifications.

Start by listing any degrees or certificates directly related to the food service industry. Examples of relevant degrees include Hospitality Management, Culinary Arts or Food and Beverage Service programs. These programs focus on culinary arts and sciences that can translate to multiple workplaces.

Culinary degree example

Associate Degree in Culinary Arts, Culinary Institute of America,
001/2020 – 05/2022, Hyde Park, NY

2Highlight specialized training programs.

You can also add specialized training programs or workshops relevant to food service like certifications in food safety and sanitation, allergen training or barista training.

Food certification examples

Certified Food Protection Manager, ServSafe
Barista Training Program, Specialty Coffee Association

3Mention relevant coursework or coursework highlights.

You can still demonstrate your knowledge by mentioning relevant coursework or specific highlights from your educational experience if you have limited formal education. This could include coursework in nutrition, menu planning, food preparation techniques, or customer service.

Relevant food service coursework

Coursework highlights: Food Safety and Sanitation, Menu Planning and Cost Control, and Hospitality Marketing

The key details to remember — your education section should highlight relevant qualifications for each unique job opening. Do this by demonstrating your commitment to ongoing learning and professional development in the food service industry.

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15 Skills For Your Service Crew Resume

The skills section focuses on additional skills not shared in your previously written resume sections. You’ll want to focus on a mix of technical, soft and hard skills that demonstrate your suitability for the fast-paced and customer-centric nature of the food service industry. Some examples of soft, hard and technical skills ideal for service crew resumes.

soft skills

Soft skills

  • Adaptability
  • Communication
  • Customer service
  • Problem-solving
  • Teamwork
hard skills

Hard skills

  • Cash handling
  • Food preparation
  • Knife skills
  • Menu knowledge
  • Time management
technical-skills

Technical skills

  • Third-party software, i.e., Toast
  • Espresso machine operation
  • Food safety regulations
  • Inventory management
  • Point-of-sale (POS) systems

When listing your skills, consider selecting those that align closely with the requirements of the service crew position you are applying for. Use concise bullet points to present your skills effectively, emphasizing the most relevant ones to the job.

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20 Service Crew Action Verbs

Your resume should reflect the high energy of a kitchen — use expressive power words to reflect your speed and intensity. These 20 suggested action verbs portray your sense of speed, urgency, and skill.

  • Adapted
  • Assisted
  • Cleaned
  • Collaborated
  • Communicated
  • Delivered
  • Enforced
  • Expedited
  • Implemented
  • Interacted
  • Maintained
  • Managed
  • Organized
  • Operated
  • Prepared
  • Prioritized
  • Resolved
  • Served
  • Trained
  • Upsold

When using these action verbs, pair them with specific accomplishments or responsibilities to provide context and demonstrate your capabilities in a food service setting. This will help you create impactful and engaging bullet points for your work history and other relevant resume sections.

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Additional Resume Sections

Consider adding the following sections to your service crew resume based on your specific circumstances and to enhance your qualifications:

  • Certification: Include a separate section to showcase relevant credentials, such as allergen handling or food safety cards.
  • Professional Development: Use a professional development section featuring workshops, seminars or culinary programs to replace or supplement your education section.
  • Awards and Achievements: If you have received recognition or awards for your performance, productivity or safety record, include a section to showcase these accomplishments.
  • Volunteer Experience: Replace your work history section with a volunteer section if you have less than three years of experience. Use this space to demonstrate your dedication to serving others and your passion for the service industry.
  • Language Proficiency: Since dining spaces can include a diverse range of employees, advertise your fluency in other languages as a workplace boon!
  • Memberships: Let hiring managers know about your membership to industry-specific organizations or unions.

Use a Cover Letter to Express Yourself

A resume is a concise overview of your skills and experience — a cover letter expands on this foundation. Add a cover letter to share one or two examples of how you excelled in similar roles or how your skills match a company’s needs. Use this sample as a guide or visit our helpful resources to boost your application.

Service Crew Resume FAQ

How far back should I go with my work history on a service crew resume?

We only recommend adding the last 10 years of relevant experience, but you can go back only if that experience includes notable accomplishments like helping a team earn a Michelin star, proposing housekeeping procedures that improved health inspection grades or suggesting cheaper high-quality ingredient sources.

Should I include references on my service crew resume?

Most hiring managers don’t look at your references until the end of the hiring process, so you don’t need to include references on your resume. Have a separate document with a list of references ready upon request. Ensure your references are professional industry contacts who can speak positively about your work ethic, skills and performance in a food service setting.

Can I include non-food service experience on my service crew resume?

You can include non-food service experience if it demonstrates transferable skills relevant to the position. For example, customer service, teamwork or multitasking skills are transferable to a food service environment. Tailor your descriptions to highlight skills that apply to the position.

How can I make my service crew resume stand out from others?

To make your service crew resume stand out:

  • Focus on quantifiable achievements and specific examples highlighting your impact in previous roles.
  • Use action verbs to convey your skills and experiences effectively.
  • Tailor your resume to the job description, emphasize your relevant skills and showcase your passion for the industry.

Should I include a cover letter with my service crew resume?

While only sometimes required, a well-formatted cover letter can complement your resume and provide additional insights into your qualifications and motivation. Use the cover letter to express your enthusiasm for the position, explain why you are a great fit, and highlight critical experiences or skills that align with the job requirements.

Always customize your resume to each job application, ensuring you address the employer’s needs and requirements while showcasing your unique qualifications and experiences as a service crew member.