“A CEO once told me he would never hire someone with just restaurant experience. He had never worked in a restaurant before – I couldn’t help but ask.
I’m here to tell you to never hesitate to put your restaurant experience on your resume. Bold it. Underline it. Put it in bright red.
I had an incredible manager tell me, ‘Being a server is essentially like running your own business.’ I am in charge of all business transactions and ultimately my guests’ entire experience. It’s taught me how to be a leader and responsibility.
Did you know servers take more steps per day than almost any other job? And those floors aren’t generous. I average 20k+ steps during a double shift. It’s taught me endurance and perseverance.
It’s just as much physically exhausting as it is mentally. Working for the public is draining, and you want to believe the majority of the people in the world are pleasant. The reality is a lot of people like to be rude, and knowing how to deescalate a violate situation is a skill I never knew existed. It’s taught me patience and self-control.
I’ll never forget the first time a guest made me cry because she didn’t get ketchup with her fries. Or the first time I was cussed out because I didn’t know the sugar content in our house whiskey. It’s taught me how to work under pressure and manage stress.
My point is this job is a career. It’s taught me more than an internship. I financed 100% of my college education by working 30+ hours a week. It’s taught me the power of HARD WORK.
I don’t want to work for a company that doesn’t recognize the incredible work happening in restaurants. To my fellow servers/bartenders, I see you.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Sara Chambers of Cookeville, TN. You can follow her journey on Instagram. Be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories.
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