Looking for a job in a restaurant? If that’s the case, Velju is the best spot to quickly get employed. Everything is very simple, and you don’t even need a CV. But why are we writing this article then?

Although Velju doesn’t require a CV, some employers may ask for it regardless. If that’s the case, a well-thought-out CV can make getting the job so much easier, especially if you tailor it a bit towards the position you’re aiming at.

Therefore, if you want to look at a restaurant, allow us to help you write a great CV that is bound to catch the eye of your potential employer. Here’s everything you need to know!

Waitress CV example

If you’re looking for some work as a waitress, it’s always easier to compose an eye-catching CV if you have a good example in front of you. A little bit of inspiration can go a long way when doing something like this.

Start with a short summary of who you are, what you bring to the table (no pun intended), and the goal you seek to achieve. Keep it short and to the point, so three or four sentences should be quite enough. After that, you can move on to other relevant information about yourself, like experience and education (we’ll get back to this in just a moment).

It’s important to note that you will find a whole lot of different templates out there, with many different visual styles. Choose the one you think works best for you and the job you’re aiming for, just remember that it always has to be fairly clear and concise for the person reading it.

Choose the right CV format

But if you really want to be sure your CV is eye-catching, you need to choose the right format for it. Two things to keep in mind here: it has to look good and be functional, i.e. your prospective employer has to be able to find all relevant information quickly. A lot of white space on the paper helps that a lot.

If somebody has to put in an extra effort to find out what they want to know about your from your CV, the chances are they won’t even bother with going through your CV at all. That’s why choosing the right CV format is so important – you will most probably not be the only candidate for the job, so every little bit helps.

And when it comes to relevant information, it’s recommended you lay out things in reverse chronological order (a bit more on that later), so the place where you worked last, the certificate you last got, or the school you last finished should go first.

Every CV should start with a header that shows to an employer basic contact info about you, followed by that short summary we mentioned. Experience, education and core skills should come next, and after that, you can add some miscellaneous information about yourself, such as the languages you speak, awards you have received, etc.

Use subheadings that clearly stand out from the rest of the text to guide the reader and use a font that’s easy to read. Additionally, it is recommended you send in your CV in PDF format unless your employer specifically asks for something else.

Education

No matter which CV format you choose, though, your education will have to be in it. However, there are a few tricks here to keep in mind.

It all depends on how much actual experience you have. If you’re an experienced waiter/waitress, emphasize that instead of your education, but if you’re a waiter with no experience, you can and should emphasize the relevant education you have.

In the first case, just the school and the date of completion will suffice, but in the latter case, you should enumerate everything relevant to the job you’re applying for, such as courses, for example.

In fact, in the latter case, you may think about moving your education above your work experience.  This is your trump card, so you have to make it noticeable. Showing your strengths as soon as possible is a good way to make an impression on anyone reading your resume.

Also, you have a degree from a culinary college or have completed some kind of school that’s relevant to your position, you don’t have to mention your high school in your education section. That’s another way to emphasize the things that are most important for the position you’re interested in.

Use your previous experience as a reason to get the job

As mentioned, you should enumerate things in reverse chronological order, and this is especially important when it comes to your work experience. Hit your prospective employer with where you worked last, not with the place you worked at years ago.

You’ve grown as an employee over the years, so the last position you held will be the most relevant and give your prospective employer the best idea of what you’re capable of and what your skill set is.

However, instead of just listing your jobs, you should use every position you held to show your strengths and what you’re capable of.

For example, below the name of the place you worked at, list the duties you had and mention your accomplishments during your time at this position. Use the so-called problem-action-result formula for this: describe the problem, say what you did about it, and then state the results of your actions.

This shows that you’re proactive at work and can be relied on to resolve any issues that arise. In other words, it’s better to say that you had informed guests about the menu, answered all questions about allergies, and provided any other information instead of just writing that you took orders.

Do not mention the minimum hourly wage you expect or the wage you had on your previous job.

Vital skills

When you’re examining an ad for a job, you will probably come across certain skills that the employer requires. If you have them – great! That means you’re an excellent candidate for the job, but you still have to present those skills in a meaningful way.

And prove them.

To do that, pick the skills that are required and mention them among the duties you had in your previous workplaces. Write sentences that show why you’re a good employee and demonstrate you have the necessary skills at the same time.

Consider the following sentence one might include in their CV: Held an efficiency score 15% higher than restaurant average.

This is the kind of thing you want to put into your CV if the ad specifically states that the employer is looking for efficient workers. Mind you, it’s always a good thing to include a fact like this, but especially if it fits what a restaurant is looking for.

Yes, all of this means that you should edit your CV a little depending on the job you’re applying for, but the effort will be very much worth it because the chances of you actually getting the job will go up exponentially.

Of course, you shouldn’t lie, especially not when it comes to the skills that are vital for the job you’re applying for. It will become clear that your CV wasn’t telling the truth as soon as you start working, and then you’ll be back on square one, with a fair amount of negative reputation to go along with that.

Hobbies

Some CVs will also contain the applicant’s hobbies. This may not seem relevant to you at first glance, but including this section can be very helpful, especially if the hobbies you list are in some way related to the job you’re applying for.

A good example is blogging about food if you’re interested in working in a restaurant because it shows that you’re passionate about the same thing that restaurant focuses on.

Listing hobbies can show your prospective employers that you will fit nicely into their work culture because companies these days are not just looking for people who will come in, do their job, and go home. They’re looking for people who will fit into their working environment and connect with their co-workers. Naturally, this is much easier when you have a lot in common.

The best hobbies to list are the hobbies that give your employer a better insight into your character and showcase some additional skills you may have.

If you like to write, for example, that implies you have great writing communication skills. Likewise, volunteering shows that you’re passionate and have some organizational or even leadership skills, travelling implies that you’re good at organizing and resourceful, and so on.

So, try to use your hobbies to showcase your other abilities and experiences and connect with the people who are looking to hire.

Contact information

Obviously, the employer you’re sending your CV to has to have a way to keep you posted on the status of your application. As mentioned earlier in this article, you should put this information at the very beginning of your resume. But what should you include?

Three main elements should always be present: your full name, your email address, and your phone number.

When it comes to your name, you can write how you want to be addressed, so nicknames can also be included, and you can use shorter forms of your name, too.

As for the e-mail address, it’s recommended that it looks professional and serious, not something like badass69@email.com or anything of the sort. An e-mail like john.doe@email.com is much more preferable because it shows you’re serious about the job you’re applying for.

Conclusion

And there it is, those are the most important things you need to know about your CV and the right format when applying for a restaurant job.

Submit a resume that’s easy to read and emphasize your strengths and show your potential future employer which skills you have and how they can be used in the workplace.

Don’t forget to fine-tune your CV to the job you’re applying for to increase the chance of getting hired. Even hobbies can help you here if you think that’s how you can connect with your future employer and co-workers.

Follow these tips, and the job you want will be yours in no time!