Waitressing jobs might be a good idea for those looking for flexibility. However, if you stay on the job for a long time, the experience and knowledge you gain will open doors for you to pursue a career related to the food industry. Are you wondering ‘How do I find a waitressing job near me?’
The food service industry has been on the rise and prospering; restaurants spring up everywhere, the demand for waiters, receptionists, chefs, and other related positions is increasing.
Waiters are crucial in attracting customers and improving the restaurant’s image. They are the people who follow up with customers to assist them in choosing dishes, answer inquiries and suggestions based on their tastes, and offer the best possible service.
Table of Contents
What Is An Waitress/Waiter Job Description?
The job description can differ from restaurants. However, in general, this role entails the following duties and responsibilities:
- Arrange, sweep, and decorate the dining areas.
- Reserve seats, greet customers, provide menu advice, and place food orders at the table. It is essential to check the age of customers who order alcohol (21 years old).
- Take customer orders and inform the kitchen.
- Serve and deliver food and drink to each customer’s table.
- Assist customers with their payments.
- After the customer has finished dining, the waiter must clean the table and all utensils, including cups, plates, spoons, and side dishes.
What’s more, this job will adhere to each restaurant’s work schedule. For instance, some restaurants will only offer breakfast and lunch, while others will only serve in the evening. To make sure everything is putting into place before the restaurant opens, waiters might as well arrive a little earlier than expected. For instance, they are in charge of setting up tables and chairs, hanging banners, preparing menu items, and so on. And they will typically stay a little longer after work to tidy up the restaurant and prepare something for the next day.
Job Outlook Of Waiter/Waitress
Since restaurants must continuously hire workers to satisfy rising demand, the waiter/waitress job will also have more opportunities.
By the end of 2026, this field is projected to grow about 7% on average (compared to other professions).
Entry-level Jobs And Their Pay Rate
If you would like to find positions as part-time waitressing jobs, consider the following rate’s details. This is perhaps one of the most distinguished features of the waiter/waitress profession, as their earnings are mostly a mix of salaries and tips from customers.
In reality, many restaurants in the United States only pay their employees the federal minimum wage, yet waiters can still earn at least $ 30 a month in tips.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a serving’s lowest hourly wage is at least $ 2.13, yet customers’ tips will raise the waiter’s actual income to $ 7.25 (2019). Waiters’ salaries can be marginally higher than the national average, depending on the state.
According to BLS estimates, the following is the specific salary:
- The median annual wage is $ 21,777 (equivalent to $ 10.47 per hour).
- Annual salary in the top 10%: $ 40,789 (equivalent to $ 19.61 per hour)
- Annual wage of less than 10%: $ 17,326 (equivalent to $ 8.33 per hour)
Essential Skills And Tips To Get An Waitressing Job
Let’s get straight to the point. Where and how can I find waitressing jobs near me? Ideally, just walk straight to your favorite local café or restaurant and ask if they have vacant. However, a person with social anxiety like me prefers the hard way. I wrote an inspiring letter and sent it to my local bar. I landed the job, but I wished I knew these tips and locations at that time. It would have saved me plenty of time (and embarrassment while writing a cringe letter):
Good Communication Is Crucial
What are the qualities that a good waiter must possess? The first thing is they must prioritize customers’ needs and improve the restaurant’s reputation in the customer’s eyes. They need to know how to serve customers wholeheartedly and draw in more clients.
The ability to interact effectively, understand consumer psychology, and communicate with customers can enhance your service quality.
What’s more, they must be cautious, meticulous, and adaptable when inspecting dishes prepared to serve customers, as well as resilient in dealing with unexpected circumstances.
Multi-Tasking
Not only waiters but almost every job today necessitates multitasking. You’ll have more flexibility and energy in basic tasks once you are getting accustomed to multitasking.
As a writer, you will most likely have to keep track of and serve several customers at once, remember the customer’s special requests, and serve correctly the dishes they order. You must also be proactive in washing, arranging furniture, greeting and assisting customers if needed, and so on. Try helping in the kitchen occasionally; you can gain more hands-on experience and improve relationships with your coworkers.
Waiter’s Appearance Requirements
Waiter’s/waitress’s appearance is crucial to improve the restaurant’s reputation and service quality. It is always simple to build professionalism with a clean, tidy, and fresh look.
Customers will assess the whole restaurant’s quality by analyzing the people directly serving them, so caring and paying attention to your hair, nails, face, and shoes in addition to your clothes are vital. Some professional dining establishments will have serious employee appearance requirements, consisting of shoe color, women’s hairstyles, men’s ties, uniform colors, etc.
Education, Training & Certification
- To compare host vs server restaurant, it’s not compulsory for a waiter/waitress to take a bachelor’s degree or a training credential. Many restaurants can provide waiters with accelerated advanced preparation and coaching. On the other hand, most hosts and hostesses need a high school diploma or GED to get their jobs.
- Several restaurants are now hiring specialists to train their employees. Employees in some states in the United States must take additional classes to serve alcohol and treat food safely.
- Furthermore, experience in food, beverages, and customer service allows candidates to take higher positions like managers or chiefs in the branches you are in charge of, especially in the foodservice industry.
Best Websites To Find Out Restaurants Jobs – Waitressing Jobs Near Me
Jane Hurst, an editor as well as a freelance HR specialist, believes that the following six websites will be the best choices for seeking a well-paid job in the hospitality industry, precisely the waiter/waitress position you need.
HCareers
This website focuses on the hospitality industry and provides job seekers with the most effective tools for seeking jobs in specific locations.
HCareers is a reliable website that efficiently locates work openings in restaurants, hotels, clubs, and resorts. Sodexo, Compass, and Mandarin Oriental are among the site’s top partners in the hospitality industry, besides thousands of positions from over a hundred restaurants and hotels across the United States and Canada.
LinkUp
This site offers a daily updated list of restaurant jobs, and you can easily select waiter/waitress jobs from this list. They have details on recruiting in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. They can also directly refer you to relevant jobs, and you can fill out the application form on the recruiter’s website (via the website). You can also quickly access your search history and save your favorite jobs.
Hospitality Online
You can conveniently search for jobs in the target state and category via this website. Hospitality Online frequently posts job openings from well-known restaurants and hotels like Marriott, Wyndham Garden, and Moxy.
Hosco
More than 2,800 businesses from all over the world are currently partners of this site. They have a top worklist for the waiter, waitress, chef, etc.
Hosco specializes in providing information on job openings at Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Four Seasons, Intercontinental, Marriott, and other hotels and resorts. Furthermore, Hosco offers comprehensive details about companies/restaurants/hotels, so feel free to read the reviews before applying.
GlassDoor
This website is very simple to use; all you have to do is type the job title and location in the search box, and a list of jobs will appear for you to choose from.
Additionally, Glass Door provides consumer feedback and companies’ welfare for you to consider and select.
Career Builder
Builder Career, a popular recruitment website, allows you to search for jobs by title, experience, organization, and place. They often clearly report companies’ salaries in all industries, including the restaurant and hotel industry.
If you are looking for a career as a waiter or waitress, they will help you send your resume and cover letter to target restaurants or hotels you like. What’s more, their blog focuses on establishing an efficient job network between job seekers and recruiters.
Key Takeaways Waitressing Jobs Near Me
To recapitulate, with today’s rapid growth of restaurants and catering services, the prospects for industries associated with this career are becoming increasingly bright. In today’s hospitality world, every employee must constantly improve their skills, qualities, and experience to advance their careers. I hope you will be successful in finding “Waitressing Jobs Near Me.“
Want to see more fabulous blog posts about Jobs and Education? Let’s visit our Website JobandEdu and Job Application section.
