How working in a restaurant prepares you for anything, front-of-house edition

Skill #1: Memory of a champ

A great memory translates to non-restaurant workplaces in numerous ways. And if you work at the front of house in a restaurant, maybe you’ve had to recite nightly specials and remember which entrees were 86ed. Or which table needs a Diet Coke and not a Coke, in a glass with no ice, thankyouverymuch!

That means you should have no trouble recalling a lengthy sales pitch or remembering to ask a client about their three kids. Memory often translates to thoughtfulness. And being able to foster strong relationships.

Plus, you probably have a great memory under pressure, even while multitasking. And hey, which jobs don’t require multitasking in some way?

Pro tip: Show your strengths in interviews by asking questions of your interviewer and bringing them up later, perhaps in a thank-you email.

Skill #2: Cool as a cucumber

Restaurants can be pressure cookers, pun intended. You’ve probably dealt with a lot of angry customers, demanding chefs or fastidious managers in your day. Ever been screamed at because your restaurant doesn’t split checks? Or had an 8-top walk through your door 15 minutes before closing?

But what did you do? You handled it. With a smile.

Pro tip: If this describes you, then you have shown resilience, adaptability and excellent crisis management skills. Put all of that into your resume or cover letter. You might find customer service jobs to be a walk in the park. You are reliably calm, cool and collected no matter what your next job throws at you.

[M]y experiences as a bartender and server …[were] invaluable in preparing me for life in health care. It was an incredible foil to some of my clinic rotations.

– Blythe Craft, NP for Op-Med

Skill #3: Talking the talk

Strong communication skills are valuable in every workplace, as is learning to navigate a company culture and embracing their corporate values.  Restaurants have their own language, their own customs and unique demands. You have to master their style of communication to succeed. If you fail to say “behind” at the right moment, you might be wearing someone’s dinner. Clear communication is vital, but never more so than when sharp objects and open flames are in play.

You may have had to navigate strong personalities and learn how to ask for what you need. There are times to be assertive and times to be conciliatory, and you navigate those situations regularly.

If you are responsible for finding someone to cover your shifts, you may also be a skilled negotiator, which requires deft communication skills.

Pro tip: Show that you are experienced at embracing company cultures. You are adept at learning to speak the language of a workplace (they call it “venti” instead of “large”). Jot down a few examples of when you overcame a challenge using communication. Or a time when you found a way to work with a colleague who had a unique style of communication.  Those are great anecdotes to have at the ready during job interviews.

Skill #4: Time management

Employers want to know that you can take care of your work—that you can be personally accountable, reliable and hit your deadlines. And those are all skills that you pick up in a restaurant where your tips depend on your ability to do your job well—and fast.

Time management is a key part of that. There is an art and a science to keeping things moving at a restaurant. You have to keep an eye on how long a party has been waiting for a table if you’re working as a host. You have to know exactly when to approach a table to take their order if you’re working as a server. You have to make sure the kitchen is putting out each course at a good clip. Heaven forbid hot food gets cold! The horror. And you do it at a massive scale, across many customers, all at once.

Your time management skills are next level. It shows that you are perceptive and have keen situational awareness that many people don’t have.

Pro tip: Show prospective employers that you know how to manage your time and keep your work flowing. Articulate that you are fast and efficient, but that you never sacrifice quality if you can help it. Make it clear that your sense of timing and situational awareness has been carefully honed.

Skill #5: Being agreeable

Perhaps “the customer is always right.” That can be debated. But there is a nugget of truth to that comment, which is that your success in a restaurant depends on people being happy. So happy, in fact, that they leave you a great tip and leave your restaurant a glowing online review. And that they come back often.

You have thrived in the business of people-pleasing. Use that skill!

A University of Arkansas study found that “agreeableness” was the trait most likely to predict success in a job, any job, in any industry. And you have that in spades if you’ve worked in a restaurant.

Pro tip: Show employers that you are a delight to work with, have a positive attitude and value customer satisfaction highly. Maybe the customer is wrong, sometimes, but you know how to make them feel like they are still right.

In conclusion…

Working in restaurants is HARD! It is not for everyone. So if you have been crushing it, don’t lose sight of how many skills you have. And practice describing those skills to show how they can translate to any job. You might just find that the perfect career is right in front of you, like a warm basket of free bread, ready for you to reach out and grab it.