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Cook/server resume examples for 2025

Zippi

Build a better cook/server resume with Zippi, your AI resume builder robot.

Updated March 26, 2025
6 min read
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How to write a cook/server resume

Craft a resume summary statement

Put a resume summary on the top of your resume to highlight your accomplishments. A resume summary sums up your experience and skills, making it easy for hiring managers to understand your qualifications at a glance. Here are some tips to write a strong, impressive resume summary:

Step 1: Start with your current job title, or the one you aspire to. Are you a passionate manager? A skilled analyst? It's a good starting point.

Step 2: Next put your years of experience in cook/server-related roles.

Step 3: Now is the time to put your biggest accomplishment or something you are professionally proud of.

Step 4: Read over what you have written. It should be 2-4 sentences. Your goal is to summarize your experience, not recite your resume.

Hiring managers spend under a minute reviewing resumes on average. This means your summary needs to demonstrate your value quickly and show why you are the perfect fit for the cook/server position.

Hi, I'm Zippi, your job search robot. Let me write a first draft of your summary statement.

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List the right project manager skills

Your Skills section is a place to list all relevant skills and abilities. Here is how to make the most of your skills section and make sure you have the right keywords:

  1. You often need to include the exact keywords from the job description in your resume. Look at the job listing and consider which of the listed skills you have experience with, along with related skills.
  2. Include as many relevant hard skills and soft skills as possible from the listing.
  3. Use the most up to date and accurate terms. Don't forget to be specific.
These five steps should give you a strong elevator pitch and land you some cook/server interviews.

Here are example skills to include in your “Area of Expertise” on a cook/server resume:

  • Customer Service
  • Customer Orders
  • Safety Standards
  • Food Preparation
  • Kitchen Equipment
  • POS
  • Allergies
  • Drink Orders
  • Fryers
  • Mathematics
  • Food Products
  • Cooking Food
  • Customer Complaints
  • Quality Food
  • Stoves
  • Cash Drawers
  • Cooking Surfaces
  • Hot Food
  • Slicers
  • Deep Fat Fryers
  • Deep-Fat Fryers
  • Ice Cream
  • Quality Customer Service
  • Inventory Control
  • Display Cases
  • Broilers
  • Large-Volume Cooking Equipment
  • Customers Food
  • Food Order Slips
  • Restock Workstations

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How to structure your work experience

Your employment history is arguably one of the most important parts of your resume. It shows you have experience and foundation in your field to successfully master the cook/server position. Here is how to most effectively structure your work experience:

  1. List your most recent experience first, followed by earlier roles in reverse chronological order. Employers care about your most recent experience the most.
  2. Start with your job title, company name, city, and state on the left. Align dates in month and year format on the right-hand side.
  3. Include only recent, relevant jobs.

How to write cook/server experience bullet points

Remember, your resume is not a list of responsibilities or a job description. This is your chance to show why you're good at your job and what you accomplished.

Use the XYZ formula for your work experience bullet points. Here's how it works:

  • Use strong action verbs like Led, Built, or Optimized.
  • Follow up with numbers when possible to support your results. How much did performance improve? How much revenue did you drive?
  • Wrap it up by explaining the actions you took to achieve the result and how you made an impact.

This creates bullet points that read Achieved X, measured by Y, by doing Z.

Here are great bullet points from cook/server resumes:

Work history example #1

Line Cook/Dishwasher

Darden Restaurants

  • cleaned tables, washed dishes, and helped customers
  • started washing dishes and cleaning.
  • Prepared bread, washed dishes, bussed tables and prepared table settings.
  • Worked my way up from dishwasher in 6 months to be a head cook at Olive Garden.
  • Washed dishes,made bread,made salads,cleaned tables,set up tables,open and close restaurant

Work history example #2

Concession Worker

McDonald's

  • Handled cash on the front counter and drive-thru windows while maintaining a clean work environment.
  • Awarded Top Drive-Thru Money Person three months in a row.
  • Provided customer service through front counter and drive-thru.
  • Coordinated birthday parties -Attained quality fast food service -Monitored efficient business through frequent restock -Operated cash registers and drive-thru
  • Attended to customer issue and Accepted orders via Drive-Thru.

Work history example #3

Grill Operator

McDonald's

  • Placed special merchandise orders for customers.Crew Member, McDonalds
  • Selected as McDonalds Employee of the month in 2011.
  • Awarded Top Drive-Thru Money Person three months in a row.
  • Assisted customers primarily at the drive-thru.
  • Prepared food items such as hamburgers as per the standards that are required.

Work history example #4

Mexican Food Maker

Burger King

  • Deposited revenue for bank pickups.
  • Received customer orders with positive expression, accepted payments at registers and prepared meal trays to order.
  • Prepared and handled food following proper guidelines applicable to Burger King Restaurants.
  • Performed numerus tasks while accurately assembling burgers Clean and sanatize store and machinary
  • Operated the burger broiler and the fryers.

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Add an education section to your resume

The education section should display your highest degree first.

Place your education section appropriately on your resume. If you graduated over 5 years ago, this section should be at the bottom of your resume. If you just graduated and lack relevant work experience, the education section should go to the top.

If you have a bachelor's or master's degree, do not list your high school education. If your graduation year is more than 15-20 years ago, it's better not to include dates in this section.

Here are some examples of good education entries for resumes:

High School Diploma

2017 - 2017

High School Diploma

2017 - 2017

Highlight your cook/server certifications on your resume

If you have any additional certifications or education-like achievements, add them to the education section.

To list, use the full name of the certification and the organization that issued it, along with the date of achievement.

If you have any of these certifications, be sure to include them on your cook/server resume:

  1. Certified Professional - Food Safety (CP-FS)
  2. Certified Food Manager (CFM)
  3. Food Safety Manager Certification
  4. ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification
  5. Professional Credit Associate (PCA)
  6. EPA Amusement Operators Safety Certification (EPA)
  7. Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS)
  8. Flagger (Instructor)
  9. Computer Service Technician (CST)
  10. Professional Credit Specialist (PCS)

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