1. Look Around
The nice thing about wait staff jobs is that you are able to come in and scope out the environment beforehand. You will find that this can go a long way towards telling you if you want to work there. Is the wait staff there relatively friendly and happy to see you, or are they constantly tired and dead on their feet? How long does it take food to get to you? If the food takes a while, it can be a sign of a poorly organized kitchen or a sign of a poor standard of service.
2. Ask Around
As with any job, you will find that the more you network, the better off you are going to be. Have any of your friends recently gotten the kind of job that you are interested in, or have they ever in the past? You will find that asking them to put in a good word for you can go a long way when you are looking at getting the wait staff job that you need.
3. Write a Good Resume
Writing a good resume can bring you to the attention of a larger chain. In larger chains, where there is more of a standardized approach towards hiring, you will find that a resume that gives a good idea of what kind of work you can do is something that goes a long way towards getting your foot in the door. Take some time to make sure that your resume represents you well.
4. Gain the Right Experience
Contradictory as it may feel, you will find that the top thing that will get you the wait staff job that you want is having similar experience already. Making sure that you have a great deal of experience in the field can help cement the job that you are after.
5. Have Lots of Energy
When people are looking to take on wait staff, one thing that they look for is a great deal of energy. Waiting on people is a socially demanding job, and you should be as chipper and happy for the last people of the evening that you serve as you were for the first. This is something that needs to come across in your interview.
6. Be a People Person
Someone who brings in a lot of tips does more than just line his or her own pocket; you will find that the reputation of a restaurant tends to depend on the attitude of its wait staff. For instance, how many times have you thought that you would never go to a restaurant again because of the attitude of the waiter or waitress? Restaurants want people who will make a good impression, and a lasting one.
7. Be Organized
To be a good waiter, you need to be a highly organized person. Can you remember things like drink preferences, and can you convey the complexities of a food order to the kitchen staff? You can make a mess if you are not organized, so make sure that you have things straight in your head.
8. Be Physically Fit
Being a waiter or waitress does require a fair amount of time on your feet. You will also need to be able to heft trays and distribute plates of food without spilling. This is something that can require a lot of endurance. Think about what you can offer when it comes to good service in this respect.
9. Be Available
When you are looking to see if you can find the right wait staff job, you will find that availability has a lot to do with it. Are you going to be available when they need you, and are you going to be able to get to work in a timely fashion? The more open your schedule is the better off you will be.
10. Get Good Shifts
The more you work in a restaurant the more you will learn about what shifts are the real moneymakers when it comes to making sure that you get the cash that you need. In some places it will be the lunch rush, while for others it is definitely the dinner shift. Learning about these shifts will tell you a lot about when you want to work and what your availability should be, so take some time and make sure that you consider what your options are.
When it comes to hospitality jobs in general, and wait staff jobs in particular, you will find that there are plenty of reasons to stop and think about what you have to offer. This can make all the difference when it comes to getting a job that will meet your needs perfectly.
