Transferrable Skills I've Obtained From The Service Industry

The majority of people who have never worked in the service industry tend to view us servers as servants. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been treated like I’m worthless because my current occupation is waiting tables.

According to a Rutgers study, 48% of college graduates are currently working in restaurants or cafes. This means that 48% of servers are actually overeducated for their position.

So we’re actually not as worthless as some people think.

I’ve worked in some type of restaurant or food industry for the past five years and surprisingly, I’ve gotten a lot more out of it than just a dirty apron and clothes that permanently smell like food.

Business 2 Community, a business blog by Brian Rice, makes the statement that working as a server doesn’t only help us gain a few dollars, it provides us with "transferrable skills" – which are skills gained from a specific position that can be taken and transferred to the next position.

The most important transferrable skills that I have obtained from serving are time management, crisis management, communication, and teamwork. Today I’m going to explain to you how my position has helped me gain those skills.

First I’ll talk about time management. As a server, you can go from having no tables and twiddling your thumbs to having four, busy high maintenance tables in a matter of ten minutes. Time management is vital in any position in the restaurant industry, but it’s definitely the hardest for servers. You have to juggle between taking orders, serving food and drinks, bussing the tables and equally taking care of all customers in your section. Maybe that doesn’t sound that bad, but let’s imagine this scenario:

Someone at one of your tables asks for a lemon with their water. On your way back to the bar, another customer pokes you and asks for additional ketchup. So you stop at the server station for ketchup, swing by the bar and realize that the daiquiris for your third table haven’t been made. The bartender tells you she’s out of daiquiri mix so you have to run to the back to grab it. Finally, after the daiquiri’s are made you deliver them along with the ketchup to the customer who poked you and then finally the lemon to that first table. The lady who wanted the lemon glares at you because it took too long for her lemon to come. There goes your tip.

Next up is crisis management. Something is bound to go wrong once every shift at the least whether it’s burnt food or running out of something that a customer wants. Even though things might seem put together from a guest’s point of view, as a server we just do our best to keep our cool. It’s inevitable, and us servers have been trained to expect it and how to overcome it. We’re also taught to always take responsibility. Servers are the face of the restaurant, so even though it’s not your fault that the chef overcooked your customer’s steak you will always apologize and offer to get them something else. My time as a server has absolutely provided me with the patience to overcome any crisis and to never point fingers at others.

Additionally, my communication skills have grown exponentially over the years of working in the restaurant industry – which is awesome considering I’m in the communication department and all. Working as a server has forced me to overcome my shyness, grow my people skills and learn more conversation starters, which is probably the most important. It would probably be pretty awkward/creepy if you went up to one of your tables and just stared at them.

Finally, my favorite transferrable skill that I’ve gained is teamwork. As a server, even though you are assigned your own individual section you still have to collaborate with the rest of your team in order to work successfully. The hostess has to communicate with you to let you know that they’ve seated someone in your section, you have to keep in touch with the kitchen and the bartenders if a customer wants anything modified on their food or beverage, and you also have to let your busser or server assistant know if you need help with anything at any of your tables. A restaurant also wouldn’t function if servers weren’t willing to help one another. There’s been a number of times where I’ve been so busy grabbing and running stuff for my other tables and I’ve had to have no shame in asking another server who’s not quite as busy to greet a table that just got sat in my section.

As I mentioned earlier, being a server is much more than “just a minimum wage job.” The transferrable skills that I’ve gained are much more valuable than any paycheck I’ve received and no matter how much I complain about it sometimes, it’s a position that I’m proud to maintain. Hopefully now you have a better understanding of the restaurant industry from a server’s point of view, and next time you find yourself in a restaurant you’ll keep everything I’ve said in the back of your mind.

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