The food and beverage industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak and many workers have lost their jobs. If you are one of those people, don’t despair. Your time in the restaurant or catering industry has equipped you with a bevy of skills that are in high-demand right now.
Here are the roles your experience is the best match for and the transferable skills you should emphasize to get a jump on the competition during the coronavirus pandemic.
Transferable skills to emphasize on your resume:
Whether you were a front-of-house worker, like a server or bartender, or worked in the kitchen preparing meals or washing dishes, your experience has armed you with skills that can be applied to other jobs. These are called transferable skills.
Some of these are hard skills, some are technical skills and others are soft skills, or the interpersonal skills you possess that help you be great at your job. By emphasizing these skills on your resume, you'll help yourself stand out from the competition.
Here are some hard, technical and soft skills you may have mastered during your tenure in food and beverage that you should consider adding to your next resume:
Hard skills: employee scheduling, management experience, recipe creation, inventory management
Technical skills: point-of-sale software expertise, strong mathematical skills
Soft skills: customer service, conflict resolution, empathy, collaboration, flexibility
Certifications and training: ServSafe Food Handler certification, Certified Food & Beverage Executive certification (CFBE), ManageFirst Professional
These industries are hiring people with your skills:
If you were front of house, including bartenders, servers, hosts/hostesses, you might be qualified for these roles:
- Sales associate (for example, at an essential retail store, like Home Depot)
- Stocker (for example, at an essential retail store, like Krogers)
- Sales associate (for example, at a drugstore, like Walgreens)
- Server (for example, at a nursing home)
- Driver (for example, for a food delivery service like Grubhub)
- Warehouse associate (for example, for an online retailer like Amazon)
- Cashier (for example, at a hospital cafeteria)
- Barista (for example, at Starbucks)
If you were in food service, including counter attendants, cashiers, barbacks, bussers, you might be qualified for these roles:
- Cashier (for example, at an essential retail store, like BevMo)
- Stocker (for example, at an essential retail store, like Safeway)
- Sales associate (for example, at a drugstore, like CVS)
- Server (for example, at a nursing home)
- Driver (for example, for a food delivery service like Pizza Hut)
- Warehouse associate (for example, at an essential retail store like Walmart)
If you were kitchen staff, including dishwashers, food runners, you might be qualified for these roles:
- Dishwasher (for example, at a nursing home)
- Cashier (for example, at a takeout restaurant)
- Server (for example, at a hospital cafeteria)
If you were cooking staff, including cooks, line cooks, chefs, head chefs, sous chefs, short order cooks, bakers, you might be qualified for these roles:
- Cook (for example, at a restaurant offering takeout, like Dominos)
- Server (for example, at a nursing home)
- Prep chef (for example, for a food delivery service, like Sun Basket)
If you were management, including restaurant manager, restaurant assistant manager, shift manager, you might be qualified for these roles:
- Retail manager (for example, at an essential retail store, like ShopRite)
- Restaurant manager (for example, at a restaurant offering takeout, like Applebee’s)
How to apply for these roles and what you’ll need:
In-person:
- A current email address and phone number
- A resume
- Identification, such as a driver’s license or passport
Online:
- A current email address and phone number
- A resume
- A brief cover letter
How to find these jobs in your community:
Other resources for food and beverage workers:
Restaurant and hospitality workers, including servers, bartenders, cooks and restaurant managers and hotel employees took the brunt of the job cuts over the last few months, so there are numerous job search resources aimed at workers in those industries. Here are two to check out:
USBG National Charitable Foundation
True to its purpose to "advance the lifelong stability and well-being of service industry professionals," the United States Bartenders Guild is giving COVID-19 Relief Campaign emergency grants to eligible out-of-work bartenders in need. The average application processing time, according to the organization, is four weeks.
Off Their Plate
This grassroots organization provides two-fold assistance by paying unemployed restaurant workers to prepare meals for healthcare workers on the frontlines of COVID-19 and the financially strained in their communities. It’s a win-win-win situation. They can be found in Boston, Philadelphia, New York, San Diego and Pittsburgh.
Do I need a resume during the COVID-9 crisis?
In times of crisis, businesses sometimes waive the normal requirement that each candidate have a current resume. However, every employer is going to have its own requirements and expectations, so err on the side of caution and update your resume before you begin applying for jobs.
In some cases, a cover letter may also be required. For the roles highlighted on this page, your cover letter can (and should) be brief and to the point. Just a few short paragraphs about who you are and what you have to offer will suffice.
Below, we've provided a sample resume for you to review.
Text resume example: Restaurant server applying for a retail associate role
Name: Deborah Erickson
Address: Redding, CA 96002
Phone: (555)555-5555
Email: example@example.com
Summary Statement:
Reliable food and beverage professional with three years of customer service skills and extensive point-of-sale experience seeks a role as a retail associate at an essential business. Excellent communication skills, flexible schedule and compassionate nature.
Summary of Skills:
- Organized and able to multitask
- Experienced with POS systems, including Square, Upserve and Lightspeed
- Experience with stocking shelves and keeping track of needed inventory
- Strong communication skills promote strong customer satisfaction
- Able to effectively handle customer requests and address problems
- Flexible and fun coworker and dependable employee
Work History:
Server
Red Lobster
Redding, CA
9/2018–3/2020
- Served up to 40 meals per shift at this busy family-friendly seafood chain
- Memorized three entree and two salad specials per shift
- Utilized Lightspeed POS system and trained new employees to use the technology
- Assisted customers with dietary restrictions and food allergies order appropriate meals
- Performed extensive side work both before and after shift to ensure food prep areas were clean and well-stocked
Server
Olive Garden Italian Restaurant
Redding, CA
7/2017–9/2018
- Served up to 50 meals per shift at this family-friendly Italian chain restaurant
- Developed extensive menu knowledge to assist customers with dietary restrictions and food allergies
- Utilized Upserve POS system and trained new employees to use the technology
- Responsible for ensuring salad prep areas were clean and well-stocked before each shift
- Performed restocking of napkins, silverware, sugars, and condiments after shift
Education & Certifications:
SafeServ certification
National Restaurant Association
2017–Present
Shasta High School
Redding, CA
2017
LiveCareer Resume Builder example: Restaurant server applying for a retail associate role
