Food Service Jobs in the United States

Food Service Jobs: Overview

Food service is one of the largest segments of the hospitality industry. It’s found everywhere from cafeterias to five-star resorts and includes everything edible, from coffee to gourmet cuisine. When you search for food service jobs on Monster, you’ll find a wide variety of positions in the kitchen, serving food and beverages, maintaining sanitary and safe conditions, and supervising staff.

As a food service professional, your day-to-day responsibilities could include greeting customers, taking orders, preparing food and drinks, serving or delivering orders, washing dishes, wiping counters, stocking food items, and ensuring that restaurants and other facilities adhere to food safety regulations.

If you’re looking for food service positions that fit your interests and skillset, here are some that might pique your interest:

• cook jobs
• restaurant jobs
• good food jobs
• food and beverage manager jobs
• chef jobs
• server jobs

Food Service Jobs: Education, Training, and Skills

The type of education, training, and experience you need for a food service job depends on the type of position you’re applying for. For example, bussers, waitstaff, dishwashers, and cooks don’t need any formal education and often receive on-the-job training.

Chefs need at least a high school diploma or equivalent and previous cooking experience under the supervision of a chef. While post-secondary education isn’t required to become a chef, you can gain the necessary skills and experience by completing a culinary program at a community college, career institute, four-year university, or culinary arts school. Most post-secondary education programs require students to gain hands-on experience through internships and apprenticeships.

Food service managers typically need a high school diploma and several years of experience in the food and beverage industry. However, some managerial jobs may require a bachelor’s degree in food service, hospitality, business, or a related field.

The key skills typically required for jobs in food service include:

• Excellent communication skills.
• Attention to detail.
• An understanding of sanitation and safety protocol.
• Problem-solving skills.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Customer service skills.
• Physical stamina

To get a clearer understanding of what your job requires, Monster has tons of food service job description samples you can refer to.

Update Your Food Service Resume

Whether you’re applying for a job as a cook or a food and beverage manager, it’s critical to have a resume ready to send. To make your resume stand out from the competition, you’ll need a comprehensive career summary and a work history section that outlines your skills and experience such as:

• Food preparation.
• Customer service.
• Understanding of food safety regulations.
• Restaurant management, hiring, and training.

Some employers will ask you to provide a cover letter that briefly tells hiring managers who you are, describes your professional experience, and shows your passion for the job. Even when a cover letter isn’t required, sending one is a great way to demonstrate enthusiasm and get your resume put in the “call-back” pile.

Interviewing for a Food Service Job

So, you received the good news—an employer was impressed with your resume and wants to bring you in for an interview. This is your final opportunity to show employers what you have to bring to the table before the selection process. We strongly suggest getting prepared ahead of time by learning how to answer commonly asked interview questions.

Additionally, you must be prepared to answer behavioral questions that measure your ability to work under pressure, handle conflict, and solve problems. When creating answers to questions regarding your previous experience, be sure to describe the following details:

• The situation.
• Actions you took.
• The results of your actions.

How Much Do Food Service Jobs Pay?

Food service job salaries and wages vary by job type, your location, and how many years you’ve been in the food business. For example, a cook may earn between $10.96 and $16.13 per hour, while a food service manager may earn between $28,085 and $57,666 per year.

Monster’s Salary Estimator can give you more insight into the pay in your area. Plus, you can compare your salary or wage with those for similar jobs and in other locations.

Want to Learn More About a Company You’re Interested In?

There are plenty of employers in the food service industry. Look for the ones that are a good fit for you by searching for companies using Monster’s company profiles tool. You can learn about a company’s history, the number of employees it has, and its overall workplace culture.

Plus, you can find other basic details such as:

• Company locations.
• Employee benefits.
• Available jobs.

Create Your Profile Today for a Fresh Serving of Job Opportunities

Want to receive free notifications when new food service jobs get posted? Want to get your resume seen by job recruiters in the food and beverage industry? It’s all just a click away. Get started on your job search today by creating your profile at Monster. Our easy-to-use service can help you through the application process, so you receive more job offers.