Food Service Workers

High School

Applicants for jobs as waiters or other food service workers usually do not need a high school diploma. Most employers, however, favor applicants with some high school training, and graduation from high school is generally considered a personal asset, especially if you are planning a career in this industry. While in high school, take family and consumer science classes to learn about food preparation, storage, and presentation. Take basic math classes because you will frequently be dealing with money and will need to do addition, subtraction, and division. At some restaurants waiters carry a certain amount of money with them and make change for customers' bills right at the tables. To do this, you must make quick and accurate calculations in your head. English and speech classes should help you develop your communications skills, which are very important for waiters to have. If you have hopes of moving into management positions or owning your own food business someday, take business, marketing, and accounting classes as well. In some restaurants that specialize in the foods of a certain country, servers might need to speak a foreign language, so it is a good idea to take at least one foreign language.

Postsecondary Training

Vocational schools may offer special training courses for waiters. Special courses are sometimes offered by restaurant associations in conjunction with schools or food agencies, and many employers seek persons who have had such training.

Smaller, more informal restaurants may hire servers who are without special training or previous experience. In these situations, the necessary skills are learned on the job. Larger restaurants and those with more formal dining atmospheres usually hire only experienced waiters. Almost without exception, food counter workers, waiters' assistants, and kitchen helpers learn their skills on the job.

The International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education offers a Guide to College Programs in Hospitality, Tourism, & Culinary Arts at https://www.chrie.org/guide-to-college-programs.

Certification

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation offers a variety of continuing education opportunities for food service workers and managers. For example, its ServSafe Food Handler certificate program provides training in five areas: basic food safety, personal hygiene, cross-contamination and allergens, time and temperature, and cleaning and sanitation. The program is available in both English and Spanish versions. Visit https://www.servsafe.com for more information.

Other Education or Training

Food service workers can continue to update their skills by participating in continuing education classes, webinars, and other learning opportunities that are provided by professional associations (including those that operate at the state and local levels), unions, community and technical colleges, online learning platforms, specialty schools (such as bartending academies), and other providers.