How to Find a Job as a Server

Taking a job as a server is a great way to get work experience and meet people. Flexibility is often another benefit of working in the restaurant industry. If you are looking for a second job or attending school, you can work nights and weekends and start making cash almost immediately.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Check out the establishment before you apply. Maybe stop in for dinner or drinks and get a feel for the environment. Every restaurant has its own culture, and you can tell a lot about a place by the level of service you receive. Look to see if the staff seems friendly and upbeat, and gauge if they are older professionals or younger, part-time employees. There is no magic formula for finding the right work environment, but you should feel comfortable with the staff, menu and clientele.
2. Look at your schedule and decide when you can work and how many hours you can take on. Being upfront about the hours you need will save everybody confusion. Limited availability might not be a problem as long as you can take the shifts that need filling.
3. Apply during the restaurant's down time. As a general rule, the safe times to apply are Monday through Thursday, between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., after the lunch rush and before the place fills up for dinner. If a help wanted ad specifies the days and times when you should apply, adhere to those times.
4. Ask to speak to a manager when you turn in your application. If you are told that the manager is not available, don't press the issue. But if you can speak to somebody and make a good impression, you will have a better chance of getting an interview.
5. Follow up on your application. This is especially important if you did not speak to a manager. If you were told you would be contacted by a certain date for an interview but were not, don't hesitate to make a call or show up in person while the restaurant is slow. Being assertive without harassing anybody is a good way to signal that you want the job. It may just be that your application was hidden in a stack. By following up, you may prod somebody to take a closer look.

Tips & Warnings

• If the restaurant looks busy, come back to apply another time. Attempting to apply while the staff is busy signals to the manager that you do not understand how restaurants work.

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