Crafting a resume as a busser, you may struggle to articulate your experience in a way that showcases the breadth of your skills and reliability. Our guide provides strategies and examples to transform your busser duties into compelling resume content that captures the attention of potential employers.
- Busser resumes that are tailored to the role are more likely to catch recruiters' attention.
- Most sought-out busser skills that should make your resume.
- Styling the layout of your professional resume: take a page from busser resume examples.
How to write about your busser achievements in various resume sections (e.g. summary, experience, and education).
Best practices for the look and feel of your busser resume
Before you even start writing your busser resume, first you need to consider its layout and format.
What's important to keep in mind is:
- The reverse-chronological resume is the most widely used format to present your experience, starting with your latest job.
- Your busser resume header needs to include your correct, professional contact details. If you happen to have a professional portfolio or an updated LinkedIn profile, include a link to it.
- Ensure your resume is no longer than two pages - you don't have to include irelevant experience on your resume just to make it look longer.
- Unless specified otherwise, submit your resume in the most popular format, the PDF one, as this will ensure your busser resume isn't altered.
Keep in mind market-specific formats – for example, a Canadian resume might follow a different structure.
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If you happen to have plenty of certificates, select the ones that are most applicable and sought-after across the industry. Organize them by relevance to the role you're applying for.
Ensure your busser resume stands out with these mandatory sections:
- Header - the section recruiters look to find your contact details, portfolio, and potentially, your current role
- Summary or objective - where your achievements could meet your career goals
- Experience - showcasing you have the technical (and personal) know-how for the role
- Skills - further highlighting capabilities that matter most to the busser advert and your application
- Certifications/Education - staying up-to-date with industry trends
What recruiters want to see on your resume:
- Demonstrated ability to quickly and efficiently clear and reset tables to the restaurant's standards.
- Proven teamwork and communication skills, especially in coordination with waitstaff and kitchen staff.
- Experience in maintaining cleanliness and organization within the dining area, including cleaning spills and sanitizing surfaces.
- Knowledge of proper table settings and service ware, along with the ability to assist in table arrangement for large parties or events.
- A strong record of punctuality and reliability, with the physical stamina required to stand and move quickly for extended periods.
What to include in the experience section of your busser resume
The resume experience section is perhaps the most important element in your application as it needs to showcase how your current profile matches the job.
While it may take some time to perfect your busser experience section, here are five tips to keep in mind when writing yours:
- Assess the advert to make a list of key requirements and look back on how each of your past jobs answers those;
- Don't just showcase you know a particular skill, instead, you need proof in the form of tangible results (e.g. numbers, percent, etc.);
- It's perfectly fine to leave off experience items that don't bring anything extra to your skill set or application;
- Recruiters want to understand what the particular value is of working with you, so instead of solely featuring technologies, think about including at least one bullet that's focused on your soft skills;
- Take care with wording each bullet to demonstrate what you've achieved, using a particular skill, and an action verb.
The below busser resume examples can help guide you to curate your professional experience, following industry-leading tips and advice.
- Efficiently cleared and reset tables with a keen eye for detail, ensuring a seamless dining experience for customers and preparing tables for new guests within an average of 2 minutes per table.
- Collaborated with a team of 10+ servers to improve overall table turnaround times by 15%, contributing to the restaurant's ability to accommodate additional patrons during peak hours.
- Implemented a proactive spill and debris management routine, reducing the likelihood of accidents among guests and staff by 30%.
- Developed strong communication skills by promptly responding to server and kitchen requests, aiding in an effective flow of service and reducing customer wait times by 20%.
- Trained and mentored 5 new bussers, enhancing the team's performance and maintaining the restaurant's high standards for cleanliness and efficiency.
- Took the initiative to create a checklist for daily opening and closing duties, which was later adopted by management and resulted in a 25% increase in staff productivity.
- Demonstrated adaptability by quickly adjusting to various table settings and restaurant styles during special events, which increased customer satisfaction scores by 10%.
- Participated in a waste reduction initiative, effectively sorting and recycling materials and contributing to a 20% reduction in the restaurant's waste costs.
- Assisted in streamlining the inventory process for cleaning supplies, ensuring consistent availability and avoiding operational delays.
- Played a pivotal role in successfully executing a dining room redesign project, coordinating with decorators and ensuring no disruption to daily operations, leading to a 40% increase in evening bookings.
- Diligently maintained a spotless dining environment, often receiving commendations from guests for the restaurant's cleanliness and ambiance.
- Adapted to a fast-paced environment by maintaining high energy levels during back-to-back shifts, which contributed to enhanced team morale and performance.
- Demonstrated an exceptional level of customer service by promptly addressing guest inquiries and complaints, which led to a 35% improvement in guest satisfaction surveys.
- Spearheaded a cross-training initiative, enabling bussers to assist with basic food prep during off-peak hours, increasing overall kitchen efficiency.
- Mastered the use of restaurant management software to track cleanliness tasks, resulting in an optimized workflow and timely completion of duties.
- Excelled in a team-oriented environment, frequently receiving positive feedback from peers for collaborative work habits and contributing to a cohesive front-of-house team.
- Directed the organization of storage areas for bussing equipment, enhancing retrieval times by 50% and ensuring readiness for peak service times.
- Took proactive measures to assist with menu changes, accurately communicating updates to staff and helping to prevent any service missteps.
- Leveraged bilingual skills to effectively communicate with a diverse clientele, providing translations when necessary and enhancing the dining experience for non-English speakers.
- Strategically positioned throughout the restaurant to expedite cleanup processes, which maximized dining space efficiency by ensuring prompt availability of clean tables.
- Coordinated with the management team to identify and implement improvement opportunities in bussing procedures, resulting in a 15% increase in end-of-shift closing efficiency.
- Proactively engaged with customers to gather feedback on their dining experience, providing valuable insights that led to a tailored customer service strategy resulting in a 12% rise in return customers.
- Utilized organizational skills to manage and distribute bussing supplies across the restaurant, preventing shortages during high-traffic times.
- Assisted in coordinating seasonal decor arrangements, creating a visually appealing dining atmosphere and drawing positive attention on social media platforms.
- Achieved substantial improvement in guest perception by ensuring timely bussing of tables and maintaining thorough sanitation levels, which reflected positively in quarterly health inspections.
- Initiated a guest recovery protocol by promptly addressing and rectifying any service-related issues, which consistently elevated customer loyalty and repeat visits.
- Orchestrated an employee-led initiative to redesign the bussing stations for better ergonomics, resulting in reduced physical strain and a 10% decrease in staff turnover.
- Managed to maintain a consistent level of professionalism under pressure, which contributed significantly to the team's ability to handle record numbers of guests during holiday seasons.
- Developed a training module for incoming bussing staff that emphasized the importance of time management and multitasking, which became a part of the official training regimen.
- Led a sustainability effort within the restaurant, fostering a culture that prioritized the use of eco-friendly cleaning agents and practices.
The following content includes information from "O*NET OnLine" by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. The data represents the top responsibilities present on the task lists for busser professionals.
Top Responsibilities for Busser:
- Run cash registers.
- Serve ice water, coffee, rolls, or butter to patrons.
- Scrape and stack dirty dishes and carry dishes and other tableware to kitchens for cleaning.
- Wipe tables or seats with dampened cloths or replace dirty tablecloths.
- Set tables with clean linens, condiments, or other supplies.
- Greet and seat customers.
- Clean up spilled food or drink or broken dishes and remove empty bottles and trash.
- Maintain adequate supplies of items, such as clean linens, silverware, glassware, dishes, or trays.
- Locate items requested by customers.
- Fill beverage or ice dispensers.
Quantifying impact on your resume
- Mention the number of tables you were responsible for bussing during each shift to demonstrate workload management.
- Highlight the average number of shifts you worked per week to show your commitment and reliability.
- Specify the number of customers served on a daily or weekly basis to showcase your experience in a high-volume environment.
- Include the percentage by which you helped reduce table turnover time through efficient bussing practices.
- State the number of new bussers you trained, which illustrates your leadership and mentoring abilities.
- Record any instances where customer service scores improved during your shifts, indicating your positive impact on guest satisfaction.
- List any cost-saving measures you contributed to, along with the estimated amount saved, to demonstrate financial awareness.
- Describe the consistency of your attendance record by noting the low number of missed shifts or days late over a certain period.
Action verbs for your busser resume
Writing your busser experience section without any real-world experience
Professionals, lacking experience, here's how to kick-start your busser career:
- Substitute experience with relevant knowledge and skills, vital for the busser role
- Highlight any relevant certifications and education - to showcase that you have the relevant technical training for the job
- Definitely include a professional portfolio of your work so far that could include university projects or ones you've done in your free time
- Have a big focus on your transferable skills to answer what further value you'd bring about as a candidate for the busser job
- Include an objective to highlight how you see your professional growth, as part of the company
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The more time and effort you've put into obtaining the relevant certificate, the closer to the top it should be listed. This is especially important for more senior roles and if the company you're applying for is more forward-facing.
The heart and soul of your busser resume: hard skills and soft skills
If you read between the lines of the busser role you're applying for, you'll discover that all requirements are linked with candidates' hard skills and soft skills.
What do those skills have to do with your application?
Hard or technical skills are the ones that hint at your aptitude with particular technologies. They are easy to quantify via your professional experience or various certifications.
Meanwhile, your soft skills are more difficult to assess as they are personality traits, you've gained thanks to working in different environments/teams/organizations.
Your busser resume skills section is the perfect opportunity to shine a light on both types of skills by:
- Dedicating a technical skills section to list up to six technologies you're apt at.
- Focusing a strengths section on your achievements, thanks to using particular people skills or technologies.
- Including a healthy balance of hard and soft skills in the skills section to answer key job requirements.
- Creating a language skills section with your proficiency level - to hint at an abundance of soft skills you've obtained, thanks to your dedication to learning a particular language.
Within the next section of this guide, stay tuned for some of the most trending hard skills and soft skills across the industry.
Top skills for your busser resume:
Dishwashing equipment operation
Sanitization techniques
Table setting
Food safety practices
Cleaning supplies knowledge
Inventory management
Point of Sale (POS) systems
Basic food preparation
Serving utensils handling
Glassware and dishware handling
Teamwork
Communication
Time management
Attention to detail
Multitasking
Customer service orientation
Adaptability
Problem-solving
Work ethic
Positive attitude
Next, you will find information on the top technologies for busser professonals from "O*NET OnLine" by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Top technologies for Busser’s resume:
- Microsoft Excel
- Cafe Cartel Systems
- Plexis Software Plexis POS
- Microsoft Windows
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List your educational qualifications and certifications in reverse chronological order.
How to include your education and certifications on your resume
We're taking you back to your college days with this part of our guide, but including your relevant higher education is quite important for your resume.
Your degree shows recruiters your dedication to the industry, your recent and relevant know-how, and some form of experience in the field.
Your busser resume education should:
- Include your applicable degrees, college (-s) you've graduated from, as well as start and end dates of your higher education;
- Skip your high school diploma. If you still haven't graduated with your degree, list that your higher education isongoing;
- Feature any postgraduate diplomas in your resume header or summary - this is the perfect space to spotlight your relevant MBA degree;
- Showcase any relevant coursework, if you happen to have less professional experience and think this would support your case in being the best candidate for the role.
As far as your job-specific certificates are concerned - choose up to several of the most recent ones that match the job profile, and include them in a dedicated section.
We've saved you some time by selecting the most prominent industry certificates below.
The top 5 certifications for your busser resume:
- Food Handler Certification (FHC) - National Restaurant Association
- Food Safety Manager Certification (FSMC) - ServSafe or similar programs
- Responsible Beverage Service Training (RBST) - varies by state or local jurisdiction
- Hospitality and Restaurant Management Certification (HRMC) - American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute
- First Aid, CPR, and AED Certification (FACPR/AED) - American Red Cross or American Heart Association
The content below includes information from "O*NET OnLine" by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. The data represents the top associations for busser professionals.
Top US associations for a Busser professional
- National Restaurant Association
- Women Chefs and Restaurateurs
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If you're in the process of obtaining your certificate or degree, list the expected date you're supposed to graduate or be certified.
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Should you write a resume summary or an objective?
No need to research social media or ask ChatGPT to find out if the summary or objective is right for your busser resume.
- Experienced candidates always tend to go for resume summaries. The summary is a three to five sentence long paragraph that narrates your career highlights and aligns your experience to the role. In it you can add your top skills and career achievements that are most impressive.
- Junior professionals or those making a career change, should write a resume objective. These shouldn't be longer than five sentences and should detail your career goals . Basically, how you see yourself growing in the current position and how would your experience or skill set could help out your potential employers.
Think of both the resume summary and objective as your opportunity to put your best foot forward - from the get go - answering job requirements with skills.
Use the below real-world busser professional statements as inspiration for writing your resume summary or objective.
Resume summaries for a busser job
- With over 3 years of dedicated experience in high-volume dining environments, a busser known for unparalleled efficiency in table turnover and cleanliness, keen attention to detail, and the ability to work seamlessly with service staff. Holds significant expertise in sanitation protocols and customer service, contributing to a welcoming atmosphere and repeat guest visitation.
- Dynamic former retail associate eager to transfer exceptional organizational skills and a customer-centric mindset into the restaurant service industry. Brings a proven track record of managing inventory, maintaining immaculate floor displays, and fostering customer loyalty through attentive service, now seeking to ensure dining areas remain pristine and inviting.
- As a committed team player, with 4 years of experience ensuring top-tier service in luxury hotel chains, an individual exhibits mastery in upscale dining space preparation, collaborating effectively with kitchen and waiting staff, and maintaining the highest level of dining area presentation for an exclusive clientele.
- Enthusiastic career changer with a background in landscaping, aiming to bring strong physical stamina, a keen eye for aesthetic detail, and experience in time-sensitive project management to maintain impeccable cleanliness and organization of dining areas under fast-paced conditions.
- Seeking an entry-level opportunity to apply a strong work ethic and enthusiasm for customer service to assist in creating a memorable dining experience, with an objective to learn restaurant dynamics, table setting intricacies, and floor operations, while contributing positively to team efforts and guest satisfaction.
- Recent high school graduate passionate about embarking on a career in the hospitality industry, determined to leverage interpersonal skills, quick learning abilities, and a commitment to excellence in maintaining a pleasant and clean dining environment for patrons, with the goal of advancing to a server position.
Average salary info by state in the US for busser professionals
Local salary info for Busser.” Source: My Next Move, National Center for O*NET Development. Accessed 10/15/2024
| State | Average Salary (in USD) |
|---|---|
| US National Average | $31,180 |
| California (CA) | $33,890 |
| Texas (TX) | $25,680 |
| Florida (FL) | $28,950 |
| New York (NY) | $35,760 |
| Pennsylvania (PA) | $27,650 |
| Illinois (IL) | $30,110 |
| Ohio (OH) | $25,220 |
| Georgia (GA) | $25,300 |
| North Carolina (NC) | $23,270 |
| Michigan (MI) | $28,890 |
Beyond your busser resume basics - extra sections
Ensure your busser resume stands out from the crowd by spicing it up with a couple of supplementary sections that showcase your:
- Prizes - as a special nod to what matters most in the field;
- Projects - ones that would really further support your application;
- Hobbies - include only if you think they'd further your chances at landing the role with personality
- Community impact - to hint at the causes you care about.
Key takeaways
- Your busser resume is formatted professionally and creates an easy-to-read (and -understand) experience for recruiters;
- You have included all pertinent sections (header, summary/objective, experience, skills, certifications) within your busser resume;
- Instead of just listing your responsibilities, you've qualified them with skills and the results of your actions;
- Within your busser resume, you've taken the time to align specific job requirements with your unique expertise, showcasing the value you can provide as a professional;
- Technologies and personal skills are featured across different sections of your busser resume to achieve the perfect balance.
