Tips on Going Through an Interview for a Waitress Position (2024)

By Ruth Mayhew Updated June 29, 2018

Interviewing for a waitress job seems like a no-brainer for experienced food servers or people who have worked in the food and beverage industry. However, an interview for a waitress job could be more like an audition rather than a typical job interview, because you could be expected to demonstrate your waitress skills or the manner in which you would serve customers. In addition to explaining your waitressing skills and job history, let your personality show, because that's an indicator of the type of customer service you might render to restaurant patrons. If the hiring manager is impressed, you could get a job offer right away.

Proper Dress

Your interview attire for a waitress position should be conservative, even if you are interviewing for a very casual restaurant. Refrain from wearing inappropriate attire, such as short skirts, revealing blouses, sandals and jeans. Wearing a jacket or sweater and coordinating skirt or slacks is acceptable.. Avoid wearing too much makeup or jewelry, even if you know the waitresses who work there are encouraged to turn up the glam, such as a popular night spot or upscale dinner club. Wear sensible, yet fashionable shoes. Be prepared to discuss uniforms or provide the hiring manager with your sizes for company-provided uniforms if you get a job offer immediately after the interview.

The Right Demeanor

Waitresses and other waitstaff are expected to be exuberant, friendly and attentive professionals. Exhibit these characteristics instead of simply trying to describe your demeanor. The hiring manager might ask you to recite menu items as part of the interview process to determine how well you retain information. Be prepared to describe the daily specials to the hiring manager just as you would to actual restaurant patrons.

Your Work History

Take at least two copies of your resume with you to the interview -- one for the hiring manager and one for you, as you review your work history. If you are interviewing with more than one person, take enough resume copies. When you describe your work history, don't just read from your resume. Discuss your previous waitress jobs in chronological order -- name and describe the restaurant, explain what your duties were, and provide your supervisors' names and contact information. Be prepared to answer questions about why you left past jobs. Indicate that you might have a following if you have regular customers who have followed you in the past based on your customer service and attentiveness.

Emphasize Transferrable Skills

If you've never been a waitress, review your job skills and qualifications and decide which ones are transferable. For example, busy retail stores can be similar to the fast-paced environment in restaurants, because you have to work quickly yet efficiently. If you have retail experience, you could explain how your customer service skills and engaging personality made you popular with customers. Tie your experience of selling retail products to your ability to effectively sell menu items. If you're interviewing for a waitress position that requires you to calculate patrons' bills, talk about your technology skills and whether you have experience with point-of-sale systems that many restaurants use. Describe your recall and memory capabilities -- waitresses often are required to remember numerous requests from their customers when they don't have the chance to write down what the customer wants on a ticket.

Discuss Availability

Discuss your availability and willingness to be flexible, if you can work split shifts or if you have scheduling constraints that need to be accommodated, such as school classes or a full-time job. Whether you get the job offer may be dependent on your availability -- determine if you can start your new job immediately, on short notice. Be able to state how soon you're available to start working.