5 transferable skills you learn in a waiting job

1. Become the ultimate team player

Teamwork makes the dream work, there’s no I in team, many hands make light work. We’ve all heard expressions like these about the power of teamwork but have you ever stopped and wondered how working in a team can boost your career? With 125 years under our belt, we know a thing or two about teamwork.

You’ll come together with fellow waiters and waitresses as well as kitchen assistants, head chefs and general managers. 

So, not only do you improve your peer-to-peer teamwork skills, from collaboration to delegation, but you learn to work alongside people in different roles. You will broaden your horizons by learning from people with different backgrounds, making you the ultimate team player.

 2. Improve your people skills

In a waiting job, you will strengthen your social superpowers. Practice makes perfect, and when you’re surrounded by guests all day, you’ll learn some extraordinary abilities when it comes to interacting with others. People skills are key in the hospitality industry.

Whether working in a Harvester, the nation’s family favourite, or a bustling O’Neills with an electric atmosphere, as a waiting team member, you will have to think on your feet. Customer service can be unpredictable but polishing your active listening skills will often save the day and help you dazzle your guests. 

3. gain crisis management skills

There’s no denying that working as a waiter or waitress teaches you how to always deliver and even step up as a crisis hero. In a bustling pub or restaurant, you’ve got to think on your feet. Responding to unexpected challenges will help give you the skills to manage each and every situation that’s thrown at you. 

Waiting team members learn early on how to manage all possible situations, whether it’s tracking down a missing drink or talking guests through a more serious emergency.

4. Build unbreakable resilience

Resilience is all about how you bounce back from a difficult situation. On a busy shift, it's not uncommon for waiting staff members to face a few hiccups. As a waiter or waitress, you will first master how to get a handle on a problem and next, you will learn how to recover from it.

Have you ever spilled a drink in a guest’s lap? We’re happy to break it to you that you’re not the first and you won’t be the last.

Luckily, these experiences will teach you the ropes and lay the building blocks for an unbreakable level of resilience. Resilience is a stand-out skill to have no matter which job you move onto next.

5. Master effective communication skills

Communication is key. How many times have we heard this? We all know how important it is to have crystal-clear communication at work and that’s why most jobs list it as an essential skill. In fact, when managers and employees were asked to rank key leadership skills, communication secured a spot in the top five.

Every waiter and waitress knows all too well that each guest needs a different communication style. So, if you stay in the restaurant industry or decide to change up your career you’ll have a transferable skill that will help you to be adaptable and communicate with people from all walks of life.

Hone transferable skills at Mitchells and Butlers

Do you want to become a part of a 44,000 strong work family? If you’re passionate about food and want to build your career in a friendly workplace then a waiting staff job at M&B might just be the right fit for you. And with these five transferable skills, you'll have the right ingredients for a successful career, whichever way you steer it.

Just take Danielle, who made the move from cabin crew to M&B team member, finding there were so many similarities between the jobs.

So what are you waiting for? Browse our current waiting staff jobs, or sign up to job alerts to be the first to hear about our latest opportunities.