Hospitality is a relatively straightforward industry to break into, but it can be hard for managers to find good staff! Venues are constantly hiring waitstaff, yet good candidates still get overlooked because they apply the wrong way, at the wrong time, without the right paperwork.
This waitstaff jobs guide covers what the role typically involves, what managers look for when they’re hiring waitstaff, and a few practical steps that will help to get your application to the top of the pile!
What does waitstaff mean?
The waitstaff meaning trips a lot of people up when they’re scrolling through job ads. Waitstaff is a collective, gender-neutral term that refers to the front-of-house employees who take orders, serve food and drinks, and look after guests in a restaurant, cafe, pub, or other function venue. It tends to replace the older terms of “waiter” and “waitress”. The word is generally treated as a plural. Saying “a waitstaff” is a little bit clumsy. Ideally, you’d want to either say “a member of the waitstaff” or simply “a waiter.
Is a waitstaff a waiter?
Yes. A waiter is an individual person, whereas waitstaff refers to a team of waiters. If a job ad says something along the lines of “waitstaff” wanted, then they’re looking for waiters. The distinction matters slightly when you’re writing your resume. With this, it’s a good idea to list your job title as it appeared on your payslip or contract. So, you may write “food and beverage attendant”, “waiter”, or something else entirely. Use “waitstaff” when describing the team, rather than your individual role.
What is the difference between main server vs waitstaff?
“Main server” is typically used in American restaurants, and isn’t really a job title in Australia. In US restaurants, the main server (sometimes also called a lead server) is assigned ownership of a table. Their job is to greet the guests, take the order, and handle the bill. Supporting staff, often called back servers, food runners or bussers, deliver plates, refill water and clear the table.
In Australia, this is often done a bit differently. Rather than have one owner per table, venues will often run a section system where a waiter is responsible for a section of the floor and handles everything that happens in it. During busy times, they may be supported by runners or bussers.
So the honest answer to main server vs waitstaff is that waitstaff is the umbrella term for the whole front-of-house serving team, while “main server” describes a specific level of responsibility within that team under an American structure.
What does a typical waitstaff job description include?
It’s a good idea to know exactly what you’re signing up for before you apply. Most job ads should have a list of tasks that will be required of the successful applicant. A standard waitstaff job description in Australia may cover:
- Saying hello to guests and taking them to their seats, as well as the management of waitlists during busy times
- Presenting guests with menus, remembering and explaining specials, giving recommendations on what to order
- Taking orders for food and drinks, sometimes on a notepad and paper, sometimes on a POS system or handheld table
- Serving alcohol responsibly (when in a licensed venue)
- Carrying plates and trays, clearing tables and resetting them for the next booking
- Handling payments, including organising split bills and processing refunds
- Asking guests about allergies and dietary requirements, and communicating these directly and accurately to the kitchen team
- Restocking drinks and cabinet food, polishing glassware and cutlery
- Completing opening and closing duties
- Responding to any complaints received in a calm, understanding manner, and escalating them where appropriate
Read every job description closely before applying. A cafe brunch role and a wedding-reception role sit under the same title but require quite different skills, and tailoring your application to the specific waitstaff job description is a simple way to stand out.
Step 1: Get your RSA certificate
A simple step you can take to make yourself more hireable is to get your RSA certificate before you start applying. All throughout Australia, anyone who sells, serves, or supplies alcohol in a licensed venue must hold a valid Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) certificate. This includes pubs, clubs, restaurants with a liquor licence, bars, hotels, bottle shops and most function and event work.
Having a valid RSA listed on your resume helps an applicant stand out to a hiring manager. It means you can start right away and shows you take initiative.
A few points of note:
RSA requirements vary by state and territory
Victoria has its own approved course, while other states and territories recognise the nationally accredited RSA unit, but the rules on recognition, refresher training and expiry differ. New South Wales issues an RSA competency card through Liquor & Gaming NSW, which you’ll then need to convert into the full card. It’s a good idea to check what the exact stipulations are for the state or territory you plan to be working in.
Certificates can expire
Some states and territories have RSAs that expire after a set amount of time. If your certificate is a few years old, make sure you confirm that it’s still current before you list it on your resume.
Get it before you apply
Many states allow for RSAs to be completed online, which means you can often complete the course in your own time, and in a few hours. Having a resume with a valid RSA on it can be invaluable during the hiring process.
Put it at the top of your resume
Don’t bury the fact that you have an RSA, put it at the top of your resume so hiring managers can see it quickly. Including the issuing state and expiry date (where applicable).
Express Online Training offers online RSA courses for most Australian states and territories. Our RSA courses can be completed from your own home, and at your own pace. They can be paused and resumed as needed, and automatically save, so you can easily move between devices where needed. We also have locally-based support, 7 days a week, so you can get in touch with any questions you may have.
If you’re planning to work in a venue with poker machines, you may also need a Responsible Service of Gambling certificate. Some roles may want a Food Safety certificate, too. There are several short courses you can complete to make your resume more appealing to employers in the hospitality industry.
Step 2: Create a resume that suits hospitality
Hospitality managers are pretty busy people, which means resumes tend to be read fast! One page should be plenty for everything you wish to get across.
Lead with your availability
If you can work Friday and Saturday nights, say so in the first two lines. Weekend and evening availability is highly valuable in hospitality. Managers often hire for gaps in the roster, so list as much availability as you can.
Use facts and numbers
Briefly explain the working environments you’ve been in before. For example, if you’ve worked in sections with up to 40 covers during peak service, or catered 150-head weddings, list it. Don’t spend too much time explaining it in detail, simply list it.
Name the systems you know
Make sure to name any of the systems you’ve used. This could include Square, Lightspeed, Bepoz, SevenRooms, OpenTable, or others. It shows hiring managers that you’re experienced and understand the systems.
Translate your non-hospitality experience
When you’ve worked in other industries, it can show versatility. Whether it’s retail, aged care, child care, or call centres, people-facing roles build similar skills of patience and memory, two traits that are highly important in the hospitality industry.
If you have no experience at all, be upfront about it and lead with your RSA, your availability and your willingness to start on runner or busser shifts.
Step 4: Bring your a-game for the interview and trial shift
Hospitality interviews are short and practical. You should expect questions about your availability, how you’d handle a complaint, and how you’d respond to a guest who’s clearly had too much to drink. Make sure you have a real example ready for each.
Trial shifts are pretty normal in the Australian hospitality game. They provide a genuine opportunity to learn whether or not the venue suits you. However, it’s important to know your rights. While a short trial shift may be unpaid, if you’re rostered onto a full paid service and doing productive work, you should be paid.
Waitstaff work tends to have a reputation as a stopgap job, but it’s worth remembering how many hospitality careers begin here. The people running venues, managing functions and holding restaurant floors together almost all started by carrying plates and learning a section. Get certified, get your resume down to a page, and start knocking on doors to find your new waitstaff job!
