Restaurant life has become a real culture of communication for families and friends. And if earlier the waiters were not treated very well, they called us “servers”, but now this trend is changing.

European restaurants are staffed by men aged 40 and over. In such establishments, you understand that being a waiter is an art, that it is beautiful and prestigious. But this awareness has not yet come to everyone. Therefore, it is still difficult to explain that you can successfully work as a waiter all your life.

We simply do not have enough success stories: who the people who chose this specialty became. There are many stories, but little is told about them. We used to think that the waiter is a part-time job for students. Although in fact it is possible to earn good money and constantly improve. In real life, the profession of a waiter is not obsessed with. Students want to at least be the owners or managers of a restaurant. And I think the profession of a waiter is an ideal start to become a good leader in the organization of catering. In general, there are many excellent specialties in our field – from chefs, bartenders, waiters and sommeliers to directors and art managers. Inside the restaurant you can find a profession to your liking and make a good career.

What a waiter should be able to do and where is it best taught

The waiter must have good communication skills and understand psychology. The better you understand the preferences of the guest, the more you will achieve in sales. It is important to be able to work for the visitor, show your skills and turn the service process into a kind of show.

All of this and more can be learned at colleges that teach catering technology. In colleges today, they teach primarily practice, not theory, as it was a few years ago. Teachers conduct master classes, and students repeat after them. We are moving away from the old education system, when, for example, we tested not very necessary theoretical knowledge on dishes, appliances and glass. At the demonstration exam, graduates show their skills inside a real restaurant. After it, the guys can easily get a job at any enterprise and not get confused. This is such a basic preparation for work.

How to build a career as a waiter after college

Now the dual system of education is very developed. Enterprises interact with colleges that train specialists in a particular field and take students on practice. And after graduation, they invite those specialists who they like to work. The restaurant is always characterized by a high turnover of staff, and here employers are sure that graduates are interested in their profession. If earlier, five or seven years ago, colleges approached enterprises, offered to take students for an internship or conduct a master class, now enterprises themselves turn to colleges for staff.

I see a good success story in restaurant service as follows: graduate from a college or university with a degree, then get into a restaurant for an internship as a waiter – in a friendly, good team, where fun, great and always something cool happens. In time, become a manager or administrator of a restaurant in order to recruit new staff from colleges, teach them what he himself went through at the first stage of his career. Invent new projects and concepts, think over the menu, collaborate with the chef, explore new trends. Grow to the position of manager. In the future, either open your own institution, or stay and come up with something new and new every time. Because a restaurant that has been doing well for many years in a row is always changing.

The work of waiters is difficult, but interesting. They have to deal with dozens of different people every day. Of course, not without funny and unusual cases.

“Once a very strange couple came to us: they were dressed in dark gothic clothes and introduced themselves as energy vampires. Said they didn’t need human food, but ordered food anyway. Then they asked the waitress to stand by so they could get enough of her aura. The couple held hands, closed their eyes and pursed their lips, then they leaned back in their seats and sighed blissfully, as if they had just dined on a turkey. A colleague got a good tip for her “delicious” energy.”

“I once served a guy who was very nervous because he came on a date for the first time in the last 3 years. He said that he met a girl on Tinder, but she was already 2 hours late. Finally she arrived, the guy excitedly jumped up to greet her, to which she replied, “Are you Joe? Hm, no, thanks,” and left. Poor Joe, but we had a great party that Tuesday.”

“When I came to work in a restaurant, the adaptation period was very difficult for me. A colleague, in order to cheer me up, says: “You see the guy? (Points to one of the best waiters.) So, when he was still an intern, he was asked to clean the table, that is, the dirty dishes from the table. And he took the table and carried it.

Many celebrities have achieved success in the literal sense of blood and sweat. In the meantime, they went to glory, they earned what they had to. Their tenacity is commendable!

Julianne Moore. The actress is proud that she once worked as a waitress: “I am a workaholic. I was a great waitress, because they tell me – I do, and I do well. It doesn’t matter what the job is.” Bravo!

Mariah Carey. When she first moved to New York, the question of survival became an edge: “I slept on a mattress on the floor, wrote songs and was a terrible waitress!”

Madonna. The singer worked in several cafes at different times. It is known that once she was fired from Dunkin’ Donuts!

Megan Fox. The future actress moved to Los Angeles and got a job in a cafe. It was there that she was noticed by a model scout and invited to appear in commercials.

Eva Longoria. At 15, she worked at Wendy’s Cafe. She got a job there to pay for her own birthday!

Amanda Seyfried. The actress combined work and helping those in need: she worked as a waitress in a nursing home. Worthy of respect!

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Waiters are the people who work in restaurants and other places where food and drinks are served to customers. They do not prepare the food, but they serve it to the customers. They need to be polite, nice, and friendly. Waiters need to know about the menu items and what is offered at that restaurant.

Waiters have a lot of work responsibilities like taking orders from customers, handling money, serving food or drinks as well as cleaning up tables after customers leave. Waiters also need to maintain a good relationship with their coworkers because they work in a team environment with them. There are some waiters who also act as hosts or hostesses at restaurants.