Catering Resume Sample Job Description & Skills

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Christian Eilers, CPRW

Career Expert

Updated: December 20, 2024

Reviewed by:

Roma Kończak, CPRW

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Tastes differ, isn’t that how the saying goes? They certainly do when it comes to food or table settings. Wouldn’t it be nice to simply know what that one demanding client really likes? That would make a caterer’s life a lot easier.

If you’re hunting for new job opportunities, there’s this much reassurance: the tastes of the recruiters don’t differ all that much. Moreover, they’re really quite predictable. And if you keep them in mind as you compile your catering resume, your chances will skyrocket.

This guide will show you:

A catering resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
How to write a catering resume that will land you more interviews.
Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a catering resume.
How to describe your experience on a catering resume to get any job you want.

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Sample Catering Resume—See more resume samples here.

Caterer Resume Sample

Christine J. Kuster

Certified Professional in Catering and Events (CPCE)

christine.j.kuster@gmail.com

(954) 980-8152

linkedin.com/in/christinejkuster

Summary of Qualifications

NACE-certified caterer with 3½ years of experience creating meal plans for large group events, transportation, logistics, and serving guests at social functions and private parties. Successfully carried out catering for over 500 events, with 25 of them serving a crowd of over 1,000 guests. Eliminated 50% more food waste with new serving strategy. Seeking to leverage my catering skills, talent for organization, and personable attitude to become a catering manager with Hounslow Events.

Work Experience

Catering & Events Specialist
December 2017–July 2019
Southeast Primetime, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Key Qualifications & Responsibilities

Gathered together all food supplies, utensils, decorations, heating elements, and serving trays needed for each catering event.
Served food and beverages to guests while remaining conscious of dietary restrictions based on religion or health.
Liaised between event manager or catering manager and the serving staff to maintain appropriate levels of food and drink at all times.
Assisted in the driving of the company catering van, as required.

Key Achievements

Developed end-of-event serving strategy wherein food was served to order, thereby eliminating 50% more food waste.

Catering Assistant
December 2015–November 2017
Damian’s Catering Services, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Key Qualifications & Responsibilities

Stocked and maintained necessary food supplies, serving equipment, and single-use utensils.
Reported counts and suggested ordering quantities to catering director for weekly purchasing.
Handled setup and takedown of all catering furniture and cooking equipment at each event.
Adhered to all food safety and personal safety requirements and procedures.

Education

Bachelor of Arts in Culinary Arts Management

Florida Culinary Institute, Miami, FL

Graduation: 2015

Relevant Coursework: Culinary Arts, Hospitality Human Resources, Professional Baking, Food & Beverage Cost Control, Fundamentals of Catering & Hospitality.

Key Skills

Food service, safety, storage, and transport
Stamina and strength (ability to lift and carry 75+ lbs)
Great communication, including verbal and listening skills
Hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) protocol
Leadership & problem-solving skills
Table & seating arrangements

Languages

German: Professional Working Proficiency (ILR 5, CEFR C2+, ACTFL Distinguished)

Certifications

Certified Professional in Catering and Events (CPCE) from the National Association for Catering and Events (NACE)

Memberships

National Association for Catering and Events (NACE)

Now, let’s perfect yours—

Here is how to whip up a resume for catering jobs:

1. Choose the Best Catering Resume Format to Use

A caterer is a person who provides food and beverages to a group at a remote location, including tables, equipment, and providing service. A catering resume must show the event director that you have the food handling skills, customer service attitude, and physical stamina to do the job right.

Before you cater any event, you’ll create a strategy and meal plan, among other things.

It’s similar here—

Before you can start writing your catering resume, you have to make sure it’s formatted in a way that’ll impress the event manager or catering director.

Here’s how to format a caterer resume template:

In the heading for a resume for catering jobs, start with your name in big, bold letters; consider adding your previous professional job title, if relevant.
List your phone number and contact info on a resume correctly.
Differentiate the various resume sections by making the resume section titles larger than the standard text.
Go with the best resume format, the reverse chronological order resume.
What size font for a resume? Keep the body text around 10–12pt, and let the section titles stand out at 2–4pts larger.

Pro Tip: Is the resume PDF or Word document the better choice? Go with the PDF unless the event manager specifically asks otherwise. The PDF renders correctly on any device, whereas a *.docx file may look funny on various screens.

2. Write a Catering Resume Objective or Summary

You start things off on your catering resume with a resume objective or summary statement.

Located at the top in your professional profile, this statement is short but powerful, like a perfect elevator pitch.

But which one to use?

Use the career summary when you have plenty of catering experience behind you.

The summary paragraph on your catering resume regales them with a quick background on your food handling skills, client satisfaction, and other catering abilities. For the cherry on top, you’ll include a numbered accomplishment so they can measure your past success.

Use the career objective when writing catering resumes with little or no experience.

With the objective paragraph, rather than experience, you’ll highlight your career goals as a prospective caterer with their company. You’ll still give a measurable achievement which is relevant to catering jobs.

Pro Tip: They’ll read this heading paragraph on your catering server resume first, since it’s at the top. However, write it at the end after these following sections, so you’ll have a better idea as to which points to highlight there.

3. Craft the Perfect Catering Job Description for Resumes

Like the actual catering event itself, the job description or work history section on your resume is the meat of the matter.

That means—

You’d better impress the maître d′ by knowing how to write work experience in a resume effectively.

Here’s how to nail a catering job description for resume experience sections:

Go in reverse-chronological order, which means placing your latest job on top, followed by the next one, and so forth.
Include the job title, dates of employment, the company’s name, and the company’s location.
Below that, add five or six bullet points detailing your catering job responsibilities.
Begin with action words (e.g., catered, prepared) to start off each bullet point.
Prove you’re a great catering job candidate by listing a key achievement or two with numbers.
Always tailor your resume to this one particular catering job ad, as the event coordinator or catering director will just toss a boilerplate resume.

Pro Tip: Writing a resume with no work experience in catering jobs? No problem. Simply talk up your past duties in a relevant manner by using the most catering-related job responsibilities you’ve managed.

Making a resume with our builder is incredibly simple. Follow our step-by-step guide, use ready-made content tailored to your job and have a resume ready in minutes.

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When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and our ATS resume checker will tell you exactly how to make it better.

4. Write a Caterer Resume Education Section That Shines

Most catering jobs don’t require anything over a high school education.

But—

Doesn’t mean you can go easy on the education section of a resume.

Here’s how to make your education area first class:

List your most advanced degree or culinary certificate at the top.
Add the degree, the college’s or culinary school’s name, and the date you completed your studies.
If you have relevant coursework (e.g., culinary management, catering logistics), add them as a subsection.
Have other proud academic achievements, such as dean’s list or cum laude? Include them to really impress the employer.

Pro Tip: If you’ve completed higher education, don’t include high school on your resume for caterer jobs. If, however, you are still working on it or never began, adding high school is just fine.

5. Highlight Your Talent in a Catering Skills Resume Section

According to the BLS, employment of food service managers (including caterers) is set to increase 9% between 2016 and 2026.

That’s 27,600 others to compete with for the catering job.

So—

Whether on a catering manager resume or a catering server resume, make sure your skills section is as enticing as the food you’ll serve.

To become a professional caterer, candidates must possess these catering skills and food service abilities:

Top Catering Skills for a Resume

Strength & Stamina
Food & Beverage Preparation
Food Presentation & Food Handling
Friendly Attitude & Demeanor
Event Monitoring & Initiative
Venue Selection & Setup
Personal Hygiene & Food Safety
Product Purchasing & Inventory Management
Service-Oriented Attitude
Confidentiality (for Private Events)
Quick & Methodical Working
Budget & Finance (for Catering Directors)
Presentation Skills
Verbal Communication Skills
Time Management Skills
Decision Making Skills
Teamwork & Collaboration Skills
Critical Thinking Skills
Organizational Skills
Creative Thinking Skills
Problem Solving Skills
Project Management Skills
Interpersonal Skills

Now—

Here’s how to turn these random abilities into a fine catering skills resume section:

List all the special professional skills, including hard skills and soft skills, which you have related to the catering business.
Look at the catering job ad’s requirements area to find the best keywords for a resume.
Add those skills you listed which you also found in the job description to your catering director resume or catering assistant resume.

Catering skills define you, but don't forget about your other skills. From our analysis of 11 million resumes crafted with our resume builder, here are the top 10 most frequently added skills:

Teamwork and Collaboration
Problem-solving
Excellent Communication
Multitasking
Attention to Detail
MS Office
Analytical and Critical Thinking
Data Entry
Project Management
Team Management

6. Include Additional Sections on Your Caterer Resume

Your resume for catering jobs is looking mighty fine, by now.

However—

You can knock it out of the park by adding a few extra sections to really wow them.

For a catering resume, here are some great ideas for additional areas to include:

Pro Tip: Interested in bolstering your caterer resume with some certifications or catering memberships? The National Association for Catering and Events (NACE) is the industry leader. Also, check out the Catering Associate Certification (CCA).

7. Include a Catering Cover Letter With Your Job Application

How important are cover letters?

Very.

A majority of employers prefer an attached cover letter to your catering job application.

With that said—

Here are a few tips for writing a caterer cover letter that’ll drop their jaws to the floor:

Learn how to format a cover letter before you start writing it.
Craft a compelling opening paragraph of your cover letter by introducing them to you and your intention for applying for the catering role.
Use the body section to talk up your catering skills and your food handling experience.
Add several proud accomplishments to impress the director of catering.
Know how to sign off a cover letter with a powerful call to action statement.

Pro Tip: As you get ready for your interview, don’t forget to follow up on the job application.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

Create my cover letter now

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Have any questions on writing a caterer job description for resumes? Looking for more catering resume examples of a particular section? Get at us in the comments below, and thanks for reading!

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Catering Resume Sample Job Description & Skills