“I don’t need no stinking resume.”
I am a server. I have a resume. It seems impossible that anyone who wants to try to get any kind of a job, even a serving job, would not have a resume. Would you ever consider walking into a restaurant without one? Of course you wouldn’t. It’s a necessity or at least in New York City, it is. Some people think otherwise.
A Bitchy Waiter reader down in Phoenix, Arizona was innocently watching the news last week when one of the anchor people reached out of the television and slapped her face with a big palmful of disrespect. Adam Longo of KPHO, CBS 5 was jizzing out a story about Amy’s Baking Company. (You remember them, right? Those are the crazy bitches who brought down Kitchen Nightmares and now they are about to have their own reality show because this is America where horrible people are rewarded.) Anyhoo, Mr. Longo was telling his viewing audience how interested applicants should send in their resume for consideration. This is the precise moment when he thought it would a great time to insult anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant when he dribbled out words to this effect: “I never met a server who had a resume.”
What the hell? Does he think that we just crawl into the restaurant and beg for a job and the manager chooses the one who looks the most needy? Does he think that servers don’t need resumes because the only thing we need to know how to write are words like “medium rare” and “substitute salad for fries?” No, asshole, we go in with resumes that are printed on paper and then hiring decisions are made based on the experience and job history.
I did a search to see if I could find video of these offending words, but was unable to confirm it. Perhaps the people who run Adam Longo’s KPHO Facebook page thought that it wasn’t a good idea to post that video clip. I did, however, find his Adam Longo’s Twitter page and found a tweet where he acknowledges that he had pissed off a couple of people.
“Sorry you took it so personally. I waited tables for 6 years. Never knew anyone with a resume. My bad.”
“My apologies for offending you. I’ve got nothing but the best respect for restaurant staff.”
So, yes he apologized and all is right with the world, but I really wonder how he waited tables for six years and never once had a resume. How did he get his jobs? Maybe he only had one job that whole time and perhaps it was at a restaurant that his parents owned. If that’s the case, it’s easy to see why he never had a resume, but what if it wasn’t his parent’s place?
The following is an imagined piece of history that may or may not have happened, therefore there will never be a need to remove it, no matter how offensive some people may find it because I made it up:
Adam: Hi, my name is Adam and I’d like to be a waiter until I get my big break being a fancy television newscaster. What do ya say? Can I be a waiter?
Bob: Got a resume?
Adam: A resume? What’s that? I thought that my drive, personality and boyish good looks and charm would be enough to get me a job.
Bob: Got any experience?
Adam: Experience? What’s that? I thought that my drive, personality and boyish good looks and charm would be enough to get me a job.
Bob: So you ain’t got no resume and you ain’t got no experience. Why the fuck should I give you a job?
Adam: I give good hand jobs and I don’t have a gag reflex.
Bob: Okay, you can start right now. Come to my office.
Okay, it all makes sense now, doesn’t it? Sometimes, there is no need for a resume, but for those of us with gag reflexes and sloppy hand job skills, a resume is a necessity. I suppose there is no need to attack Mr. Longo for his comments since he already apologized. I don’t condone going to his Facebook page or anything like that and I would never suggest that you Tweet to him your disappointment with his choice of words. No, I would never suggest you do that. No, no, no. that would be bitchy. Then again, maybe things are different in New York City. Everyone I know who waits tables has a resume.
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Rayanne
In all the years I have been serving, I have never needed a resume. I also live in small town Nebraska where the nicest “fancy” restaurant in town is either Applebees or Ruby Tuesday…Yes, seriously, those are the “special occasion” expensive restaurants around here…
maxi
I’ve been waiting tables on and off in the UK for 10 years and I’ve ALWAYS been asked for a CV whenever I’ve applied for jobs. Mostly the job application is practically writing out your CV again but they always ask for it. It’s always a good idea to have a stack of them with you when you job hunt so you can hand them out. It’s the first thing they’ll ask you if you go in looking for work, “Do you have a CV?” If you don’t then good luck getting an interview! I’ve always been hired on the strength of my CV.
cassandra
We don’t really use resumes in my area, which is back ass small town Pennsylvania. I think they’re nice, but not necessary in my area. We’re pretty damn poor here and serving isn’t a very ‘professinal’ line of work in some peoples eyes. I do laugh when dish washers turn in resumes though. Usually because we hire teens or serial killers for dish washers. No joke on the serial killer part.
Emma
My restaurant has applications, but we require a resume to be stapled to the application to accept it. It goes into more detail than the application can. Also, I’m a server but also a university student applying for internships, and I have a resume for that, but it has all my serving job info on it.
K808
I mean I understand! SHIT, we have a problem with applicants not bringing their OWN PEN!! I am thinking in my head, “why the F are you applying for a job when you do not even have a pen?!” lol
Anonymous
I’ve never had one. I’ve worked probably twelve or so jobs since high school (usually two at once, not all of them serving) and every single time I just walked in during the mid afternoon lull dressed for an interview and filled out an application. I’ve always either been given an immediate interview or hired on the spot. And yes, I’m a girl, but I’m pretty fat so it can’t have been like the scenario Bitchy described.
Daniel
I haven’t needed a resume for most of the restaurants I worked at in NYC. The only place that I needed one for was a Michelin star restaurant. Anything less than that: here, fill out this application, and pretty much write out your entire resume on the application.
WhiteRussian
I put it this way – most places don’t really expect you to have one just because a lot of people don’t have it – which as we can see is a fucking truth and a lot of folks admitted to not having/needing one. Thus, whenever I come in to apply for a job and pull out my four pages of pride shining with glitter of experience all over the battle fields of US eateries, the manager looks at me with a whole different attitude. And if I pull out my own pen, they can’t help but smiling.
I mean, it gives you that great employee image – good looks open doors, shit you not. If you come in well dressed and look neat, have own pen, resume and appear to be a professional who knows what the fuck he’s doing – chances to land a job are way higher. And all those without a resume can keep on filling out applications hoping for that call back. Yea right.
Marsha
In fine dining, I’ve ALWAYS needed a resume.
Adam
Any restaurant job I’ve appreciated and enjoyed I’ve been INVITED to come work at rather than applied…. I feel knowing someone means more than anything.
Suburbanrockdoll
Some people are so ignorant! The fact is: A Server’s resume will show more and better qualifications than other professions. Think of all the experience working with the public. Come on servers! Show off those skills. If you don’t have one yet, make one!
Christina
Worked in 5 restaurants over the course of 10 years and never had a resume. More recently, I applied at over 15 restaurants and I don’t think any of them asked for a resume. It might just be different depending on restaurant and reason so I don’t think either side need make any assumptions or declarations of war, here.
Christina
Sorry, restaurant and *region, that should say.
Kathy Bishop
I’ve worked in some places where they might think you’re over-qualified if you have a resumé. I’ve worked in some that accept resumés only. I’ve also gotten jobs with no application or resumé. Takes all kinds in this freakin’ awesome business.
Johnny
Weird.. I’ve been bartending in Milwaukee for 5 years and every good job I’ve gotten (three), I was hired on the merits of my resume and connections. I never filled out an application.
sally
I waited tables in Phoenix in the late 80s early 90s and no one I knew had a resume either. But that said, times have changed and I think to have one now is an excellent idea.
But again Bitchy–this is just another reason why YOU get every job you apply for. YOU are cut above, my friend!
Michelle
Hi, I too have never needed a resume as a server and I have been serving for 15 years.. There are some places that would like resume But They still accept applications without a resume.
My current job, they would’ve liked a resume but I didn’t have one at the time and I still got the job!!!
Michelle
Just realized how stupid my english looks in the last reply!!
Sorry, Bitchy! I know you like almost perfect english and spelling!! 🙂
MaxyMaine
For a small city, Portland Maine has a huge food and bar scene…For one to serve, back serve, tend bar…ect ect..It is expected in most of the restaurants here, that you should have a resume for consideration. A few places actually expect dishwasher applicants to submit one.
J.B.
I always have one, just in case. It always shows professionalism and here in Boston, a lot of times you do need one.
Nicole
yes, that must be an nyc thing, because I never used a resume serving. I’d walk in, ask for an app, put down my experience and availibility, and sometimes even get interviewed and hired on the spot.
i dont think the anchor was off-base at all. most restaurants have applications, elimimating the need for resumes–andf even if they dont have apps, they just ask you to write down your availibility and maybe experience. its not like they ever call past jobs–i wouldnt have gotten many jobs if that was the case.
Waiter with a resume
Every serving job I’ve ever had required a resume. While I don’t doubt that there are some that do not require a resume, there are an equal amount that do require one. Furthermore, just because some jobs don’t require resumes, most educated people hold one, therefore that insinuates that an entire profession is not educated enough to have a resume! What?
melissa in houston
Sorry Bitchy, I too never needed a resume for any of my bazillion server or bartender jobs.
Nikky
Same here, I work for a manufacturing company now and even we don’t really look at resumes. They get stapled to the app if we happen to get them.
Kate
I’ve worked in restaurants for six years also and never needed a resume. That said, I always have one just in case, but most places just have you fill out an application (usually online now).
Rachel
Actually, where I work we don’t accept resumes. Only an application.