Education · 1 of 4

The path

There is no school and no exam. There is an application, a trial shift and a lot of memorizing.

1. 1

   Get any food service job

   Any age from 14 to 16 depending on your state

   Host, busser, dishwasher or food runner. Almost every server started in one of those and moved up inside the same restaurant.

2. 2

   Certifications

   A weekend

   A food handler card, and an alcohol seller-server certification if you will serve drinks. Both are cheap and take a few hours online.

3. 3

   Trail shifts

   1 to 2 weeks

   You follow an experienced server for two to five unpaid or minimum-wage shifts, learning the menu, the system and the floor plan.

4. 4

   Your own section

   First months

   Start with the small or slow section. Prove you can handle five tables at once without losing one of them.

5. 5

   Move up or move out

   Year 1 onward

   A busier restaurant, a higher check average, bartending, or a shift lead and then management role.