Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.

Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

1. Check patrons' identification to ensure that they meet minimum age requirements for consumption of alcoholic beverages.

2. Collect payments from customers.

3. Write patrons' food orders on order slips, memorize orders, or enter orders into computers for transmittal to kitchen staff.

4. Take orders from patrons for food or beverages.

5. Check with customers to ensure that they are enjoying their meals and take action to correct any problems.

6. Serve food or beverages to patrons, and prepare or serve specialty dishes at tables as required.

7. Prepare checks that itemize and total meal costs and sales taxes.

8. Remove dishes and glasses from tables or counters, and take them to kitchen for cleaning.

9. Present menus to patrons and answer questions about menu items, making recommendations upon request.

10. Inform customers of daily specials.

11. Clean tables or counters after patrons have finished dining.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.

Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

Food Production - Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Job Zone One: Little or No Preparation Needed

Education: These occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate. Some may require a formal training course to obtain a license.

Training: Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few days to a few months of training. Usually, an experienced worker could show you how to do the job.

The college search results are undergraduate programs associated with Waiters and Waitresses. Further education may also be required to pursue this career.

The training search results include both short and long-term programs associated with Waiters and Waitresses, and may be more appropriate for adult and non-traditional students. Further training may also be required to pursue this career.

In NY the average wage for this occupation was:

$16,410 for entry level workers, and $29,680 for experienced workers.

Based on the total number of annual openings and its growth rate, the employment prospects for this occupation are described as Very Favorable.

During 2006, there were approximately 130,830 Waiters and Waitresses employed in NY.

We estimate that in 2016 there will be 142,220  employed in NY. This represents an increase of 1,140 job(s) each year, and a total of 7,110 job openings each year.

Food and beverage serving and related workers - Visit this link for additional information on this career from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; a publication produced and maintained by the United States Department of Labor.

Food Preparation Workers - Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.

Bartenders - Mix and serve drinks to patrons, directly or through waitstaff.

Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food - Perform duties which combine both food preparation and food service.

Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants - Provide personal items to patrons or customers in locker rooms, dressing rooms, or coatrooms.

Cashiers - Receive and disburse money in establishments other than financial institutions. Usually involves use of electronic scanners, cash registers, or related equipment. Often involved in processing credit or debit card transactions and validating checks.

Counter and Rental Clerks - Receive orders for repairs, rentals, and services. May describe available options, compute cost, and accept payment.

Parts Salespersons - Sell spare and replacement parts and equipment in repair shop or parts store.

Stock Clerks, Sales Floor - Receive, store, and issue sales floor merchandise. Stock shelves, racks, cases, bins, and tables with merchandise and arrange merchandise displays to attract customers. May periodically take physical count of stock or check and mark merchandise.