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Food Servers, Nonrestaurant

In the Food Servers, Nonrestaurant occupation, workers serve food to individuals outside of a restaurant environment, such as in hotel rooms, hospital rooms, residential care facilities, or cars. A regular part of the work is to place food servings on plates or trays according to orders or instructions. Its interest code is RSC. Realistic leads at 4.8 out of 7, so expect hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world, with Social next at 4.2. Plan on a few months to a year of learning on the job; O*NET labels this some preparation. Strength in speaking, service orientation, and active listening helps most here. If you want hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world, keep it on your list. If you need research, analysis and working through hard problems, it may feel thin.

What they do

Serve food to individuals outside of a restaurant environment, such as in hotel rooms, hospital rooms, residential care facilities, or cars.

Main tasks

  • Place food servings on plates or trays according to orders or instructions.
  • Clean or sterilize dishes, kitchen utensils, equipment, or facilities.
  • Monitor food distribution, ensuring that meals are delivered to the correct recipients and that guidelines, such as those for special diets, are followed.
  • Examine trays to ensure that they contain required items.
  • Load trays with accessories, such as eating utensils, napkins, or condiments.
  • Take food orders and relay orders to kitchens or serving counters so they can be filled.

Skills

  • Speaking
  • Service Orientation
  • Active Listening
  • Time Management
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Reading Comprehension

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
  • You get energy from helping other people move forward.
  • You want to start work after a short stretch of training.
  • You are comfortable relying on speaking and service orientation.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather stay away from physical, hands-on tasks.
  • You want to spend most of your time analyzing and researching. Investigative rates 1.5 out of 7 here.
  • You want a career built on years of advanced study.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code RSC takes the three highest, and Realistic comes first here.

Preparation

Some preparation. Most people start with a high school diploma, then learn from experienced coworkers over a few months to a year.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED). This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Food Server
  • Food Service Worker
  • Kitchen Runner
  • Room Server
  • Room Service Server

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.