- On October 1, 2022
- > Hospitality Industry Information
If you’ve applied for countless jobs in the hospitality and food service industry without much luck, you might be curious about what’s stopping you from appealing to business owners. Could it be a lack of experience? No qualifications? Or, maybe, your resume isn’t as detailed as some of the other applicants.
Rather than wait for your next call back, knowing it might not come, it can be worth preparing yourself for success. Here are some of the best things to do to land a job in the restaurant industry in Texas.
Get Your Texas Food Handlers Card
If you don’t have your Texas Food Handlers Card, you might find it challenging to earn your first job in the food handling industry. Since 2015, the Texas Department of State Health Services has made this qualification a requirement, and employers might not be eager to hire someone who still has to take the time to get theirs.
Fortunately, receiving your Food Handlers Certificate is not a time-intensive, expensive, or arduous process. When you enroll through leading online certifiers like TABC Pronto, you can enjoy a 100% online program you can complete at your own pace.
You can take breaks, pick up where you left off, and complete easy-to-follow sections with no quizzes or final exams. By the time you’ve finished the fast and easy online course, you’ll be proficient in safe food consumption, personal hygiene for handlers, preventing cross-contamination, cleaning and sanitizing techniques, time and temperature requirements, and much more. These are all desirable skills to have in the hospitality industry when you want to keep your customers safe.
However, while you’re working toward your Texas Handlers Food Card, you might also see the value in getting your TABC Certification to make yourself even more desirable to prospective employers.
Many business owners in the hospitality industry who serve alcohol require their staff to have TABC Certification. You could get ahead and stand out by achieving this in advance. Learn more about getting a TABC & Food Handlers bundle as a leg up.
Revamp Your Resume
If it has been some time since you’ve needed to apply for a job, or it’s your first time, revamping your resume can be a must. It should stand out to employers for all the right reasons, be easy to read, and formatted for fast and easy scanning.
It should also include basic information about you, your achievements, any pertinent qualifications, such as the Texas Food Handlers Card, references if you have them, and your contact information.
If you’re unsure how to create a compelling resume, consider utilizing the services of a career advisor who can point you in the direction of someone to help.
Don’t Worry About All Job Requirements
While you wouldn’t apply to be a surgeon without knowing how to perform surgery, you can typically apply for hospitality industry jobs even if you can’t tick all the job requirement boxes.
For example, if one of the requirements is that you have server experience, you might be able to make yourself stand out by saying you’re a quick learner, and it won’t be long until you’re up to speed. Some business owners are more than happy to give inexperienced workers a chance if they possess many of the traits they’re looking for.
Prepare for Questions
You might research an establishment before applying for a job, but it also doesn’t hurt to think about questions you might need to answer. Rather than feeling like you’ve been put on the spot, prepare answers for those you think you might need to answer.
Some of the most common ones are:
- Why do you want to work for us?
- Why would you be a good fit for our restaurant?
- What do you think will set you apart from other applicants?
Be Authentic
Sometimes, the easiest way to get a job in the restaurant industry in Texas is by being yourself. Turn up to your interview and provide honest answers to all the questions they’re asking. Your authenticity and friendly nature might help get your job application over the line.
Improve Your Job Chances With TABC Pronto Today
Are you applying for restaurant and food handling jobs in Texas? Enroll in the Food Handlers Certificate today. The more you know about working with food, the more your resume might stand out from the crowd.
