Waitress

Becoming a waitress or waiter is a career path, temporary or long term, that many people find desirable thanks to their people skills and exuberant personalities. If you've taken an aptitude test or career assessment test that shows you have good communication skills, you may want to look into the world of waiting tables.

Waiting tables is a job that does not require a college degree; however, there are some traits that you should posses in order to become a successful waitress or waiter:

A Strong Personality - Being friendly and helpful is the name of the game when it comes to waiting tables. Customers are going to expect you to be knowledgeable about the menu if they have any questions and they will expect you to be courteous and eager to please. You may having a bad day or may not feel well, or the customer may be unreasonable or rude, but you'll still be expected to maintain a positive and helpful attitude. Some customers will be impossible to please, and you'll have to develop a tough skin to deal with these types of people.

Organization - You'll likely be waiting multiple tables at once, and keeping track of your orders and inputting them correctly is essential. Mixing up a customers order is a good way to make your shift a nightmare; so, taking those few extra seconds to make sure everything about an order is correct will save you headaches down the road.

Physical Endurance - Not only will you be on your feet through your entire shift, but you'll be doing a lot of walking around while carrying items that may be heavy. Being well rested is important to surviving a shift, especially during the busier times of the week.

Fluctuating Pay - As a waitress you'll be paid well below the minimum wage by the hour. This is because most of your income will be derived from tips. This has its advantages and disadvantages; on busy shifts you can accumulate quite a large amount of cash, but if you work slower times of the week you may find yourself leaving your shift with a relatively small amount of money. Some restaurants have wait staff share their tips with busboys, so make sure you know what to expect when applying for a job.

If posses the above qualities and enjoy working in a fast paced and people intensive environment, then waitressing may be right for you.