Thinking about transitioning out of the restaurant industry? You’re not alone— half of U.S. workers will not be returning to their old jobs. A third are considering leaving the industry entirely. If you’re like many others working in food and service, you’ve likely considered reasons to make a career switch. Common factors include:
- Job instability
- Low wages
- Long hours on your feet
- Limited growth
But then comes the question — if not the food industry, then what? If you’ve worked in the industry for a long time, it can seem like you’re stuck because you don’t have the experience, education, or training to enter another field. But there are always options, especially now as technology continues to advance and the option for virtual training becomes more widespread. Today we’re talking about how you can train for a new career and leverage the skills you’ve gained from working in the food service industry to get an in-demand job in IT.
Benefits of a Career in IT vs the Food Service Industry
There are a few main reasons why it’s a good idea to transition out of the restaurant industry and into an IT career:
- Job Opportunities & Stability
- Flexible Schedule & Remote Work Availability
- Growth Opportunities
Job opportunities & stability
Job opportunities in IT have grown big time in the past year — and there’s no sign of this slowing down. The U.S. Bureau of Labor reports that jobs in computer and information technology are projected to grow 11% from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for other industries. Think of it like this: the IT industry doesn’t exist in a vacuum. IT is an integral component of every company. It’s as essential for a high-performing business as operations, sales, or marketing. Every company needs a high functioning IT team.
Flexible schedule & remote work availability
IT jobs also allow for a flexible schedule and remote work. If you’re a server, there’s no opportunity for remote work — you either show up to your shift or you don’t get paid. If you can’t make it to your shift because of poor weather, a car breakdown, or a sick child at home, then that’s it. No money for the day. But with many IT jobs, you’re able to do your job entirely from home. IT jobs by nature are also less physically demanding than a serving job. If you have a disability or injury, restaurant work might be out of the question — but that’s not the case for IT.
Growth opportunities
Growth opportunities are not only achievable but likely in the IT industry. If you work hard and hone your technical and personal skills, you could build a career path from IT Support Specialist to IT Technician to IT Network Manager to IT Director.
Transferable Skills from Restaurant Industry to IT
Although transitioning from the restaurant industry to the IT industry may not seem like the cleanest path, there are many skills you’ve picked up from working in service that can translate to the IT industry. Remember to add these skills to your resume and to come up with real examples of how you executed them for your interview.
- Customer Service
- Problem Solving & Critical Thinking
- Multi-tasking
- Time Management
Customer service
If you’re a server or in management, you likely have years of customer service to add to your resume. You know how to deal with fickle people, and you’re an expert at helping others get what they need when they may not even be sure what it is they’re lacking. If you’re applying to a Help Desk position, this is essentially what you’ll be doing — helping users get what they need so they can excel at their jobs and the company can run like a well-oiled machine.
Problem solving & critical thinking
Just like we mentioned above, your job in the restaurant industry is a lot of making sure everyone has what they need to be happy and to have a smooth and enjoyable experience at your restaurant. Whether you’re a server, cook, bartender, host, or manager, you have probably had times when you were bombarded with a problem (understaffed on a busy Friday night, not enough sauce for a popular chicken dish, a problem with a customer’s food) that you had to solve quickly and without fuss. This is what many entry level IT jobs consist of. If you enjoy being presented with an issue that’s stumping others and then coming up with and executing a solution, you would love IT.
Pro tip: When it comes time to interview for an IT job, make sure you come up with a specific example of a problem from your time serving and how you solved the issue to present to your potential employer.
Multi-tasking
All restaurant industry workers are pros are multitasking — on a given night, you could be taking and entering orders, delivering food to patrons, clearing tables, adding up bills, making drinks, facilitating take-out orders, answering the phone, refilling condiments… the list goes on. With this mastery of multi-tasking under your belt, you’ll be able to handle multiple critical IT requests coming in and organize them based on importance.
Time management
You can’t execute any of the skills above without properly knowing how to manage your time. As a server, if you spend too long on the phone or at one table, you’re leaving your other customers without service (and you without a good tip). Or if you’re a cook, you know how much time to spend on every piece of food that goes on a plate so they’re all ready at the same time, leading to a perfect final product. The restaurant industry instills a strong sense of time management — something you’ll need if you’re working on several IT requests at one time.
Jobs to Get Out of Food Industry
Now that you see the potential in your transferable skills, it’s time to explore your potential new career in tech. A career in information technology can be in your future.
Here are a few entry level roles we recommend looking into:
- IT Support Specialist
- Computer Technician
- Technical Support Technician
- Help Desk Technician
- Desktop Support Technician
- Service Desk Analyst
- NOC Technician
IT Support Specialist
IT Support Specialists play a core role in organizations by providing information technology support. This can look like answering questions and resolving technical issues, troubleshooting problems and maintaining software, and improving IT systems. Learn more about IT Support Specialists.
Computer Technician
Computer Technicians help set companies up for success. A regular day may look like installing computers, printers, or software and working on managing the organization’s network and equipment. Learn more about Computer Technicians.
Technical Support Technician
Technical Support Specialists get their hands metaphorically dirty by getting down to the nitty-gritty of computer support and troubleshooting. They provide end-users with assistance in technical, software, and hardware problems. Learn more about Technical Support Specialist.
Help Desk Technician
Help Desk Technicians help keep the system running smoothly by managing communications between the end user and the rest of the IT team. Sorting support tickets, diagnosing problems, and guiding customers to where they need to go is a glimpse into their day-to-day. Learn more about Help Desk Technicians.
Desktop Support Technician
Desktop Support Technicians develop strong understandings of the system and its hardware and software. They are all about supporting and maintaining the organization’s technology to ensure optimal workspace performance. Learn more about Desktop Support Technicians.
Service Desk Analyst
Service Desk Analysts are IT professionals who help monitor inquiries, problems, and IT issues as well as responding to and supporting end users who request help. Learn more about Service Desk Analysts.
NOC Technician
NOC Technicians also known as Network Operations Center Technicians keep operations up and going by keeping an eye on user incident and outage reporting and then providing resolutions as needed. This could look like direct support to the customer or implementing or repairing firewalls, routing, or remote access protocols. Learn more about NOC Technicians.
How to Transition from the Restaurant Industry to the Office
Training is critical for any professional job. It helps you build the skills needed to become efficient in your new role and gives you hands-on opportunities to learn about the field before starting. As someone with experience in the restaurant industry, you understand the importance building a good knowledge base is to success. The good news is, you’ve already done part of the work and come equipped with communication, customer service, and task management skills. Let us supplement the rest. Our program prepares every Centriq student for a lifelong IT career.
Online IT Training Program
A few months is all it takes to step into a new industry. Our curriculum is focused on networking, systems, and security to provide optimal IT network support. This is a strategic path towards your first day at your dream job.
Cloud & Security Specialist Program (CSSP)
Learn more about our Cloud Computing and Cybersecurity Training Program.
Full Stack Coding Program
Learn more about our Full Stack Developer Training Program.