I think I’ve finally had my last straws in the restaurant industry, but now I’m struggling to sell my transferable skills.

29 Comments

1. Alley KeosheyanJuly 22,2024 at 1:07PM UTC

   When you say you have "no network," I'd almost be willing to bet money that you actually have one, hiding in plain sight. For example, I live in a small rural town, and our Chamber of Commerce has monthly "mixer" events. Our local Eagles Club has monthly breakfasts that are open to the public. Both are great opportunities to get out and talk to people, many of whom are quite influential in the community.

   Also, when you're looking for employment, put the word out to everyone you know: family, friends, neighbors, doctors, dentists, that person you sat next to on a plane who gave you their business card, competitors, the barista who makes your morning latte, your mail carrier or UPS driver, everyone you come into contact with. Yes, it sounds old fashioned, but you never know who might be able to put in a good word for you somewhere. Best of luck to you!

2. Jessica KuligowskiJuly 22,2024 at 2:21PM UTC

   99% of the people I interact with on a day to day basis are coworkers or customers (I interact with about 5 people outside of work a week and one of those is an unemployed former coworker). I have seen these events - but unless I get let go completely they are not held on days I’m available (generally Friday and Saturday nights - the worst time for a restaurant worker to try and take off). I’m really as stuck as I can get as far as networking.

3. Celena BartonJuly 22,2024 at 1:20PM UTC

   It’s a red flag and I’d take it for what it is.

4. AnonymousJuly 23,2024 at 1:42PM UTC

   This is not helpful at all! If you don't have anything to add to the conversation, stay quiet.

5. AnonymousJuly 22,2024 at 1:28PM UTC

   Work with a temp agency to get your foot in the door in a non-food business.

   Try searching for corp offices of high end food chains for admin roles.

   Have your resume revamped to ensure you are on trend for what employers are looking at.

   Take a class or two at your local community college to enhance your skills.

   A friend of mine took a class on interviewing and the instructor was from an HR department. She offered resume updating as well.

   Explore your options and put yourself out there.

   Best of luck to you.

6. Jessica KuligowskiJuly 22,2024 at 2:13PM UTC

   Unfortunately the temp agency route has already not worked. Best I was offered was $13.50 an hour as a packer at a warehouse.

   I am currently working on Google’s Project Management certification, but I feel like it will still cause me to run into the same issues.

7. AnonymousJuly 23,2024 at 1:43PM UTC

   That's a hard one because they are unlikely to offer benefits or enough income to also pay cobra if you leave the full time job for temp.

8. Jessica KuligowskiJuly 22,2024 at 2:57PM UTC

   Considered, applied and rejected. Our company’s supplier is based 75 miles away so it’s not like I can just hit up our drivers either.

9. AnonymousJuly 22,2024 at 2:58PM UTC

   Start creating the network. Apply for administrative assistant positions in companies where you are interested to grow with. Keep applying

10. AnonymousJuly 22,2024 at 4:48PM UTC

    Take a look at the catering and on-site food operations at corporate offices. Compus, sodesco, Aramark and Eurest all manage on-site corporate catering departments on corporate campuses. They require your skillset.

11. AnonymousJuly 23,2024 at 1:42PM UTC

    Lots of colleges use them too. Even one of our local hospital systems.

12. Maegan, Nike Sales Rep & Career CoachJuly 22,2024 at 6:14PM UTC

    Hi Jessica! Start developing your professional network. It's never too late.If you want to have a coffee chat to talk through how you are talking about your transferable skills and developing a network, shoot me a message! I can help you with this.

13. Cindy GloverJuly 23,2024 at 1:47AM UTC

    Ummm - No transferable skills????

    I’ve not worked in that industry but I see time management skills off the charts…..

14. Jessica KuligowskiJuly 23,2024 at 4:07PM UTC

    It’s not the lack of transferable skills (not just time management but things like inventory, labor management, training, etc.). I literally applied for an operations manager role at a discount department store that had “2 years of big box store leadership experience” in the requirements. I shot my shot but didn’t get an interview. Same goes with office manager roles.

15. Jessica KuligowskiJuly 23,2024 at 4:08PM UTC

    That’s the problem - I feel like my leadership experience should translate well. But apparently it doesn’t.

16. AnonymousJuly 23,2024 at 6:59PM UTC

    A post below mentions the following but is mispelled so I'm offering you the correct companies to look into within your industry. Compass-USA, and Sodexo. Also, consider working in higher ed as Aramark is our go to catering company. They are at many colleges and convention centers. Go to https://careers.aramark.com/ they have a virtual assistant too. Your skills could transfer to an event manager (look at your local city/state for event spaces). If you can work in the food industry, you can work anywhere. That industry has the highest incidences of being flexible, and is always changing. I imagine high turnover too. Your skills can transfer very nicely to event managers, or high volume environments. Also, within event spaces are catering needs. Oakview Group, Spectra, those are a couple more of them. You could be a catering manager no problem. Just need to get your resume to attract but do a little research, where and what do you want to do? If any of the ideas I presented are of interest, do some research and then formulate your resume to reflect the skills they seek (as long as you have them). Keep us posted and good luck!

17. AnonymousJuly 23,2024 at 9:29PM UTC

    All the advice below is spot on. You need to outside the restaurant industry. The event and catering and on-site industries fit your skills to a T.

18. AnonymousJuly 24,2024 at 3:54PM UTC

    You may need to weedle your way into where you want to be. Such as working at a grocery store, and then using that experience to move into product management and marketing. Or working in retail and then using that experience to move into those products.

19. Jessica FerlandJuly 24,2024 at 6:51PM UTC

    Have you considered working at the corporate office of any of the food chains you have worked at - or really any retail corporate office. Another option could be to work as a Health Inspector - depending on where you live, most places have a shortage of public health workers. Experience with restaurants, servesafe, and other tools would be a great entry way into food inspection - which is a municipal job.

20. AnonymousJuly 26,2024 at 4:05PM UTC

    I'm sorry you're going through this. Yes, sometimes personalities are at play and make it a cause for change.

    Some ideas:
    -Same company, just another job. (another site, corporate HQ--some chains have managerial training programs).
    -Same field, different company (another restaurant, or a training program or school).
    -Same skills, different field (e.g. retail rather than restaurant)
    -Side hustle (consultant to those in your field or another passion/skill you have).
    -Start your own -franchise or business.
    -Highlight or start volunteering (to round out skills, esp. if you want out of restaurant work).
    -If you have some money, consider training- take a course in skills of interest (Customer Service, management, business. think of a skill you want to learn or something you're good at: people, policies, cooking, etc). Perhaps there's a degree that you know will help.

    To answer your question- Let's unpack that. You say you have no network. You have a network, you just may have to get creative. I completely understand a trap we may find ourselves in if our colleagues are no longer allies and if friends/families have their limitations, but you have a network. Think of a pebble that you drop in a lake. Visualize or draw it out if it helps. You're the pebble, form many rings after that. the ring closest to you are strong bonds and/or people you don't know yet are physically close to you. Each outer ring is further removed from you. Think of neighbors where you live and work, people from school (friends, teachers, staff, alumni networks from other years), the company you work at- maybe there's a chain community you could leverage (either ask or just tell them that I worked at X location, loved it there , time for a change, can you help m relocate). Local business associations or chamber of commerce. If you feel you can, ask your boss or whomever is influential where you work to help give you a good reference---only ask when you're leaving to risk not being fired). Do you volunteer? Ask anyone you know well for help finding work. Steer them in the right direction. Maybe they can open a door for you. If it fits your needs, try it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

    If there are companies you frequent and like, tell them and ask if they're hiring and ask if you could ask them how best to be a desirable candidate. Ask those close to you some insight questions about your skills, what you could work on, what industry they see you in, etc. Take it with a grain of salt. Make a plan (e.g. different plans depending on if you stay in restaurant work or need to learn more to switch careers). What do you like (in school, hobbies, etc.)?

    You mentioned updating your resume, apps, etc. Great. Keep at it. Sometimes people close to us are the ones that help. Sometimes it's an acquaintance. Sometimes it's you.

    Some companies hire skillsets. Some hire people. I say, your best bet is to hone on jobs leveraging your people skills.

    I'm glad you're asking here and I hope we help. You can also ask that question on the internet and via ChatGPT. Answers may be helpful.

    Good luck!

21. Jessica KuligowskiJuly 30,2024 at 2:34AM UTC

    Interesting perspective. I’m currently working on my Google Project Management certification as it’s going to cost me around $2k and a year to finish my Gen Ed AA. But I’m still finding a lot of PM jobs asking for Bachelor’s degrees.

    as far as the people, I’m not joking when I say I might interact with 5 people outside of work on a given week, and I’m struggling to find networking events that don’t clash with my current work schedule. I did volunteer until post pandemic policies at the place I was volunteering made it impossible to do on a flexible schedule. So I am kind of limited.

22. AnonymousJuly 29,2024 at 4:49PM UTC

    Show up in person. Take some temp roles through an agency, learn to type if you do not and do every youtube video on the basics of using Google suite and Microsoft suite. Then create a profile on LI and all other career sites focusing on your customer service skills and how you manage helping people get things done. Remove the word restaurant from your resume and change it to Food Services. For example Denny's Food Services. Then use that to catapult into something that uses those skills which are most transferable into a role in an office where you interact with one person at a time in the role. You could focus on businesses that do business with food companies or restaurants for a start. Good luck, it may take months to get there, but it will be worth it for the overall duration of your career.

23. Jessica KuligowskiJuly 30,2024 at 2:27AM UTC

    At the end of the day that’s the problem. I am currently non-exempt salaried at $46.5k a year (plus overtime, bonuses and shift differential). Temp agencies are trying to place me in a $13.50 an hour warehouse/packing position.

    I also type at an above average 55 words per minute and consistently hit 97% on data entry scores. I’m also already familiar with Microsoft Office/Google Workspace. My LinkedIn currently focuses on my leadership, my side business (jewelry making) and my work towards my Google Project Management Certificate.

    I just a) don’t have a college degree to back it all up (I need 12 credit hours to finish my Gen Ed AA but I don’t see that being a difference maker in any job listing) and b) as soon as hiring managers see the name of the company (not including the word Restaurant), I feel like I’m viewed as a low skilled worker.

24. AnonymousJuly 30,2024 at 4:28PM UTC

    You don't need a degree to make the change, but you will likely have to take less money until you get immersed in a new role. There are a lot of others who will take those roles and if you are good you should rise quickly in the ranks by showing them what you are made of. I would take the jewelry making side business out of things because you want to show focus not things that could be construed as hobbies which is what will happen.

25. Marcia ParkerNovember 10,2025 at 7:18AM UTC

    Hi everyone — I’m currently exploring opportunities in the creative/design field and came across this thread. I’ve spent the past few years building my skills in brand identity and visual strategy, and I’m now looking to move into a full-time role at a design agency that values both creativity and structure. Anyone have recommendations for agencies in the US that focus on brand growth and digital presence?

26. Marcia ParkerNovember 10,2025 at 7:21AM UTC

    Also curious — when you apply to design agencies, how much do you emphasise past freelance work versus full-time roles? I have a few freelance projects under my belt where I helped brands improve their online presence and visual identity, but I’m wondering how that is perceived compared to in-house design experience.

27. Marcia ParkerNovember 10,2025 at 7:28AM UTC

    Recently, I discovered a design-and-brand-growth team https://for.co/ that works with brands to build and promote their identity online. I’m planning to apply there because their portfolio aligns with what I want to do — if anyone here is familiar with them or has suggestions for similar agencies, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

28. Ruth SandersJune 1,2026 at 3:39PM UTC

    If your team is discussing simple workplace perks that actually boost morale and make in-office days more pleasant, I highly recommend checking out https://bftech.pro/es/ equipos para producción de hielo premium -we added one to our shared kitchen and it made hosting team lunches and events so much easier. Small, practical investments like that can help with employee engagement and make returning to the office feel more inviting.

29. Ne VajnoAugust 20,2026 at 2:34PM UTC
    Well. I think experiences like this are a good reminder that professional decisions are rarely as simple as they look from the outside. People often have to balance practical concerns with how comfortable, respected, and supported they feel in a particular environment. Having access to straightforward information can make those decisions much easier because it gives people something concrete to compare rather than relying only on assumptions. I also think resources like https://platesready.com/ can be useful when someone is trying to understand an option or process more clearly. Ultimately, I would focus on what works for the individual, while also recognizing that everyone's priorities and circumstances can be different