How to Get Out of the Food & Service Industry

How to Transition Careers from Food Service to a Corporate Career

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 IT career training program prepares every Centriq student for a lifelong IT career.

Online IT Training Program

A few months is all it takes to get out of the restaurant industry and step into IT. 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.

Cybersecurity Specialist Program (CSSP)

Learn more about our Cybersecurity Specialist Training Program.

Full Stack Coding Program

Learn more about our Full Stack Developer Training Program.

Benefits of a Career in IT Compared to the Food Service Industry 

There are several key reasons why moving from the restaurant industry into an IT career can be a smart decision: 

• Strong Job Demand & Stability 

• Flexible Scheduling & Remote Work Options 

• Career Advancement Opportunities 

1. Strong Job Demand & Stability

The demand for IT professionals has increased significantly in recent years, and the industry continues to grow. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in computer and information technology occupations is expected to grow 11% between 2019 and 2029, which is much faster than the average for most other fields. IT plays a critical role in nearly every business today. Just like sales, operations, and marketing, technology is essential to keeping companies running efficiently, which means organizations consistently need skilled IT professionals. 

2. Flexible Scheduling & Remote Work Options

Many IT positions offer flexible schedules and the ability to work remotely. In food service, employees typically must be physically present to earn income – if you miss a shift because of bad weather, transportation issues, or family responsibilities, you usually lose that day’s pay. In contrast, many IT jobs can be performed entirely from home. IT work is also generally less physically demanding than restaurant work, making it a more accessible option for individuals dealing with injuries or physical limitations. 

3. Career Advancement Opportunities

The IT industry offers clear paths for career growth. By developing both technical expertise and strong communication skills, individuals can advance into higher-level roles over time. Someone might begin as an IT Support Specialist, move into an IT Technician role, progress to IT Network Manager, and eventually become an IT Director. 

Transferable Skills from the Restaurant Industry to IT 

Working in food service helps develop many valuable skills that can easily transfer into an office or IT environment. Moving from the restaurant industry into IT can be a natural transition because many of the abilities used in restaurants are also important in technical support and other IT roles. Be sure to highlight these skills on your resume and prepare real-life examples to discuss during interviews. 

• Customer Service  

• Problem Solving & Critical Thinking  

• Multitasking  

• Time Management  

1. Customer service

If you’ve worked as a server or manager, you likely have extensive customer service experience. You know how to work with a wide range of personalities and help people figure out what they need, even when they are unsure themselves. In many IT Help Desk roles, this is a major part of the job – assisting users with problems so they can work effectively and help the business operate smoothly. 

2. Problem Solving & Critical Thinking 

Restaurant jobs often require quick thinking and fast problem solving to keep both customers and staff satisfied. Whether you worked as a server, bartender, cook, host, or manager, you have probably handled stressful situations such as staff shortages during busy shifts, missing ingredients, or customer complaints. These situations require calm decision-making and efficient solutions, which are also essential skills in entry-level IT positions. If you enjoy identifying problems and finding effective solutions, IT could be a great fit for you. 

Pro Tip: During an IT interview, be prepared to share a specific example from your restaurant experience where you solved a difficult problem successfully. 

3. Multitasking

Restaurant employees are highly skilled at managing multiple responsibilities at once. During a typical shift, you may be taking orders, delivering food, handling payments, answering phones, preparing drinks, coordinating takeout orders, and assisting customers all at the same time. This ability to juggle several tasks is extremely useful in IT, where professionals often manage multiple support requests and prioritize issues based on urgency. 

4. Time Management

Strong time management is necessary to perform all the skills listed above effectively. In a restaurant setting, spending too much time helping one customer can negatively affect service for everyone else. Cooks also need to carefully time food preparation, so every part of a meal is ready together. These experiences help build excellent time management habits, which are equally important in IT roles where employees may need to balance several tasks and deadlines simultaneously.

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
• Cybersecurity 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.

Cybersecurity Specialist

Security support specialists are essential to any organization, as they are responsible for overseeing and managing the company’s security. They must be highly skilled in safeguarding information from cyber threats and in monitoring for any suspicious activity. Learn more about Cybersecurity 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.