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Smiling young african man working on a laptop applying to escape working for tips into a salaried IT position

How to Get Out of Food and Service Industry

Are you 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
  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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

There are many skills you’ve picked up from working in food service that can help you switch from a restaurant to an office job. Transitioning from the restaurant industry to the IT industry can be a smooth process. 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
  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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
  • 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.

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 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.

Thinking About Changing Careers?

Take this short quiz to discover if a career in IT is the right move for you. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely! Many tech jobs value hands-on experience and relevant skills over formal degrees. IT training programs such as Centriq give you the training you would need to get your first IT role, plus you'll get practical experience and the opportunity to take relevant certifications to boost your resume.
Centriq specializes in cybersecurity training that gets people like you ready for a career in IT in 4 to 6 months. There are in-person course options as well as virtual and Flex.
You can get out of your industry and into an IT career in as little as 4 months through Centriq's IT Career Program. It's amazing, honestly.

For additional questions visit our FAQ page or give us a call!

Want to give us a call?

Kansas City

(913) 322-7044

St. Louis

(314) 644-6400

Online

(913) 322-7000

Start Date
End Date
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Jan 23, 2023
Jul 27, 2023
Eve
4/3/23-4/7/23
5/22/23-5/26/23
7/3/23-7/7/23
CSSP-V
Jan 30, 2023
May 5, 2023
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3/6/23-3/10/23
4/10/23-4/14/23
CSSP-V
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5/29/23-6/2/23
7/3/23-7/7/23
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7/3/23-7/7/23
8/21/23-8/25/23
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Dec 14, 2023
Eve
7/3/23-7/7/23
9/4/23-9/8/23
11/20/23-11/24/23
FSCP-V
Jun 5, 2023
Sep 8, 2023
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7/3/23-7/7/23
8/7/23-8/11/23
CSSP-V
Jun 19, 2023
Oct 6, 2023
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7/3/23-7/7/23
9/4/23-9/8/23
FSCP-V
Jul 24, 2023
Jan 25, 2024
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10/2/23-10/6/23
11/20/23-11/24/23
12/25/23-12/29/23
CSSP-V
Aug 14, 2023
Nov 17, 2023
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9/5/23-9/8/23
10/16/23-10/2/23
CSSP-V
Aug 28, 2023
Dec 15, 2023
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9/4/23-9/8/23
11/20/23-11/24/23
FSCP-V
Oct 30, 2023
Feb 2, 2024
Day
11/20/23-11/24/23
12/25/23-12/29/23
CSSP-V
Oct 30, 2023
May 2, 2024
Eve
11/20/23-11/23/23
3/4/23-3/7/23
CSSP-V
Nov 6, 2023
Mar 1, 2024
Day
11/20/23-11/24/23
12/25/23-12/29/23
1/29/24-2/2/24
FSCP-V
If you don't see the Cohort Start date you are looking for don't forget to check out our campus calendars.
CSSP-I: Cybersecurity Specialist Program (In-Person Modality)
CSSP-V: Cybersecurity Specialist Program (Live Virtual Modality)
FSCP-I: Full Stack Coding Program (In-Person Modality)
FSCP-V: Full Stack Coding Program (Live Virtual Modality)
Please note that Centriq will be closed on the following observed holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day following Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Start Date
End Date
Day/Eve
Break Weeks
Track
Feb 29, 2024
Mar 24, 2024
Day
3/25/24-3/29/24
4/22/24-4/26/24
CSSP-I
May 13, 2024
Aug 16, 2024
Day
5/27/24-5/31/24
7/1/24-7/5/24
CSSP-I
Aug 19, 2024
Nov 22, 2024
Day
9/2/24-9/6/24
10/21/24-10/25/24
CSSP-I
Dec 2, 2024
Mar 14, 2025
Day
12/23/24-12/27/24
12/30/24-1/3/25
2/10/25-2/14/25
CSSP-I
If you don't see the Cohort Start date you are looking for don't forget to check out our online instructor-led calendar.
CSSP-I: Cybersecurity Specialist Program (In-Person Modality)
CSSP-V: Cybersecurity Specialist Program (Live Virtual Modality)
FSCP-I: Full Stack Coding Program (In-Person Modality)
FSCP-V: Full Stack Coding Program (Live Virtual Modality)
Please note that Centriq will be closed on the following observed holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day following Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Start Date
End Date
Day/Eve
Break Weeks
Track
Jan 15, 2024
Apr 19, 2024
Day
2/19/24-2/23/24
3/18/24-3/22/24
CSSP-I
Feb 26, 2024
May 24, 2024
Day
4/1/24-4/5/24
CSSP-I
Apr 08, 2024
Jul 12, 2024
Day
5/27/24-5/31/24
7/1/24-7/5/24
CSSP-I
May 20, 2024
Aug 23, 2024
Day
5/27/24-5/31/24
7/1/24-7/5/24
CSSP-I
Jun 24, 2024
Sep 27, 2024
Day
7/1/24-7/5/24
9/2/24-9/6/24
CSSP-I
Jul 29, 2024
Feb 6, 2025
Eve
9/2/24-9/5/24
11/25/24-11/28/24
12/23/24-12/27/24
12/30/24-1/3/25
CSSP-I
Aug 5, 2024
Nov 8, 2024
Day
9/2/24-9/6/24
10/7/24-10/11/24
CSSP-I
Sep 9, 2024
Dec 13, 2024
Day
10/14/24-10/18/24
11/25/24-11/29/24
CSSP-I
Oct 21, 2024
Jan 31, 2025
Day
11/25/24-11/29/24
12/23/24-12/27/24
12/30/24-1/3/25
CSSP-I
Dec 2, 2024
Mar 14, 2025
Day
12/23/24-12/27/24
12/30/24-1/3/25
2/10/25-2/14/25
CSSP-I
If you don't see the Cohort Start date you are looking for don't forget to check out our online instructor-led calendar.
CSSP-I: Cybersecurity Specialist Program (In-Person Modality)
CSSP-V: Cybersecurity Specialist Program (Live Virtual Modality)
FSCP-I: Full Stack Coding Program (In-Person Modality)
FSCP-V: Full Stack Coding Program (Live Virtual Modality)
Please note that Centriq will be closed on the following observed holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day following Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.