As a Bartender, you likely know how to mix a mean Margarita, Moscow Mule, or Manhattan, but have you mastered the art of writing a winning resume? Our professional resume temples and expert advice can help you find the perfect pairings to satisfy the tastes of your future employer!
Bartender Resume Example MSWord®
Download our free Bartender Resume template in Word and whip up the perfect cocktail mix to ensure career success!
There’s nothing like sitting down to a good drink made by a bartender with skill and class.
As a bartender, you know that keeping your customers satisfied is key for a successful career. When applying for jobs, you’ll also want to treat the hiring manager like a customer to keep them coming back for more.
Just like mixing a cocktail, you’ll need to shake up your resume the right way, so it comes out perfectly. Otherwise, a bar owner or job recruiter will be looking elsewhere.
This guide will thelp you get noticed by employers and take your bartending career to the next level.
This guide will tell you:
Keep reading to find out the right ingredients to your resume.
Need a clue on how to structure your resume?
Check out our bartender resume sample, which gives you a complete picture of what an ideal resume might look like.
Resume Example Copy to clipboard[405 Merry Hill Drive, Johnstown, MI 15342 | 555-555-5555 | rob.b.duvall@gmail.com]
Summary
Skilled, professional bartender with 8+ years of experience providing unmatched service to bars in the central Chicago area. Received “Employee of the Year” award in 2020 after creating specialty cocktails and menu items that brought in 30% more patrons and increased bar profits by 10%. Seeking to utilize my skills and knowledge to bring a new experience and perspective to XYZ Bar.
Experience
Bartender
Bubba Gump’s Restaurant and Bar | Miami, FL
Barista
Beachside Coffee Company | Miami, FL
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Food Service Management Springtown
Community College | Springtown, IL
Honors: Graduated magna cum laude with a 3.56 GPA.
Relevant Coursework: Science of Culinary Arts, Champagne Tasting and Pairing, Restaurant Management and Finances.
Skills
Awards
“Employee of the Year,” Bubba Gump’s Restaurant and Bar (2020)
Certificates
Just like reviewing a bartending book for drink recipes, there are plenty of examples you can have a look at before starting your resume.
If you want your resume to be as smooth and easy to sip as your favorite drink, you’ll need to choose a format that suits your needs.
To determine the right one, first assess your level of experience and the content you plan to include on your resume.
When choosing the best way to format your resume, there is one essential thing to keep in mind: experience.
Depending on the amount of bartending experience that you have, you should think about arranging your resume like this:
Showing off both your skills and experience in a hybrid format is also a great idea if you have enough of both.
It is also critical to consider:
There is no need to add any crazy fonts or huge spaces in between lines. Overly design resumes rarely perform well in online tracking systems, or with the humans that read them.
If you need a little extra help navigating resume design, luckily there are plenty of online tools that can polish up your resume for you.
Think of your resume summary or objective as the first sip of a new cocktail; it can make or break your experience, and it gives you an idea of what you’re in for.
You want your bartender resume objective or summary to pop, regardless of which one you end up writing. Both a bartender resume objective and summary provide an overview of your experience and you as a potential employee.
A resume summary does this by explaining your past professional achievements and experiences, so it is typically best for those who are already in the field.
An objective, on the other hand, focuses on what an employer needs and demonstrates how your skills can help. These are ideal for entry-level applicants or anyone looking to switch into bartending from another area.
To write either one, find ways to condense your main talking points into just a few, powerful lines.
Doing so can take some practice and patience. We suggest writing all of your ideas in one place, and then whittle them down as you go.
Struggling to come up with a resume summary or objective that packs a punch in a few lines? Save it for the end of the process. Writing your resume first can make it much clearer and easier to know which points you want to emphasize or elaborate on.
Remember, a good resume summary does exactly what the name suggests: summarizes all that an employer needs to know about what’s on the page, but also about you.
The more specific examples and details you can provide, the better. Of course, you don’t want to let things become too wordy, so focus on what matters the most.
Tangible examples of your achievements create a powerful end result. Here are some bartender resume summary examples that are both poor and strong.
Take note of what works and what doesn’t in each example–do they summarize bartender resume duties, show that the person in question is a one-of-a-kind candidate, or leave the reader wanting to know more?
Bartender with lots of experience making drinks, serving guests, and managing inventory. Seeking to fulfill the Head Bartender position at XYZ Bar to put my skills to use.
While this gives a hiring manager a brief idea, it’s like taking a sip from a glass that is mostly ice. There should be more data and proof that you can be a success.
Professional bartender and mixologist with 5+ years of experience providing top-notch service to bars in the central Chicago area. Received “Employee of the Year” in both 2019 and 2020 after creating 5 new cocktail recipes and increasing bar profits by 10%.
This fills up the glass much better. This summary provides not only experience, but highlights how the candidate improved profits and even throws an individual achievement into the mix.
Resume objectives are great if you’re an entry-level applicant because they do not rely on experiences and accomplishments to prove your value.
Instead, these statements are tailored to what an employer is looking for and what you can offer in response.
To write a stellar bartender resume objective, pay attention to what the position is asking for.
If the job description notes that the employer is seeking out candidates who are highly experienced in the culinary arts, for instance, emphasizing that you have these skills can make you a strong applicant even without bartending practice.
🌟Featured Content: When writing a resume objective, use the skills and experiences you have to demonstrate how you could be a valuable addition to the field or business.
Let’s take a look at some examples of objectives that do and don’t work.
Remember that being specific and clear is the way to go, regardless of what you’re writing.
Young professional seeking the position of Bartender at ABC Bar. Passionate about food, drink, and creating a unique experience for customers.
Just like a drink that’s missing some flavor, this is missing some key information. You’ll want to dive a bit deeper into what you can offer even if you’re lacking bartending experience.
Culinary expert with over 5+ years in the field looking to transfer my skills into bartending and mixology. Experienced with foodservice and prep, customer service, and innovating ways to combine flavors and products.
This is a great example of someone changing fields but showing that they can bring their skills into the bartending field.
If you can do that you’ll certainly start off on the right foot.
The bar is set high for your experience section, and for good reason.
Your experience section is the main area in which you can show your qualifications and accomplishments.
To describe them in a way that strengthens your chances of scoring an interview, though, you should take note of the specific qualities your potential employer prioritizes.
Writing your bartender resume job descriptions and experiences in a way that relates to these priorities helps portray you as the perfect fit for the job.
In most cases, a reverse chronological structure is best for listing your experience. Listing your most recent job at the top draws attention to what are likely your most relevant skills, accomplishments, and experiences.
Below are some examples, one of a strong description of experiences and one that’s lacking in detail.
Neither is necessarily terrible, but one does a better job explaining specifically what you did rather than just providing an overview.
Bartender
Uncle Louie’s Grille & Pub | South Central Square, IL
This is good but it could be better. You want to explain a bit more about what you did in your prior job.
Bartender
Uncle Louie’s Grille & Pub | South Central Square, IL
This gives great insight as to what your duties were in your previous position. It also shows that you successfully completed your tasks.
When writing a bartender resume no experience is necessary to create a final product that’s truly toast-worthy.
Use your experience section to detail the knowledge you do have, even if it’s not directly related to bartending.
Focus on what’s helped you become a good potential bartender, and make sure it comes through in your job descriptions.
Let’s look at how you might accomplish that:
Barista
The Bean Coffee Shop | Springtown, IL
Without any information that shows how you were successful, this experience section will come out a little flat.
Barista
The Bean Coffee Shop | Springtown, IL
By showing how you improved production you’ll have a really tasty looking experience section.
Education sections can be hard to manage; after all, how can you make experiences from far in the past feel like they’re relevant to a modern resume?
Even if it may not seem like it, your education does matter. It shows that you’re a knowledgeable person, but also that you have practice handling different situations and projects.
A college degree isn’t required for bartending jobs in general, but that doesn’t mean that having one can’t help you.
Many jobs may require a high school diploma or equivalent educational experience as a minimum, although there are exceptions. Any further training or education you have under your belt should make its way onto your bartender resume.
When describing your educational experiences, you might want to do the following:
Focus on finding ways to tie the achievements and skills you gained from your education to the bartending position you’re interested in. Ask yourself how the details you’re listing make you a better candidate, and make sure it’s clear on your resume.
How can you keep your resume’s education section lively and valuable? Consider these suggestions.
Degree in Food Service Management
Springtown Community College | Springtown, IL
While it’s great to point out your GPA if it is high, you should be more specific when explaining what you studied in high school, college, or bartending school.
Bachelor’s in Food Service Management
Springtown Community College | Springtown, IL
This example is great as it provides relevant coursework which gives a bar manager a better idea as to how you already have working knowledge of bartending.
When it comes to writing a great bartender resume, skills are key.
You should include a combination of hard skills (skills that are specific to your field and often learned on the job) and soft skills (general skills that apply to all jobs).
We suggest choosing around 5 to 10 skills to list; if you try to include too many bartender skills and qualities resume organization can begin to feel cramped and chaotic.
