Mixing drinks sound simple, but we know it's not. The same goes with writing a good bartender resume. Follow our guide and learn how to make your bartending resume stand out.
You’ve got the flair. You’ve got the attitude. You’ve got the look. You have it all. The problem is—
Does your bartender resume have what it takes to land you the job? Not so sure? Well, you’ve found the right guide. Now let's give it a shot.
In this guide you'll see:
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Joaquin Daiquiri
Bartender & Mixologist
Phone: +1-288-456-7899
Email: j.daiquiri@gmail.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joaquindaiquiri
Twitter: twitter.com/jdaiquiri
Summary
Customer-oriented bartender and mixologist with 3+ years of experience, constantly on the lookout for beverage trends. Eager to join The Hyatt to offer exceptional customer experience and create an outstanding seasonally-inspired beverage menu. Devised 30+ original cocktail recipes and boosted sales by 15%.
Experience
2016–2018
The Gaylord Hotel, LA
Bartender/Mixologist
Key achievements:
2015
The Hen Gover Pub, LA
Bartender/Mixologist
Key achievement:
Education
2016
Pacific Bartending School, Torrance, CA
Certified Mixologist
Relevant coursework:
2015
Los Angeles High School, Los Angeles, CA
High School Diploma
GPA: 3.5
Associations
Interests
Key Skills
Bartenders have direct interaction with customers and are responsible for creating and serving drink orders. They must have knowledge of alcohol pairing & mixing, know how to prepare various cocktails, drinks & shots, manage inventory and process payments.
Here's how to write a great bartender resume:
7 seconds. This is how much time Sheldon Wiley needs to mix two cocktails. This is also how long a recruiter will be scanning your resume. So make your bartender resume look at least as good as Rainbow Sangria.
Expert Hint: Export your lead bartender resume to a PDF file. It will be ATS-scannable, and the formatting will stay intact.
Your bartender resume profile must be like a Little Red Corvette. A powerful shot of the good stuff. Use this formula to leave the recruiter drunk with happiness.
The good example of the bartender resume summary makes you think of Tom Cruise in the movie Cocktail. And, you can clearly see what the candidate has to offer. On the other hand, the bad example looks generic and focuses entirely on what the candidate wants.
What If You’ve Got No Bartending Experience? Here’s the secret: It doesn’t matter.
Your entry-level resume must own the recruiter from the start as well. The only difference is you’d be writing a bartender resume objective, not a summary. How to write an objective for a bartender resume, I hear you ask? Easy like a Sunday morning:
Focus on your skills rather than professional experience. And convince the recruiter you’re best in class. Here’s what a good bartender resume objective statement looks like:
Just look at the two bartender resume objective examples. Each can be summarized in a single word. The good example: Me! The bad example: Meh...
Expert Hint: Write your bartending resume objective at the very end. Why? It’s supposed to focus on the highlights from your bartender resume. If you have no resume ready yet, you’ll have a hard time deciding what to put there.
The only rules that really matter are these: What a man can do, and what a man can’t do. In short, your bartender resume job description must deliver. Just like Captain Morgan. Here’s how to get it right.
Here’s a question: Would you read 250+ bartender resumes if you knew at least 50% of them look like the bad examples above? That’s right, you wouldn’t.
This is where the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) comes in. It helps the recruiters screen all the resumes for bartender positions by looking for resume keywords.
What keywords? Those you can find in the job ad. And this is exactly why it’s so important to reply to a specific job ad and describe your bartending skills with the phrases you see there. Yes, this is how you write an ATS resume.
And yes, ATSs are mostly used by large companies, such as hotel chains, cruise lines, etc. Your bartending resume is much more likely to be machine-read first if you’re applying to such places.
Which doesn’t mean that when you’re sending your bartender resume to a local place, you don’t have to make an effort.
Your bartending resume must impress the hiring manager.
Avoid the “responsible for” formula on your bartender resume. It’s meaningless. Use action words instead. Such verbs as greeted, served, prepared, cleaned, stocked, or maintained communicate much more.
They show what you actually did, not what you were only responsible for. Put numbers where you can. This way the effects of your work become measurable and the bartender job description on your resume gains more meaning.
Last but not least. Pick up to three top accomplishments, make sure they’re quantifiable, and put them in a separate key achievements subsection.
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Key achievements:
And one more thing. Pick out the right bartender skills for your resume, and make them clearly visible.
Treat the job ad as a treasure trove. All the sought-after skills are spelled out right in there. The lists below will help you get inspired.
You can find more bartender skills in this article.
Expert Hint: The employers may be looking for particular physical skills, such as the ability to lift up to 30 pounds, or to stand and bend for prolonged periods of time. If this is the case, be more specific in your bartender resume skills section.
To include education. Or not to include education on a resume. That is the question. Include. That is the answer. But only if you know how to make the education section work for you on your bartending resume. The most important thing is relevance. If your education is related to the job, it’s a no-brainer.
2016
Pacific Bartending School, Torrance, CA
Certified Mixologist
Relevant coursework:
If you’re a student looking for a part-time job, do include the education section on your bartender resume. Mention coursework that is relevant to the position.
2017—present
University of California, Los Angeles UCLA
Psychology
Coursework:
Expert Hint: Unless it’s relevant to the job, the education section isn’t of utmost importance on a bartender resume. Keep this section short and to the point.
Make your bartender resume truly special with a unique mixture of flavors. Your membership in professional associations, interests on a resume, and knowledge of foreign languages all count.
Expert Hint: There’s always room for something special. Write a cover letter for bartender jobs and up your chances of landing an interview. More than 50% of the recruiters would like to read one. So don't hesitate and learn how to write a cover letter.
Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.
Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.
To ace your bartender resume:
Questions on how to write the best bartender resume? Want to share advice on how to prepare a resume for bartending jobs (lead bartender resume or banquet bartender resume)? We’d love to hear from you. Leave your comment below.
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Experienced in the education management industry, Maciej shares his knowledge for every step of your job hunt, from landing an internship to moving to an executive position. Maciej has helped job candidates at all stages of their career paths, from interns to directors to C-suite members, to thrive in their job. His mission is to help you find the right opportunity and create a job application that gets you the career you deserve.
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