You’re looking for a great, new job and need a bartender resume that stirs up interest. Mix the advice in this guide with your experience, put it into our builder tool, and you’ll be on your way to a great job in 2024.
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As a bartender, you’re a professional with creative flair and unparalleled customer service skills. Now, it’s time to let that shine through in your resume.
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Bartending can be a fun and rewarding hospitality job, but to get the right bartender job for you, you first have to impress the employer just as you impress your customers with your mixology skills. It takes an entirely different mindset to craft a professional resume than a cocktail, so let us help you!
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This resume guide and corresponding bartender resume example will cover the following:
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Before you mix a drink, you need the ingredients. That follows for your bartender resume as well. Your resume should contain the following sections:
The same way you chat with customers to show off the vibe of your bar and sell your drinks, your resume serves as a unique pitch. To craft the best resume, find as much information as possible about the bar or restaurant to which you're applying. When you understand the company's needs, you can showcase how you're the right person for the job. To do this effectively, stick with this formula:
Are you a full-time bartender? Are you working a few nights a week for some extra cash? Did you think it would be a fun retirement job? The answers to these questions will help determine the best resume format for you.
Typically, we recommend reverse chronological order because it makes life easy for recruiters who want to know what you’ve done lately. If your work history doesn’t follow a straight path or you're just beginning your pivot into bartending, you may consider a functional resume or a hybrid style, in which you focus more on your skills and attributes than your experience.
Spend time time looking at the various resume templates in our resume builder and select the format that suits you best. There are plenty of versions of each format available to view as resume examples.
When it comes to design, you want to show off a little flair while still showing your professionalism. A modern or creative layout can be a great place to start.
Bartenders love their regulars, but the first step in setting up that relationship is an introduction. Your resume's header is essentially an introduction on paper: it's where you share your name and contact information with prospective employers.
It's most important to keep it easily accessible and legible, while remaining professionally designed. Here are a few tips:
Michael Johnson, Bartender
New York, NY
(917) 347-1212
Michael Johnson, hoping to become a bartender
123 Park Avenue
New York, NY
(917) 347-1212
Personality plays a big role in bartending. Some patrons like to get to know their bartenders. They want to be where everybody knows their name! In this section, you have a chance to illustrate your personality and style behind the bar. Replace a resume objective with a resume summary (also known as a resume profile or professional profile) because it offers a better opportunity to show off who you are. Your cover letter is another place to show off who you are, but try not to repeat information. You want to say as much as you can in the little space you have.
In three to five sentences, you should describe your biggest success. Maybe you developed a drink that became a big favorite or increased the number of regulars who came into the bar. Use strong, descriptive words to explain how you encourage repeat business or stay calm and personable as you handle a three-deep bar on a Saturday night.
The summary occupies prime space at the top of your resume, so make the most of it — don't just repeat information that's already elsewhere on your resume. Demonstrate your unique value proposition by drawing recruiters in with your upbeat personality and highlighting the key attributes that show your qualifications and accomplishments as a bartender.
Need inspiration for your summary? You may benefit from checking out our other
You can find adaptable bartender resume example summaries below:
Entry-level adaptable resume summary/profile exampleBartender with extraordinary customer service skills and a motivated attitude. Three years of experience waiting tables and passionate about taking on bartender responsibilities. Undergoing extensive self-education about mixology and drink combinations. Dedicated to providing customers with a warm and welcoming environment.
Copy to clipboard Mid-level adaptable resume summary/profile exampleBartender with 5+ years of extraordinary customer service skills and a motivated attitude. Knowledgeable about drink combinations and committed to serving with a smile. Adept at maintaining a clean and organized bar area and dedicated to providing customers with a warm and welcoming environment.
Copy to clipboard Senior-level adaptable resume summary/profile exampleExperienced Bartender with over 10 years of experience delighting customers and ensuring success of bar operations. Deeply knowledgeable about drink combinations and committed to serving with a smile. Adept at leading shifts and fostering collaboration to maintain a clean and organized bar area and provide customers with a warm and welcoming environment.
Copy to clipboardThe employment history of your bartender resume is the place to make the most of your years of experience. Any hospitality or food service job you have held is a resume builder and should take up the most space in your work experience section. Only go about 10-15 years back, and give the most space to any bartending experience you have. These jobs attest to your ability to please customers, work with point-of-sales (POS) systems, and many other skills, so include them here.
Consider all the skills you use on the job when you write bullet points for each position and make sure you include action verbs that highlight your go-getter nature. A great bartender resume highlights a candidate’s ability to provide top-notch customer service and drink service. An ideal candidate is experienced in food and beverage environments and has a focus on customer satisfaction. Your resume should showcase your devotion to customer satisfaction and your ability to problem-solve when necessary.
Use details and data when appropriate to illustrate what you achieved at previous jobs. Simply listing your responsibilities in your job descriptions is not enough. Share what you've done in the past to let the hiring manager know how you will improve customer service and make their bar a destination.
As an example, imagine a bartender resume that reads:
Sure, it's clear what your job entailed — but that could also fit any bartender in any bar. Check out what happens when you get specific:
Take a look at the employment history resume sample below:
Adaptable resume employment history exampleBartender at The West End , New York
March 2021 - March 2024
Bartender at Medicci's, New York
July 2017 - April 2020
Server and Bar Back at The White Cat, New York
August 2014 - June 2017
When creating a bartender resume without direct industry experience, it's essential to emphasize your transferable skills (especially any related to customer service or sales) and your passion for the food and beverage industry.
Focus on your educational background in sales or marketing, detailing any industry-relevant courses, workshops, or training programs you've attended.
Most importantly, showcase transferable skills that will be pivotal in a bartender role. For instance, if your experience includes being a server in a restaurant, highlight how this role honed your customer service and communication abilities, which are vital as a bartender. Similarly, working in a restaurant requires you to remember large orders and menu items, which is a skill you'll rely on when tending bar.
If you have personal interests in the industry — like extensive wine knowledge or a penchant for home brewing — it may be worth including it on your resume to further underscore your enthusiasm.
Adding these elements to your resume will illustrate your passion and potential as a bartender, even if you don't (yet) have direct experience.
Expert tipOptimize for the ATS
An applicant tracking system, or ATS, is a system companies use to collect and manage applications. Advanced systems may use algorithms to help screen resumes for keywords that are aligned with the job description, then pass forward those that rank highest.
For example, a bartender job posting may include the following requirements:
Your resume profile summary, when integrating the keywords, could read:
“Experienced bartender with 5 years of success in fast-paced hospitality environments. Strong customer service skills, able to tailor communication to each customer's unique needs. Quick learner and passionate about mixology."
While these systems may be less commonly used in bars and other hospitality jobs, where you are more likely to hand in a resume in person, it's still worth targeting your resume keywords.
In the skills section of your bartender resume, you have the chance to display your greatest abilities. Try to pick your highest-level skills to distinguish yourself from other jobseekers.
Patrons often like to talk to bartenders, so your communication skills — especially your ability to listen as you work your mixology magic — are key. Communication skills are considered soft skills, much like customer service skills or organizational prowess.
You'll also want to include hard skills, those that can be demonstrated and measured. For example, hard skills for a bartender may include usage of specific equipment, POS systems, or methodologies.
Analyze the bartender job description for the position you seek and match the skills listed there when you put together this section. Remember that each job is a bit different, so your resume should be a fluid document that you personalize for each bartending job. Swap out skills accordingly.
Consider developing a list of all the skills in your repertoire. Highlight those that you need to be a successful bartender. When the bar is busy, you must be quick but accurate, attentive, and constantly multitasking. During down times, you should be managing inventory, cleaning, and restocking the bar area. If you seek a job as a lead bartender, you will be responsible for managing others as well, so don’t neglect any past management experience when you craft your skills section.
The resume builder offers several pre-written key skills to choose from with proficiency ranges you can set. You can also write in your skills.
Here’s what the skills box looks like in our bartender resume template.
Key Skills and ProficienciesHowever, your resume's skills section isn't the only place to add your key skills. Instead, try to weave them throughout your resume by demonstrating the skills in action. Then enhance the credibility of these skills by providing specific examples and achievements.
For example, in your work experience section and professional summary, highlight your
Look to the job description as a guide for what key skills to include.
The education section of your bartender resume is a must; however, bartending requires a specialized set of skills that you can learn on the job. Some choose to attend bartending school and others may have hospitality-related degrees, but a high school diploma is typically the minimum required education.
Even if your degree is not related to the hospitality field, list it here. Earning a college degree shows you have follow-through and perseverance.
If you have just completed bartending school and do not yet have any professional experience in the field, consider moving this section up since it highlights your major qualification for a bartender job. If you are a career-changer, consider using a functional resume that will highlight your education and related experience from a different field.
Don't forget to include training or certifications you've received, including:
See the bartender resume sample content below.
Adaptable example for education and certificationsAssociate of Culinary Arts, Hunter College, New York
January 2012 - May 2014
Bartending is people-oriented and creative, so you want your bartender resume design to reflect those attributes. Use our field-tested Creative resume templates to get you started (for more upscale and serious bars, restaurants, or hotels, check out our Professional category).
You can choose to customize them, but remember these helpful tips:
Our field-tested resume templates provide a great shortcut to building an excellent bartender resume.
Bartender jobs remain fairly steady, "projected to grow 3% from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations," according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That means that while jobs may not be in the highest demand, there is likely to be continuous opportunity for those looking to tend bar.
Statistical insightPer the BLS, bartenders earned a median hourly wage of $14.12 as of 2022. The highest ten percent of bartenders, however, earned over $27.50 per hour.
Of course, a bartender in a high-end, luxury lounge or hotel will likely earn more than a bartender in a neighborhood dive. Much of a bartender's earnings also come from tips, which are variable.
Bartenders are more than just mixologists — they need excellent customer service and listening skills, among others. It's imperative to display your broad skill set on your resume, but the right format will depend on your employment history and current situation. However, any hospitality or customer service experience will increase your desirability as a bartending prospect.
To make the process easier, take advantage of the resources and our online resume builder at Resume.io and let us help you create an eye-catching resume in no time.
