Bartender Resume Example & Writing Guide

You’re a professional with creative flair and unparalleled customer skills. Now, it’s time to let that shine through in your resume.

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. It takes an entirely different mindset to craft a professional resume than a cocktail, so let us help you start!

Using our builder tool, resume templates, and this guide, you will learn how to:

• Show off your talent for mixology
• Highlight the personality that draws in customers
• Explain your work experience in the best light
• List your most impressive bartending skills
• Create an easy-to-read, yet eye-catching design.

Use one of Resume.io’s field-tested resumes, check out our library of more than 350 resume examples and follow these helpful tips on the creation of your CV, to be on your way to finding a great bartender job.

What does a bartender do?

Great bartenders are combinations of excellent drink mixers and crowd-pleasers. They’re quick when the bar is five deep and able to listen to a lone customer during slower times. Bartenders make drink recommendations, keep the bar well-stocked and keep an eye out for someone who has had enough.

Bartenders work in restaurants, bars, entertainment venues or for catering or event stagers. They may also be called mixologist, barkeep, tapster or bar chef. 

As a bartender, you mix alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. You have a good memory and are knowledgeable about beverages and drink combinations. You are also able to follow recipes and use creativity to enhance drinks. But you do more than just mix drinks. Bartenders are responsible for maintaining clean and welcoming bar areas, and should be adept at maintaining any bar equipment. You will typically have to take orders and handle cash and credit card payments, in addition to creating beverages.

How to write a bartender resume

Before you mix a drink you need the ingredients. That follows for your bartender resume as well. Your CV should contain the following sections:

• Header
• Summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• Employment history
• Skills
• Education

Choosing the best resume format for a bartender

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, you may consider a hybrid style in which you focus more on your skills and attributes than your experience.

Resume summary example

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! Bartenders must have excellent interpersonal skills, so draw recruiters in with your upbeat personality. Highlight the key attributes that prove your qualifications and accomplishments as a bartender here. 

If you're searching for another hospitality-related job, you may benefit from checking out our other hospitality and catering resume examples including server resume sample, restaurant manager resume example, barista resume sample, food and beverage director resume example, and caterer resume sample.

See bartender resume sample content below.

Employment history sample

The 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 worked is a resume builder and should take up the most space in your work experience section. 

Give the most space to any bartending experience you have. These jobs attest to your ability to please customers, work with point-of-sales or 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 you have held 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 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. Think like a hiring manager. Let them know how you will improve customer service and make their bar a destination.

See bartender resume example content below.

Bartender CV skills example

A good bartender needs excellent interpersonal skills.In the skills section of your bartender resume, you have the chance to choose five to ten of your greatest abilities. Try to pick your highest level skills to distinguish yourself from other job seekers.

Patrons often like to talk to bartenders, so your communication skills, especially your ability to listen as you work your mixology magic, are key. 

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.

As a bartender, you mix alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and provide optimal customer service to patrons. You have a good memory and are knowledgeable about beverages and drink combinations. You are also able to follow recipes and use creativity to enhance drinks. But you do more than just mix drinks. Bartenders are responsible for maintaining clean and welcoming bar areas, and should be adept at maintaining any bar equipment. You will typically have to take orders and handle cash and credit card payments, in addition to creating beverages.

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 lead bartender, you will be responsible for managing others as well so don’t neglect any management experience you have had when you craft your skills section.

See bartender resume example content below.

Resume education example

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 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 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.

List any certificates, honors or distinctions here as well (mixology courses, hospitality trainings etc.). 

See bartender resume sample content below.

Resume layout and design

Bartending is people-oriented and creative and you want your bartender resume design to reflect those attributes. Use our field-tested Creative resume templates to get you started (for upscale and serious bars/restaurants/hotels - check out our Professional category). You can choose to customize them, but remember these helpful tips:

• Your first goal is to keep it easy-to-read, so no funny fonts
• Don’t get cute with the section titles — hiring managers want to find your information quickly
• Alter you line lengths to leave ample white space
• Use color sparingly
• Always have a friend or colleague proofread your resume before sending.

Key takeaways for a bartender resume

1. Bartenders are more than just mixologists, they need excellent customer service and listening skills.
2. The best format for your bartender resume depends on why you are looking for a job and your employment history.
3. Any hospitality or customer service experience will boat your desirability as a bartending prospect.
4. Take advantage of the resume.io resources to create an eye-catching resume in no time.