How to Write a Bartender Resume
Your resume has one purpose: to get you interviews for your next bartender job. You can ensure your resume serves that purpose if you focus on your most relevant skills and display them as clearly as possible. The section-specific tips below will help you give your resume the focus and clarity it needs to move your job search forward.
1. Write an engaging profile summarizing your qualifications
A strong Profile section draws the hiring manager’s attention to your unique strengths. Use this section of your resume to briefly describe your overall experience and record of success.
The tone of language on your Profile should be clear and direct (as opposed to the more casual tone of a LinkedIn profile and the active, confident voice of a cover letter). Use simple sentences and straightforward descriptions of your experience to achieve that direct tone. You may be tempted (or think you need) to use “promotional” terms like “Exceptional” or “Outstanding at,” but a more straight-shooting phrase like “Focused on,” “Skilled in,” or “Committed to” is better.
(Note, it’s usually easier to write your Profile after you’ve built the other sections of your resume.)
Mid-Career Profile Example
Bartender with 7+ years of experience in high-volume nightclubs and bars. Expert mixologist with hundreds of drink recipes memorized. Enthusiastic about creating and preparing distinctive, popular drink recipes. Firm grasp of Oregon alcohol sales laws. Bilingual: Fluent in English and Spanish.
Senior-Level Profile Example
Bartender with 15+ years of experience and thorough knowledge of beer, wine, and spirits. Skilled at mixing unique cocktails for customers in a fast-paced environment. Collaborated on seasonal drink menus with beverage director at the DoubleTree Hotel. New hire trainer and ABC-Certified trainer for responsible alcohol service.
2. Add a well-rounded experience section
A good bartender doesn’t just create the perfect cocktail or generate the highest sales per shift, although those are important skills. Great bartenders also enhance the guest experience by ensuring every patron has fun in a safe environment. When working in a busy club or restaurant, it’s important to have strong teamwork skills and interact professionally with many types of customers, including the more difficult ones.
Highlighting your ability to get along with coworkers and promptly handle all kinds of customer requests can help round out your bartending skills. The more specific you can get about your past successes, the better you’ll be able to create an impression of the type of employee you are.
Entry-Level Experience Example
Bartender / Server, Addison’s American Grill, Columbia, MO | September 2022 to Present
- Recognized for maintaining excellent customer service on busy nights and with large parties
- Used suggestive selling methods to increase cover average and improve the guest experience
- Won “Employee of the Month” 3 times based on strong teamwork and high guest satisfaction scores
Senior-Level Experience Example
Lead Bartender, DoubleTree Hotel, Dallas, TX | June 2016 to Present
- Work high-volume shifts in both the cocktail lounge and fine-dining restaurant
- Reconcile receipts at the end of the night using Micros POS system
- Conduct monthly inventory of all bar stock with the bar manager
- Train new hires to mix drinks properly, serve drinks responsibly, and ensure customers are satisfied
- Collaborated on seasonal drink menus and invented several lucrative cocktail recipes
3. Include relevant education and certifications
If you’ve attended a bartending school, completed responsible-server training, or earned a certification in your field, include these credentials on your resume. It can also help round out your resume to feature any details on your secondary or postsecondary education.
Following are templates and examples to help you format your education and certification details:
Education
Template:
[Degree Name], [School Name], [City, ST] | [Year – optional]
Example:
Associate Degree — Hospitality Management, Collin County Community College, Austin, TX
Certification
Template:
[Certification Name], [Awarding Organization] | [Year – optional]
Example:
Certified Bartender, Logan’s Professional Bartending School, Austin, TX
4. List relevant key skills and proficiencies
You can enhance your bartender resume by including a “Key Skills” or “Areas of Expertise” section. In most cases, you should add this section right below your Profile summary. A good “Key Skills” section gives the hiring manager a quick overview of your expertise and value. It also helps your resume get past applicant tracking systems (ATS), which will almost certainly be required if you’re seeking a bartender job at a large franchise. Consider including any of the terms below:
| Key Skills and Proficiencies | |
|---|---|
| Cash Handling | Conflict Resolution |
| Customer Service & Satisfaction | Drink Order Preparation |
| Efficiency Improvement | Food & Beverage Service |
| Food & Wine Pairing | Food Safety & Sanitation |
| Inventory Monitoring | Menu Memorization |
| Mixology | Payment Processing |
| Personnel Training | Point-of-Sale (POS) Systems |
| Process Improvement | Task Prioritization |
| Team Collaboration | Time Management |
| Work Area Maintenance | Workplace Safety & Security |
How to Pick the Best Bartender Resume Template
For bartenders, a clear and straightforward resume template is usually best. Choose a visual template that lets the hiring manager quickly take in relevant information about you and your background. Use a simple font, and avoid any template that calls undue attention to itself with more elaborate design elements.
Bartender Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
Years of Experience
- Entry-level
- Mid-career
- Senior-level
John Smith
(123) 456-7890 | [email protected] | Columbia, MO 39769 | LinkedIn
Profile
Bartender, server, and bar back with nearly three years’ experience at popular local restaurants. Confidently suggest food and drinks to guests, drawing on strong knowledge of food and wine pairings. Trained in both front- and back-of-house operations.
Key Skills
- Customer Service & Satisfaction
- Drink Order Preparation
- Efficiency Improvement
- Mixology
- Payment Processing
- Process Improvement
- Task Prioritization
- Team Collaboration
- Time Management
- Work Area Maintenance
- Workplace Safety & Security
Professional Experience
Bartender / Server, Addison’s American Grill, Columbia, MO | September 2022 to Present
- Recognized for maintaining excellent customer service on busy nights and with large parties
- Used suggestive selling methods to increase cover average and improve the guest experience
- Won “Employee of the Month” 3 times based on strong teamwork and high guest satisfaction scores
Bar Back, Outback Steakhouse, Columbia, MO | July 2020 to September 2022
- Ensured the bar was well-stocked with ice, glasses, and alcohol during busy shifts
- Helped change kegs and clear the lines when needed
- Assisted bartenders with overall efficiency and customer service
Education
Hotel & Restaurant Management Program, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO | Expected 2023
- Intern at Bleu Catering Company to increase knowledge of catered events
- Core course topics include accounting for restaurants, sales strategies, and kitchen operations
Technical Skills
Squirrel and Micros POS systems
John McPhearson
(123) 456-7890 | [email protected] | Portland, OR 39576 | LinkedIn
Profile
Bartender with 7+ years of experience in high-volume nightclubs and bars. Expert mixologist with hundreds of drink recipes memorized. Enthusiastic about creating and preparing distinctive, popular drink recipes. Firm grasp of Oregon alcohol sales laws. Bilingual: Fluent in English and Spanish.
Recognition
Runner-up, Portland’s Master Mixologist Competition | 2019
Key Skills
- Cash Handling
- Customer Service & Satisfaction
- Drink Order Preparation
- Efficiency Improvement
- Mixology
- Payment Processing
- Process Improvement
- Task Prioritization
- Team Collaboration
- Time Management
- Work Area Maintenance
- Workplace Safety & Security
Professional Experience
Bartender, Risky Jay’s Nightclub, Portland, OR | June 2016 to Present
- Lead bartender on weekend nights, ensuring team members correctly prepare drinks and process payments
- Create custom cocktails and shots for patrons
- Help inventory and order supplies and stock
- Work with security to identify over-intoxicated patrons
Bartender / Bar Back, Guys & Dolls, Portland, OR | September 2012 to May 2016
- Trained new hires to properly make drinks and keep bar area clean and orderly
- Showed high efficiency serving multiple customers at a time
- Offered helpful drink recommendations to guests
- Consistently top-ranked for sales during last year of tenure
Education
Business Degree — Hotel & Restaurant Management, Oregon State University, Portland, OR | 2016
Language
Fluency in Spanish
Jenny Thomas
(123) 456-7890 | [email protected] | Plano, TX 75097 | LinkedIn
Profile
Bartender with 15+ years of experience and thorough knowledge of beer, wine, and spirits. Skilled at mixing unique cocktails for customers in a fast-paced environment. Collaborated on seasonal drink menus with beverage director at the DoubleTree Hotel. New hire trainer and ABC-Certified trainer for responsible alcohol service.
Key Skills
- Cash Handling
- Customer Service & Satisfaction
- Drink Order Preparation
- Food & Wine Pairing
- Efficiency Improvement
- Menu Memorization
- Mixology
- Payment Processing
- Process Improvement
- Task Prioritization
- Team Collaboration
- Texas Dram Shop Laws
- Time Management
- Work Area Maintenance
- Workplace Safety & Security
Professional Experience
Lead Bartender, DoubleTree Hotel, Dallas, TX | June 2016 to Present
- Work high-volume shifts in both the cocktail lounge and fine-dining restaurant
- Reconcile receipts at the end of the night using Micros POS system
- Conduct monthly inventory of all bar stock with the bar manager
- Train new hires to mix drinks properly, serve drinks responsibly, and ensure customers are satisfied
- Collaborated on seasonal drink menus and invented several lucrative cocktail recipes
Lead Bartender, Della’s Disco, Dallas, TX | January 2009 to March 2016
- Supervised a 5-person bartending team on busy nights
- Courteously served beer, wine, and cocktails to customers
- Monitored patrons for signs of over-intoxication and worked with security staff to prevent violent or untoward behavior
- Inventoried beverage stock weekly
Bartender / Cocktail Server, Applebee’s Restaurant, Austin, TX | September 2004 to December 2008
- Worked solo shifts on slower nights, serving bar guests and making service bar drinks for servers
- Cleaned and restocked bar area each night
- Trained new bartenders and cocktail waiters
- Performed wait staff duties by taking food and drink orders for bar patrons
- Taught Texas ABC Responsible Alcohol Service classes for district restaurants
Education
Associate Degree — Hospitality Management, Collin County Community College, Austin, TX
Certifications
Certified Bartender, Logan’s Professional Bartending School, Austin, TX
Texas ABC certified for responsible alcohol service
Frequently Asked Questions: Bartender Resume Examples and Advice
What are common action verbs for bartender resumes?+
It’s easy to get stuck when writing your resume job descriptions. You know you do more than “bartend,” but you may find it hard to develop a good mix of verbs to capture your work. To help you over the hump, we put together this list of strong resume verbs. Consider using any of these as the first word of your bullet points in your Experience section:
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Allocate | Assist |
| Collaborate | Coordinate |
| Create | Deliver |
| Engage | Enhance |
| Facilitate | Greet |
| Improve | Inform |
| Introduce | Memorize |
| Mix | Monitor |
| Order | Prepare |
| Prioritize | Process |
| Promote | Provide |
| Recommend | Reduce |
| Relay | Serve |
| Streamline | Support |
| Train | Upsell |
NOTE: The above verbs are all in the present tense. Use the present tense to describe your current job duties. But use the past tense (e.g., “Created,” “Improved”) to describe any projects you’ve completed or achievements you’ve had in your current job. Also, use the past tense to describe both duties and achievements in all your previous jobs.
How do you align your bartender resume with a job posting?+
The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that bartender jobs will increase by about 18 percent between 2021 and 2031. This growth rate is much faster than the average for all US vocations.
You can get more interviews in this growing field if you tailor your resume for each application you send. When you find a bartender job posting that interests you, consider the required qualifications. (Often, the skills and experience that hiring managers look for most are right at the top and may be mentioned more than once.) Are there any you possess but haven’t featured on your resume yet? For instance, do you have experience in the same cuisine or beverages, or have worked in a similar work environment?
If so, consider mentioning that experience in your resume Profile or Key Skills section. This extra step will make your resume more relevant to the job, and more likely to attract the hiring manager’s notice.
What is the best bartender resume format? +
In nearly all cases, you should opt for a Combination (or Hybrid) resume because it’s easiest for hiring managers to learn about your pertinent skills and experience. It’s also easiest for you to modify based on your job goals.
With the Combination format, you highlight your most relevant skills and experience in your Experience or Work History section and an intro section. (This combination of work history and intro content is where the format gets its name.) Your resume intro may take the form of a Profile summary, Key Skills section, and/or Career Highlights section. By carefully choosing the details for these sections, you can (a) position yourself for your target job and (b) give hiring managers a clear, quick view of what you offer them.
Expert Advice: Include a cover letter with your resume
Craft a strong cover letter to increase your chances of landing an interview. The key to optimizing your cover letter is to customize it based on each employer you apply to. Read our Bartender cover letter guide to learn how. See our Server and Waiter/Waitress cover letter guides for other related examples.