Bartender Resume Examples (Text Format)
Years of Experience
- Entry-level
- Mid-career
- Senior-level
John Smith
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
573 McCombs Parkway, Apartment 309, Columbia, MO, 39769
Profile
Server and bar back with experience 3 years’ experience working in the best restaurants in town. Knowledgeable about food and wine pairings, able to confidently recommend food and drinks to guests. Able to provide excellent customer service even on busy nights or to larger parties. Career goals include owning and operating my own fine-dining restaurant.
Key Skills
- Thorough knowledge about wines from many regions of the world
- Trained in both front of the house and back of the house positions
- Friendly, polite and professional with guests
- Knowledgeable with Squirrel and Micros POS systems
- Lead server responsible for reconciling all servers’ closing paperwork at the end of shift
- Bartender trainee
Education
Hotel and Restaurant Management Program, Expected Graduation 2020
University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
- Intern at Bleu Catering Company to increase my knowledge about catered events
- Core courses include accounting for restaurants, sales strategies, and kitchen operations
Professional Experience
Bartender and Server, Addison’s American Grill, Columbia, MO
September 2019-Present
- Promoted from lead server to bartender
- Used suggestive selling techniques to increase cover average and improve the customer dining experience
- New hire trainer for new servers
Bar Back, Outback Steakhouse, Columbia, MO
March 2017-September 2019
- Ensured that the bar had plenty of supplies, including alcohol, ice and glasses to keep up during busy shifts
- Helped change kegs and clear the lines when needed
- Assisted bartenders with overall customer service
John McPhearson
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
394 Clay Street, Apt 24, Portland, OR 39576
Profile
Bartender with 7 years of experience. Runner up in Portland’s Master Mixologist competition. Strong sense of urgency and ability to work in high-volume nightclubs and bars. Enthusiasm and passion for creating spirits designed for innovative drink recipes.
Professional Experience
Bartender, Risky Jay’s Nightclub, Portland, OR
June 2016-Present
- Lead bartender on weekend nights, making sure each team member accurately makes drinks and collects payments and completing closing paperwork
- Create custom cocktails and shots for the club
- Help inventory and order supplies and stock for the club
- Work with security to identify over-intoxicated individuals
Bartender and Bar Back, Guys and Dolls, Portland, OR
September 2012-May 2016
- Consistently had top sales for my last year working here
- Trained new hires to properly make drinks and maintain cleanliness and order behind the bar
- Demonstrated a strong sense of urgency and ability to serve multiple customers at once
- Communicated product recommendations to help sell more profitable drinks
Education
Business Degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management
Oregon State University, Portland, OR, September 2012-May 2016
Key Skills
- Knowledgeable about Oregon alcohol sales laws
- Fast, friendly drink service to keep customers satisfied
- Good trainer
- Expert mixologist with hundreds of drink recipes memorized
- Physically able to work 10-hour shifts behind the bar
- Responsible cash handling skills
Certifications and Recognition
- Runner up 2019 Portland Mixologist Competition
Jenny Thomas
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
586 E. Parker Rd., Plano, TX 75097
Profile
Experienced bartender with 15+ years of experience serving drinks as a bartender and cocktail waitress. Thorough knowledge of beer, wine and spirits and how to creatively mix unique cocktails for customers. Collaborated on seasonal drink menus with Beverage Director at the DoubleTree Hotel. New hire trainer and ABC Certified trainer for responsible alcohol service.
Professional Experience
Lead Bartender, DoubleTree Hotel, Dallas, TX
June 2016-Present
- Work high-volume shifts in both the fine-dining restaurant and the cocktail lounge
- Reconcile receipts at the end of the night using Micros point-of-sale system
- Conduct monthly inventory of all bar stock with the Bar Manager
- Train new hires to serve drinks responsibly, how to properly mix drinks and ensuring customers are satisfied
- Collaborate on seasonal drink menus, including inventing new cocktail recipes that have a high-profit margin for the bar
Bartender, Della’s Disco, Dallas, TX
January 2009-March 2016
- Lead bartender and supervisor over bartending team of 5 during busy nights
- Served beer, wine and cocktails to customers with a friendly smile
- Responsible for closing paperwork and ensuring the cleanliness of the bar each night
- Monitored bar patrons for signs of over-intoxication and worked with security staff to reduce violent or untoward behavior
- Inventoried beverage stock weekly
Bartender and Cocktail Server, Applebee’s Restaurant, Austin, TX
September 2004-December 2008
- Worked solo shifts on slower nights serving bar guests and making service bar drinks for servers
- Cleaned and stocked the bar 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
Associates Degree in Hospitality Management
Collin County Community College, Austin, TX, August 2005-May 2007
Certified Bartender
Logan’s Professional Bartending School, Austin, TX, April 2007-April 2008
Key Skills
- Knowledge of dozens of memorized drink recipes
- Amateur sommelier
- Thorough knowledge of Texas dram shop laws
- Friendly and able to talk to just about anybody
- Understand food and wine pairing
- Able to work in a fast-paced environment while juggling multiple tasks
- Physical endurance and ability to lift cases of alcohol or change kegs
Certifications
- Texas ABC certified for responsible alcohol service
Common Key Skills and Action Verbs for Bartender Resumes
Adding key skills and action words to your resume is important when applying for a bartender position. Many companies use applicant tracking software (ATS) to scan applications and resumes for the core competencies that a successful, experienced bartender has. The more key skills and action words you have in your resume, the more likely that it will arrive before the restaurant manager.
| Key Skills & Proficiencies | |
|---|---|
| Ability to diffuse tense situations | Attention to detail |
| Barware knowledge | Cash handling skills |
| Conducted inventory | Developed specialty drinks |
| Excellent organizational skills | Food and wine pairing knowledge |
| Friendly customer service | Great memory |
| Maintains clean bar area | Physical endurance |
| POS expertise | Reconciled cash tallies with alcohol used |
| Responsible alcohol service certified | Sense of urgency |
| ServSafe certified | Takes initiative |
| Teamwork-oriented | |
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Advertise | Allocate |
| Coordinate | Create |
| Engage | Entertain |
| Greet | Memorize |
| Monitor | Mix |
| Order | Prepare |
| Recommend | Reduce |
| Safely | Upsell |
Tips for Writing a Better Bartender Resume
Emphasize Your Soft Skills
A good bartender doesn’t just create the perfect cocktail or have the highest sales per shift — although those are important skills to have. Great bartenders enhance the guest experience by making sure that 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 to professionally interact with many different types of customers, including the more difficult ones.
Highlighting your ability to get along well with co-workers and to promptly handle all kinds of customer requests can help round out your bartending skills. The more specific you can be with examples of past successes, the better you’re able to create an impression of the type of employee you are. Hiring managers for bartender positions look for individuals who understand how to safely serve alcohol as well as provide excellent customer service.
Example #1
Good
Voted Employee of the Month three times by my coworkers because of my strong sense of teamwork and high guest satisfaction survey scores
Bad
Work well with coworkers and give great guest service
Example #2
Good
Politely and professionally refused service to over-intoxicated bar guests, giving them a complimentary appetizer and arranging an Uber to take them home
Bad
Take care of angry guests and customer complaints
Show Off Your Bartending Knowledge
A good bartender is a people-pleaser and genuinely wants their customers to have a great time in their bar. However, great bartenders have certain skills and knowledge that help them give fast customer service and great-tasting drinks. As a bartender, you’ll be expected to make dozens of different drinks from memory and do so quickly. You may have multiple customers who all want something at the same time, and your ability to work quickly yet accurately can make a big difference in your tips and overall customer satisfaction. Specifically listing the knowledge and skills you have allows hiring managers to evaluate your level of training and your ability to keep up with the flow of their business.
Example #1
Good
Memorized dozens of cocktail recipes, including specially created drinks made to complement the restaurant’s menu
Bad
Can make just about any mixed drink
Example #2
Good
Strong sense of urgency that allows me to quickly serve bar guests and keep up with the service bar needs for the dining room. Able to prioritize requests from multiple guests.
Bad
Fast bartender and great customer service
How to Align Your Resume With the Job Description
Bar and restaurant managers are looking for a particular skill set when hiring a bartender, and they have plenty of candidates to choose from. Often, hiring managers will post a job description or list of responsibilities when advertising for a bartending position. Including skills and experience you possess that align with what they’ve posted in the job description can help you stand out among other applicants.
Take a closer look at the posted job duties. Many times, the skills and experience that hiring managers look for most are right at the top and may be mentioned more than once. Compare your current resume to the job advertisement of the company you’re applying to and see if your resume demonstrates that you can deliver what the hiring manager needs. Use specific examples from your own work history and, if possible, similar language to that which the company uses. Avoid general descriptions, and quantify or give detailed examples where possible.
Example Bartender Job Description
Sally’s Steakhouse is recognized for award-winning chefs and a wine list that includes dozens of countries and hundreds of selections. We’re one of the most popular fine dining destinations in Nashville. Sally’s is a farm-to-table restaurant that uses only the finest ingredients from appetizers to our deliciously crafted cocktails. Our Showboat Lounge is one of the area’s most popular places for Happy Hours and special events. The bartender position here requires in-depth knowledge of both wine and spirits, and we consider our bartenders to be “chefs of spirits.”
Responsibilities:
- Prepare cocktails for bar and dining room guests
- Reconcile receipts to match alcohol sold
- Make wine recommendations for customers
- Create innovative cocktails
- Maintain cleanliness and safety behind the bar
- Practice responsible alcohol service
- Clean and stock bar at closing each night
- Serve drinks and food to bar and cocktail lounge guests
Qualifications:
- Minimum 3 years of bartending experience
- Wine and food pairing knowledge required
- ABC-certified for responsible alcohol service
- Passion for great customer service
- Ability to work in a high-volume environment
- Proficiency with point-of-sale software
- Must be able to pass a background check
According to the job description here, ideal bartender candidates should have the following qualities:
- Product knowledge, including food and wine pairing
- Experience
- Ability to create unique drinks
- Sense of urgency
- Safe work habits
- Great guest service skills
- Sense of teamwork
- Professional demeanor
- Knowledge of responsible alcohol service
Taking these skills and incorporating them into your resume may look something like this:
Bartender Work Experience Example
Bartender, Lily’s Seafood Restaurant, Nashville, TN
January 2014-Present
- Collaborated with Bar Manager to create seasonal cocktail specials to complement the restaurant’s rotating menu items
- Made wine recommendations to bar guests and in the dining room that pair well with the food the table ordered
- New hire trainer, including teaching the skills needed to pass the Tennessee ABC alcohol service exam
- Highest guest satisfaction survey scores for two quarters in a row
- Strong sense of urgency and demonstrated ability to prioritize the needs of multiple bar guests in a high-volume environment
