While you won’t need a resume to land every bartending job you apply for, an ideal bartender resume can be a big help in separating you from the competition. The first step is to keep in mind that it’s crucial to structure your resume in a way that gets the attention of the venue’s manager. You want to give your future employer a good idea of your experience, skills, and motivation. That’s why it’s important to put in the time and effort to create a bartending resume that’s error-free and professional looking.
You might think that creating a resume is a pretty straight-forward job. But that’s not necessarily the case when applying for a bartending job. There are certain details specific to the bar industry, and you must learn how to tailor your resume to meet these criteria.
Here are some helpful tips.
1. First Things First, Keep Your Bartender Resume Clean
You might think that fancy fonts and colors will help your resume stand out. And you would be right, just that not in the way you expected. While you can use color and formatting to help your resume differentiate from the sea of documents the recruiter will review, you don’t want to overdo it. Keep it clean and smart. Use formatting to highlight certain areas in the resume and to help the recruiter move through the resume with ease.
2. Don’t Forget about the Bartender Resume Header
You would be surprised to learn how many people send resumes with no contact information. First, type your name in large letters. Also, don’t forget to add your email address, phone number, social media profiles (make sure there are no embarrassing pictures,) your LinkedIn profile, and a link to your blog (if you have one.) That way, you will make it easier for the recruiter to learn more about your passions and personality.
3. Never Skip the Bartender Resume Objective
Some people say that the objective can make or break a resume while others think you shouldn’t include one. Our recommendation is to include one in which you mention the position you are interested in: bartender, server, bar manager, etc. Also, try to get a little creative here and don’t just write “I want to obtain a position as a bartender.” That’s so boring. You could tell, for instance, that your objective is to create delicious cocktails behind the bar at the X establishment. Check out some more great tips on writing objective statements from The Interview Guys.
4. Exaggerate Your Experience, but Don’t Overdo It
This is the section where a bit of embellishment could help you land the job. Start with your most recent position and mention the name of the bar, city, title, and years employed. So, how can you make your job title sound more interesting in a bartending resume? Let’s say that you worked as a bartender at your previous job, but you were also the head of a busboy and a few waiters. So, instead of saying that you are a bartender, say you were a lead bartender. Don’t exaggerate too much, though. Recruiters can tell during the interview if you lied on your resume.
Another important tip that will help you to get the attention of your future employer is to provide a short description of your previous jobs. But, don’t include things like making drinks, washing glasses, and setting up the bar. Everybody knows what a bartender does. Instead, focus on presenting the types of customers you’ve worked with, if you’ve worked in fine dining, or if you have any background with wine.
5. Mention Any Foreign Languages or Special Skills
If you can speak a foreign language, mention it in your resume. But don’t lie about it. If you can only count to ten in Spanish, it’s not worth putting it on your resume.
6. Include Your Educational Information
While your New Media and Digital Design Bachelor’s Degree has nothing to do with bartending, it’s important to mention it on your resume. Showing that you have an education gives some proof that you are organized and determined. And, who knows, maybe the person interviewing you has the same interests as you.
For any given job opening, recruiters are buried in bartending resumes. Since they don’t have the time to interview everyone they look for ways to eliminate candidates as fast as possible. Use these tips to make sure that your resume won’t end up in the “no” pile.
