Emily Davis loved her position as a server bartender at Ruby Tuesday, and she’d racked up some valuable experiences. But when she heard her sister was expecting, she knew she wanted to move back home. The idea of updating her resume made her a bit nervous—but she did have ample skills and a successful work history in the server industry.
After a busy evening shift, her research led her to our example resumes and handy tips. Emily relaxed a bit, realizing she’d found some time-tested advice to help her optimize her skills list and pick the perfect layout! Soon, she was packing her bags to move home and start working again—as a new aunt!
Take a page from Emily’s success story—sometimes the best place to start is with a great server bartender resume template and some examples of what already works.
Why this resume works
- A custom server bartender resume showcasing a variety of experiences in a setting similar to the open role? It’s your ticket to grabbing a recruiter’s attention, sparking their curiosity about how you can shake things up if they bring you on board.
- See how Octavio’s stints as a server bartender at Steve’s Steakhouse and a bartender at The Tippler take precedence in his work history. It’s not simply about rattling off past jobs but more about highlighting the experiences that glow with relevancy and show off how much value you’d bring to the place. Recount such moments and watch them do the heavy lifting for your job hunt.
Related resume examples
What Matters Most: Skills & Work Experience
Recruiters look for server bartenders who can bring some pizazz to the table, in some cases, literally so.
With your skills in food service and drink making, you’re a dab hand at rounding out the dining experience—show potential employers that you’re ready to take on your next service shift with impeccable composure and professionalism.
Here are some of the most popular server bartender skills recruiters are looking for in your AI cover letter and resume.
9 most popular server bartender skills
- Bartending Skills
- Beverage Sales
- Customer Service
- Cashier Skills
- Food Handling
- Mixology
- Plating Skills
- Stamina
- Wine Knowledge
Sample server bartender work experience bullet points
Here is where you’ll show the recruiter how you applied yourself in your past roles. Your work experience section does two things:
First, it demonstrates how you put specific skills into action within a work setting. If you have more skills that don’t fit into your skills section, put them here.
Second, it provides additional context and perspective for what you can do by showing specific historical evidence. Make your work experience bullet points easier to visualize by mixing in quantifiable metrics like customer service satisfaction statistics.
Here are a few samples:
- Created a welcoming and positive environment to make diners and guests feel at home according to restaurant SOP, resulting in recognition as the Employee of the Year in 2019
- Maintained a robust knowledge of 150+ food and drink items to proactively up-sell menu items to guests while ensuring customer satisfaction
- Expanded knowledge of drink customizations, learning over 50 combinations, based on inventory and customer requests
- Re-stocked inventory as needed according to food safety standards and FIFO inventory practices, and alerted management when the inventory of popular drinks was at 10%
Top 5 Tips for Your server bartender resume
- Unless you have more than 10 years of experience, keep your resume to one page
- Time is of the essence, especially in the fast-paced food service industry. You can help recruiters focus on how you’ll do well in your next role by highlighting relevant and important points and keeping your resume short and sweet. If you have more than 10 years of experience as a server bartender, your resume can go up to two pages.
- List specific and relevant server bartender skills first in your skills section
- While customer service and professional composure are important skills for a server bartender to have, they are general skills that can also apply to any other front-of-house staff role. Depending on what’s at the top of the job description requirements, you might want to emphasize your cocktail skills instead.
- Highlight any specific qualifications you might have
- In a demanding industry like food service, employers look for individuals who can help them set themselves apart from others. If you happen to be a certified food handler, mixologist, or sommelier, listing these can make all the difference between you and the next job candidate.
- End things on a high note by following up after your job application
- In the same way the aftertaste is part of any gastronomic experience, how you sign off after you’ve sent in your resume is important. Send an email or call to check in with the hiring manager – this will allow you to fix any issues that might come up and keep you top of mind as they evaluate applicants.
- Try adding a career summary, especially if you have outstanding achievements
- We usually recommend using the space in your resume for skills and work experience, but a career summary can help you call attention to notable achievements like becoming a finalist for the Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year award.
- Check out our career summary guide, or try this example: “Experienced server bartender with 14 years experience in bartending and mixology where I was a finalist for the Ultimate Bartender Championship in 2021. Eager to apply my well-honed abilities in customer service and drink making to Vesuvio’s gastronomic experience.”
Yes, you should! While food service staff can come from all kinds of backgrounds and there is no formal education requirement to become a server bartender, it’s a good way to make sure you haven’t missed anything important. If you happen to have a relevant degree in hospitality or culinary arts, this can boost your resume in the eyes of potential employers.
Just like how workplace SOP is a lifesaver for both front-of-house and back-of-house, formatting your resume with the right structure will help your chances of landing your next role. Use a reverse chronological format for your server bartender resume so that the reader can see your most recent and relevant experience first.
Let’s face it, food service isn’t always easy to quantify, especially when you’re embroiled in the hectic service rush. Try listing the number of positive reviews you’ve received, or showcase your impressive memory by noting the number of menu items you became familiar with, complete with combinations and substitutions. You can even note the food handling and safety principles you applied at work.
