Server And Bartender Resume Example: how to format it section by section

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A server and bartender resume example should show the kind of venue, the pace you handled and the skills guests and managers notice. Name the venue type and size, list point-of-sale and any alcohol service certification your state requires, and keep bullets short. This guide covers each section with a fictional sample.

At a glance

  • Name the venue: casual dining, fine dining, bar or catering.
  • Show pace with covers, tables or bar size where known.
  • Add alcohol service and food handler certificates your state or employer requires.
  • State availability for nights, weekends and holidays.

How to format a server or bartender resume, section by section

Name, city and state, phone, email. Availability for nights and weekends goes here. Add certificate names in a credentials line only when current.

Summary

Two lines: venue, strengths. Example: "Server and bartender with three years in a busy casual restaurant, quick with orders, accurate with checks and calm during rushes."

Skills

List point-of-sale, menu knowledge, upselling, cash handling, drink preparation, guest service, teamwork with kitchen and bar. Name languages and any wine or cocktail training you actually completed.

Experience

Show scope: "Served up to 8 tables per shift in a 120-seat restaurant and kept checks accurate." For bar roles add stocking, tab management and ID checking duties. Skip tip claims.

Education and credentials

High school diploma or enrollment. Add alcohol service and food handler certificates with the issuing body and dates, as local rules differ.

Server or bartender resume example (fictional)

This sample uses an invented name and employers. Replace every line with your own facts, and keep any figure you add real and provable.

NOEL SAMPLE
Springfield, Anystate | (555) 010-0115 | [email protected]
Availability: evenings, weekends, holidays | Food handler card current

SUMMARY
Server and bartender with three years in a busy casual restaurant. Quick with orders, accurate with checks and calm during rushes.

SKILLS
Point-of-sale, menu knowledge, cash handling, drink preparation, upselling, guest service, teamwork, English and Spanish

EXPERIENCE
Server and Bartender | Example Grill and Tap | 2023 to present
- Serve up to 8 tables per shift in a 120-seat restaurant and keep checks accurate.
- Cover the bar on busy nights, prepare drinks and check IDs.
- Train new servers on the menu and point-of-sale system.

Host | Example Family Diner | 2021 to 2023
- Seated guests and managed the waitlist during peak hours.

EDUCATION
High School Diploma, Example High School, 2021

Tailor the server or bartender resume to each posting

Read the posting and copy its exact terms into your summary, skills and bullets, but only where they describe work you have done. Put the requirement that appears first in the posting first in your skills block. If two jobs ask for different strengths, keep two versions of the server or bartender resume rather than one vague one.

Before you send it, copy the resume into a plain text file and read it top to bottom. Headings should be in order, dates should line up and no line should be cut off. Then ask a friend in the field to read it for ten seconds and say what the job is. If they cannot, move your strongest server or bartender facts higher.

Keywords recruiters scan for

Recruiters and screening software search for exact terms from the posting. These are common for a server or bartender resume; use only the ones that are true for you, and match the spelling the job post uses.

server, bartender, point of sale, guest service, upselling, food handler, responsible alcohol service, cash handling, menu knowledge, teamwork, fast-paced, opening and closing.

Common server or bartender resume mistakes

  1. Leaving out the venue type and size.
  2. Listing certificates that are not required or have expired.
  3. Claiming tip totals or sales figures you cannot back up.
  4. Omitting nights and weekend availability.
  5. Writing a long paragraph about personality instead of skills.

Sources