RSA Resume Writing: Tips for Building Your Bartender Resume
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A bartender is a professional who performs duties in diverse hospitality settings, ranging from private functions to public eateries. Their tasks include making beverages, maintaining cleanliness for health standards, and handling customer orders and transactions.
This article explains what a bartender resume is, outlines skills to feature in your resume, offers advice for resume composition and provides a sample resume to help you craft your own.
Interested in enrolling in the RSA course? Skills Training College provides nationally recognised RSA Certificate courses Australia-wide. The competence to serve alcohol responsibly is crucial across a multitude of hospitality settings throughout Australia. With an RSA qualification under your belt, you’ll find that a wide range of career opportunities in the food and beverage industry are open to you. Enrol now to begin an exciting new career.
What is a Bartender Resume?
A bartender resume is a job application tool designed to showcase your suitability for a bartender role. It allows you to present your credentials, encompassing your experience, skills, and qualifications. Additionally, it’s a place to list pertinent licenses and certifications, like a Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) license.
Unlike some other professions, a bartender resume objective may not always need to emphasise experience and formal education. Instead, when applying for a bartender position, your resume might focus more on your skills, relevant licenses, and your adaptability in employment.
Skills to Feature on a Bartender Resume
Here are several key skills you might consider including on your resume:
- Knowledge of Beverages: A critical technical skill for your resume is knowledge of various beverages and alcohol. This involves understanding the intricacies of cocktail preparation and the accurate mixing of drinks, which varies depending on the establishment and the expectations of your employer.
- Customer Service: Essential to the role of a bartender is the ability to interact with customers, take their orders, and handle transactions. Demonstrating strong customer service skills is crucial, as it helps in maintaining respectful communication and enhancing the patrons’ overall experience.
- Situational Awareness: As a bartender, you are often responsible for refusing service to overly intoxicated or aggressive customers. The skill of situational awareness is key in recognising and addressing such scenarios to maintain a safe and enjoyable environment.
- Attention to Detail: Compliance with health and sanitary standards is a fundamental aspect of working in any food and beverage setting. Your ability to pay close attention to detail ensures that the venue meets these important compliance standards.
- Time Management: Managing the rate of alcohol consumption for patrons is a significant aspect of bartending. Effective time management skills are necessary to serve drinks at a suitable pace, helping to prevent over-intoxication and ensuring a pleasant experience for the guests.
- Multi-tasking: Handling multiple drink orders, often requiring different preparation methods, is a common scenario in bartending. If you excel in multi-tasking you will have the ability to prepare a variety of drinks effectively while remembering individual customer orders.
Important Tips for Crafting a Bartender Job Resume
Consider these valuable tips when creating a resume for a bartender position:
Include Contact Information
Place your contact details prominently at the beginning of your resume. This should include your full name, phone number, email address, and city and state. Typically, your full home address isn’t necessary unless you’re mailing your resume, which is uncommon as most recruitment is done digitally nowadays.
Highlight Your Key Attributes
Right under your contact information, add a professional summary. This is the first content section your hiring manager will likely see. Here, mention your main attributes, which might include skills, work experience, and your RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) certification, as well as qualities like work ethic and enthusiasm, crucial for the fast-paced nature of bartending.
Clarify Your Motivation
Employers often want to know why you’re interested in the bartending role. Beyond the basic motive of earning income, it’s effective to express a desire to enhance your skills and industry knowledge, demonstrating a commitment to professional growth and learning.
Emphasise Your RSA License
Given that an RSA license is a mandatory requirement for serving alcohol (as stated by the Australian Department of Health as of May 2022), make sure to list this credential prominently on your resume.
Mention Certifications and Qualifications
While not always necessary for a bartending role, any additional qualifications or certifications can underscore your ability to learn and your dedication to the industry. These might include cocktail mixing courses or even a first-aid certificate, which, while not typically required, can showcase your versatility and responsibility.
Detail Your Skills
Your skills section is vital, showcasing your ability to work well in teams and provide excellent customer service. Include skills relevant to bartending, like interpersonal, communication, and technical abilities. Prioritising soft skills is advisable as they often take more time and self-awareness to develop.
Showcase Your Work Experience
If you have experience in hospitality, make sure to highlight it. This experience is valuable as it demonstrates your practical skills in customer service, transaction handling, compliance with sanitation standards, and order preparation. Extensive experience can be particularly appealing to hiring managers as it may reduce the need for training. Any hospitality-related experience, like server or kitchen-hand roles, is also beneficial to include.
Bartender Resume Template
Here’s a structured template for a bartender resume:
[Full Name]
[Email Address] | [Phone Number] | [City, State]
Professional Summary
In this section, write a concise professional summary in a paragraph format. Aim for a length of three to five sentences. Focus on highlighting your most significant achievements and credentials, avoiding extensive details to prevent redundancy in your resume.
Certificates and Licenses
List your relevant certifications and licenses here, using bullet points for clarity.
Skills
List your skills here, under this heading. Combine both technical and soft skills relevant to bartending, with an emphasis on interpersonal skills due to the likelihood of on-the-job training in many establishments.
Work Experience
[Job Title] [Organization’s Name] [Organization’s Location] [Duration of Employment]
- [Job Responsibility]
- [Job Responsibility]
- [Job Responsibility]
[Job Title] [Organization’s Name] [Organization’s Location] [Duration of Employment]
- [Job Responsibility]
- [Job Responsibility]
- [Job Responsibility]
Qualifications
[Qualification Name] [Institution Name, Graduation Date]
How to Get a Bartending Job Without Experience
To become a bartender, aim to work in roles close to the bar, observing and assisting established bartenders. Start with entry-level jobs in bars and restaurants, which offer paid learning opportunities. Enhance this practical experience with hospitality courses and other resources, but remember, direct service industry experience is crucial for gaining knowledge.
Obtain Your RSA License
- In Australia, anyone employed in the hospitality sector must obtain an RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) certificate to lawfully sell and serve alcohol.
- As a bartender, it’s a legal necessity to acquire this certification since you’ll be involved in the distribution and service of alcoholic beverages to patrons. The RSA certification is offered through a concise program that can be completed in less than a day at a registered training organisation. Courses cover laws about the regulation and limitations of alcohol service, especially to minors, recognising intoxication, and managing disturbances.
- Skills Training College RSA courses cost only $99, and include comprehensive 4 hour in-person training with certification on the same day of completion. The 4-hour course equips learners with the essential skills and knowledge required for a fulfilling career in the hospitality sector, along with the important RSA certification.
- Want to diversify your training qualifications to open up even more job opportunities? Skills Training College also offers accredited RSG Certificate courses, ‘Provide responsible gambling services,’ for those who want to work in a gaming venue, and accredited Barista Certification and Hygiene and Food Safety Certificate training.
Work as a Barback
- Starting as a barback is a common pathway into bartending. This role requires no prior experience and involves tasks like cleaning, restocking, and heavy lifting. As a barback, you’ll learn the operational aspects of a bar such as a bar’s inventory, recognise different brands, observe cocktail-making and understand bartending terminology.
Begin at a Restaurant Bar
- Alternatively, start as a hostess or server in a restaurant with a bar. Restaurants often promote internally and provide structured training programs, offering a less intense environment to hone your skills.
Find a Bartending Mentor
- While working, look for a bartender willing to mentor you. If you’re a barback or server, show respect, anticipate needs, and engage in conversations during quieter times.
Learn Proper Drink Pouring
- Practice pouring drinks at home using tools like jiggers. Accurate pouring is key for balanced drinks and cost-effective bar management. Eventually, you can progress to free pouring.
Explore Mixology
- After mastering pouring, experiment with creating cocktails. Start with simple recipes and gradually incorporate complex ingredients. Understanding mixology can enhance your skills in drink crafting.
Exercise Patience and Show Willingness
- Developing bartending expertise takes time; it doesn’t happen instantly. Expect to devote numerous hours and shifts to your barback role before earning the confidence of the bartender and bar manager. It’s crucial to demonstrate your readiness to assist with any tasks they need. Eventually, you may find the bartender entrusting you to take over during their breaks. Seize such moments whenever they arise. The more indispensable you become, the greater your chances of advancement.
Summing Up
In conclusion, crafting an exceptional bartender resume is a critical step in navigating your journey in the hospitality industry. Whether you’re an experienced bartender or venturing into this dynamic field for the first time, your resume serves as a pivotal tool to showcase your skills and passion. It’s essential to include relevant skills, a compelling bartender resume summary, and specific bartender job descriptions that reflect your professional experience.
Your resume should not only highlight your abilities in providing excellent customer service and managing bar operations but also demonstrate your knowledge of responsible alcohol service and your capability to thrive in a fast-paced environment. In this process bartender resume examples can help. The bartender resume builder template provided above can guide you in presenting a well-structured and professional resume format that captures the hiring manager’s attention.
Remember, your bartender resume is more than just a list of your work history and skills. It’s an opportunity to portray yourself as a dedicated professional, eager to contribute to customer satisfaction and the success of the establishment. Pair your resume with a personalised bartender cover letter that resonates with the job post, showcasing how your unique blend of soft skills, communication skills, and technical knowledge makes you an ideal candidate for the bartender role.
As you embark on your bartending job search, be proactive and persistent. Network with industry professionals, seek mentorship opportunities and continuously refine your skills. Whether it’s through formal training or hands-on experience in various service industry roles, your journey to becoming a skilled bartender is filled with opportunities for growth and learning.
So, as you tailor your resume and apply for bartender jobs, keep these insights in mind. Stand out from other job seekers with a resume that’s not just a document, but a reflection of your dedication to the art of bartending, your commitment to providing top-quality service, and your readiness to be an invaluable part of a team in any culinary arts or restaurant management setting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Skills Should I Include in My Bartender Resume?
Essential skills for a bartender resume include knowledge of beverages, customer service, situational awareness, attention to detail, time management, and multitasking. These skills demonstrate your ability to handle various tasks and situations typical in a bar setting.
Is an RSA License Important for Bartenders?
Yes, in Australia, an RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) license is mandated for bartenders. It’s a legal necessity for serving alcohol and ensures you understand the regulations and responsibilities involved in alcohol service.
How Should I Practice Drink Pouring and Mixology?
Practising at home with tools practising is a good start. Accurate pouring is essential for balanced drinks. Exploring mixology involves creating cocktails, starting with simple recipes and gradually moving to complex ones, which enhances your skill set.
