Barista Resume Examples and Writing Tips

Key sections to include in a barista resume

Most barista resume templates follow a similar structure: start with a header, and then add a resume summary, work experience, education, and skills. Some of them also add optional sections, such as languages or volunteer work.

Let’s take a look at the main sections in a barista resume with realistic examples to get you started. 

Header

Your resume header contains basic information about you, such as your name, job title, and contact details. This gives the hiring manager a quick, easy way to reference your full name and find a way to send you a message.

Resume headers typically include:

• Full name
• Job title
• Phone number
• Email address
• Location (city and state)
• LinkedIn URL

Here’s a sample resume header for a barista resume to inspire you:

Resume objective or summary

Next, you should write up a compelling resume summary or objective. Which one is best for you? Here’s a quick comparison:

• Resume objective: A short description detailing your skills and professional goals
• Resume summary: A short description describing your work experience and achievements

Most professionals use resume summaries, but many baristas don’t have relevant work experience, so objectives are commonplace,

Let’s take a look at an example resume objective for a barista:

Work experience

Now you need to provide your most relevant work experience. This section almost always goes before education, but if you have an impressive education and a lack of work experience, feel free to swap their spots.

For each work entry, start with your job title and then add the company name, location, and date of employment. Underneath this, add a bullet point list of your top achievements (with measurable metrics, if possible).

Here’s an example:

Education

Barista positions don’t require any specific degree, but your education still benefits your coffee shop resume, so be sure to add it. This section shouldn’t be long and detailed – provide just enough information so the hiring manager understands which degrees you have and where you obtained them.

Here’s a quick example:

Hard skills

Your technical skills are vital in the service industry. Baristas must know how to prepare coffee drinks, sanitize equipment, run equipment, and manage cash and card transactions. It’s also a bonus if you have experience with optional hard skills, like creating latte art.

Here are the top hard skills for a barista resume:

• Coffee brewing
• Equipment cleaning
• Inventory management
• Latte art
• Tea brewing
• Blending, frothing, and making specialty drinks
• Cash and card transactions
• Point of sale (POS) systems

Soft skills

Barista jobs are directly customer-facing, so soft skills are essential – this includes empathy, communication, a friendly attitude, and patience. Food service professionals also need soft skills to fuel their work, such as time management, organization, critical thinking, and attention to detail.

Here’s a list of the top soft skills for a barista resume:

• Communication
• Empathy
• Patience
• Attention to detail
• Teamwork
• Critical thinking
• Organization

Optional sections

These sections aren’t required, but they can help reinforce your qualifications (especially if you don’t have much work experience). They typically include:

• Volunteer work
• Languages
• Hobbies and interests
• Certificates

We recommend adding any of these that apply to you if you’re just getting started in your career. For example, a recent graduate should list the volunteer customer service work they completed at school

The sky’s the limit with optional sections – check out our resume examples for a selection of samples to get you started.

Tips for writing a barista or coffee shop resume

Now that you have your basic format, let’s go over a few tips to make a top-notch barista resume. Adding that extra bit of effort into your application helps your resume stand out from the crowd and catch the recruiter’s attention.

Ready to go beyond a standard resume? Our large collection of resume articles has a wealth of tips and tricks.

Mention your specific equipment experience

Hiring managers love it when candidates tell them exactly why they’re perfect for the role, so specify your experience wherever possible. Listing “Coffee equipment experience” in your skills section is alright, but try to list specific machines in your work entries.

Here’s an example:

Tailor each resume to the job description

No resume should be copy / paste, so don’t send one resume to every company you apply to. Take the time to personalize each resume to make a real impact.

Carefully read the job description and consider what the company is looking for: Which skills did they list? Did they use a specific job title? Match their requirements to show them that you’re exactly what they’re looking for.

As an added bonus, this builds a solid ATS resume that gives you a great chance of getting through an organization’s applicant tracking system (ATS).

Consider transferable skills

You may not have an extensive barista work history, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have relevant experience. Consider your background and discover your transferable skills and experience to showcase your qualifications.

For example, any experience in the service industry supplies you with skills like customer service, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. You’ll have even more transferable skills if you’ve been in food service, like bartending. 

Head over to our bartender resume examples for ideas on relevant transferable skills to put on your barista resume.

Serve your barista resume with a smile

Baristas don’t always have the extensive work experience or high education that other roles have, but with the right barista resume, you can showcase your customer service skills and get your career started on the right foot.

Just follow our tips:

• Highlight transferable skills, such as communication and problem-solving
• Display relevant experience through optional sections, like volunteer work
• Tailor every resume to the job you’re applying for
• Mention specific equipment whenever possible

Put these tips to use today by using CVwizard’s Resume Builder and create a beautiful, professional resume in minutes.