Barista Resume Example

According to the Bureau of Labor, food and beverage serving jobs are expected to increase by 17% between 2020 and 2029. With growth well above the national average, now is a great time to pursue your dream barista job.

Whether you’re applying for a job at a big company like Starbucks or a small independent coffee shop, it’s crucial to show employers that you have the skills, experience, and qualifications it takes to be a talented barista on your resume.

Here’s how to tailor your resume to land the barista job you’ve got your eye on.

1. Start with a strong barista resume summary

A barista resume summary is a great way to start a resume for most baristas, because it lets you highlight your most relevant credentials, experience, and achievements.

Here’s an example of a resume summary for a barista position:

Friendly and professional SCA-certified barista with 4+ years of experience in the coffee and customer service sectors. Handcraft consistently high quality beverages to ensure positive customer experience. Adept at managing and training junior colleagues. Looking to use interpersonal and leadership skills in a supervisory role.

In addition to experience and skills, qualifications can include certifications, courses you’ve completed, or a relevant degree you’ve earned, such as a degree in hospitality or food service management.

Your summary should also make a reference to your skills that are most relevant to the coffee industry, and clarify the specific type of role (entry-level, manager, etc.) you’re applying for.

2. Highlight your work experience

As someone applying for a barista position, you should highlight relevant experience that demonstrates coffee-making skills.

You should also include hard numbers in each statement. Quantifying your bullet points turns each responsibility into an achievement, making it easier for you to impress the hiring manager and land an interview.

Here are examples of work experience bullet points for baristas with varying levels of experience:

Entry-level

• Memorize and prepare 100+ types of coffee and tea beverages to serve hundreds of customers each day
• Sanitize coffee equipment multiple times during each shift; consistently maintained store cleanliness
• Participate in various store promotions, such as handing out coffee and pastry samples outside the store and dressing in seasonal attire
• Won the “Employee of the Month” award 4 times

Experienced Barista

• Serve 150+ customers during the busy 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. shift, maintaining high service standards at all times
• Oversee in-store execution of sales and promotions as directed by store manager (4+ seasonal promotions per year), contributing to an additional $25,000 in annual sales
• Make individualized coffee recommendations, and educate interested customers on the sources and processes of the store’s premium beans
• Track and fulfill the online store’s coffee bean and coffee brewing equipment orders (average of 47 orders per week)

Coffee Shop Supervisor

• Manage the late shift team (4 employees total) from 2 p.m.–10 p.m.
• Provide on-the-job training (have trained 17 new baristas so far), making sure staff is knowledgeable about coffee making, store procedures, quality standards, health code regulations and customer service expectations
• Conduct regular workshops and trainings for staff to ensure that employees continue to grow in skill and deepen their industry knowledge
• Create work schedule and oversee staffing levels, approve time-off requests and conduct interviews to fill staffing needs
• Record and maintain store inventory, communicate with vendors and place regular orders to ensure adequate supply levels
• Enforce state COVID-19 safety regulations in the store for the protection of customers and staff members alike

3. Showcase your barista resume skills

Reinforce your relevant barista skills by listing them in your resume skills section. Include both hard skills, which demonstrate your technical capabilities, and soft skills, which demonstrate the personal characteristics and temperament that make you well suited to a job in the service industry.

Some of the best skills to include on your resume as a successful barista include:

Hard Skills

• Coffee brewing
  
• Operating espresso machines
  
• Steaming milk
  
• Coffee and tea knowledge
  
• Latte art
  
• Food safety
  
• Foreign languages
  
• Operating point of sale (POS) equipment
  
• Maintaining coffee equipment
  
• Cleaning
  
• Math

Soft Skills

• Customer service skills
• Sales
• Attention to detail
• Communication skills
• Creativity
• Interpersonal skills
• Multitasking
• Time management skills
• Teamwork skills
• Strong memory
• Positivity
• Adaptability
• Problem-solving

4. Target the barista job description on your resume

Many large coffee chains like Starbucks or Peet’s may use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to filter through resumes. To make sure your resume gets through their system, you should use keywords and phrases from the job description in your resume and cover letter.

Here’s an example Starbucks barista job description with some resume keywords and phrases underlined:

To write a Starbucks resume for this job, you should try to fit the keywords and phrases from the job description into it.

For example, you might list “cash handling” in your work history section, and mention your organizational skills in your skills section.

Here’s an example of a work experience section that targets this barista job description:

By making sure you include words and phrases from the job description in your resume, your application is more likely to make it past the ATS and be seen by a hiring manager.