Barista CV: Example & How to Write [20+ Expert Tips]

Whether you’re the best in the world at espresso making, or you can rival Salvador Dali with the latte art pen, one thing can be harder to swallow than a poorly tamped espresso. You are not going to get the job you want without a properly filtered barista CV.

Instead of brewing the same insipid dregs as everyone else, this guide will show you how to perfect the blend of the sections, where you can afford to tamp things down, and where to go to work with the latte art pen. Let’s start. 

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Barista CV example

That’s the basic blend of your CV. Here’s a guide on what to put in a CV for baristas:

1. Write a barista CV personal statement

How to start your CV? With a personal statement (also called a CV profile). Your personal statement should be a Doppio. A quick, double shot of espresso information about what makes you stand out from the rest. Start off with a robust(a) adjective, sum up your years of experience with a ‘+’ after.

Then, provide the Doppio shot of two key achievements that should convince anyone to hire you, and describe what you hope to do in the new role, mentioning the employer’s name, just to let them know straight away you aren’t copy and pasting the same barista CV to everyone.

You will find it far easier to write the personal statement last, after you finish your work experience and skills section (and that's why it is also known as a CV summary). 

Barista CV personal statement example

A strong CV summary will convince the recruiter you’re the perfect candidate. Save time and choose a ready-made personal statement written by career experts and adjust it to your needs in the LiveCareer CV builder.

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2. List your barista work experience

Most barista CV examples are completely decaf. They have very little taste, and zero substance. The key to a successful work experience section is to put your achievements in perspective. By providing numbers, you are allowing them to imagine your impact.

Record your work experience under the following heading:

[Job Title]

[Employer Name, Location]

[Dates of Employment]

Below, round out 3 to 7 bullet points that describe your achievements and the impact you made. Make sure at least 75% of those contain figures to back up your claims. That’s more interesting than making a completely decaf list of responsibilities. Older positions get 3 bullet points max.

Barista CV work experience section 

3. Include an education section 

The education section of your barista CV is a formality. There aren’t many things that you can list here that will increase your chances of being hired. Just record it correctly and cleanly like you see in the example.

Barista CV example — education section

4. List your relevant barista skills

The skills section of your CV could either be a reiteration of points you want to highlight, or an opportunity to quickly list additional things that don’t warrant whole sentences to mention. For a perfect CV, list a mix of 5-10 hard and communication skills.

Barista CV skills 

5. Add additional sections to your barista CV

The right additional section can be just the splash of milk your barista CV needs. In busy, metropolitan locations, knowing languages will get you further than your A-Levels. In swanky coffee shops, the right certification will get you hired.

When just starting out, something like volunteering can make all the difference. 82% of managers would rather hire someone with volunteering experience.

There's no need to list references on your CV, though. The recruiter knows they can ask for them.

Barista CV sample — additional sections

6. Write a barista cover letter

Most people good with a latte art pen are likely to not be as good with a real one. When it comes to advertising ourselves, it can be a hard-sell. Luckily, just like any beverage recipe, there’s a scientific best way to do it. The barista cover letter recipe is simple.

The first paragraph of your cover letter should be pretty close to your barista CV personal statement. It should hook them in like a first sip, for you to reveal the full depth in the second sip (paragraph). There, describe a couple top achievements in a bit more detail. 

Lastly, round off with a persuasive ending and a request for a call or a meeting. 

Barista CV writing tips to keep in mind

Sometimes things get messy, don’t they? Luckily, there’s a recipe for everything. Once you figure out the right temperature and order, brewing is easy. We have figured out the right way:

• Use a readable CV font like Noto, Calibri or Didot in a size 10-12.
• For a neat CV layout, use clear, bold headings for each section. Guide their eyes by leaving white space between them.
• Save your CV as a PDF to protect the CV formatting, unless specified otherwise.
• It's recommended to use a basic CV template. Visual CVs might not be ATS-friendly.
• Should your CV be one page? Definitely, unless you have more experience than Junichi Yamaguchi.

When sending in your job application, avoid using 'Please find my CV attached'. It's old-fashioned. Instead, go for something more natural like 'I have attached my CV' or 'My CV is attached'.

Follow up with a call after not hearing back for a week or so. Sometimes, someone just didn’t click the last button on the machine.

You don’t have to be a CV writing expert. In the LiveCareer CV builder you’ll find ready-made content for every industry and position, which you can then add with a single click.

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Does that answer your questions on how to write a barista CV? Got any job hunting tips and tricks you’d like to share? Did you enjoy our barista CV example? Use the comments section below. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.