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Barista CV example

Café owners want to know how busy a machine you've run, whether your coffee is consistent, and if regulars will like you. This barista CV example answers all three with real volumes and details, not "passionate about coffee".

Written for New Zealand, with notes for Australia · Checked

Free. Then compare it with a real Barista job ad.

The example

A Barista CV, start to finish.

Ethan Clarke is made up, and so are the employers. The layout and the wording are what New Zealand employers expect: no photo or date of birth, the most recent job first, and every bullet showing what was done and what came of it.

Ethan Clarke

Barista, specialty and high-volume cafés

Christchurch · 022 555 0148 · ethan.clarke@email.com

Profile

Barista with five years on busy espresso machines, from a high-volume city café to a small specialty roaster. Dials in every morning, keeps quality steady through the rush, and remembers regulars' orders. Comfortable opening alone and training new baristas.

Skills

Espresso extraction and dialling in · Milk texturing and latte art · High-volume service · Filter and batch brew · Alternative milks · Machine and grinder cleaning · Food Control Plan records · Point of sale and cash handling · Training new baristas

Experience

Senior Barista, Weka Espresso

Riccarton, Christchurch · 2023 to now

  • Run a two-group machine through the weekday morning rush, making around 250 coffees before 11am with most drinks out within five minutes
  • Dial in the espresso every morning and adjust through the day as the beans age and the weather changes
  • Trained four new baristas on extraction, milk and workflow, so each could run the machine alone within a month
  • Cut milk waste by about a fifth by introducing marked jugs for each cup size
  • Open the café alone three days a week, including machine set-up and the Food Control Plan checks

Barista and Café All-rounder, Matagouri Café

Lyttelton · 2021 to 2023

  • Made coffee, took orders and ran food to tables in a 40-seat café
  • Brewed filter and batch brew from the roaster's single origins and explained them to customers
  • Backflushed and cleaned the machine and grinders daily, and kept the cleaning log up to date

Education

New Zealand Certificate in Food and Beverage Service (Level 3), Barista strand, Ara Institute of Canterbury

2021

Other details

Availability
Early starts, weekdays and weekends
Driver's licence
Full

Referees

Available on request

Ethan wrote a cover letter to go with it. Read the barista cover letter

Skills and keywords

What barista job ads look for.

Use the ad's own words where they're true of you. An ATS, and a recruiter skimming, both look for them.

  • High volumeGive a number: coffees per morning or per shift. It's the fastest way to show you can handle the rush.
  • Dialling inShows you adjust the grind and recipe yourself, not just press a button.
  • Milk texturingMention latte art and alternative milks. Oat and soy behave differently, and owners know it.
  • ConsistencyOwners care more about the hundredth flat white than the first. Show how you keep quality steady.
  • Filter and batch brewSpecialty cafés often ask for it. Name the methods you've used.
  • Food safetyCleaning logs, fridge temperatures and Food Control Plan checks all count.
  • Opening and closingBeing trusted to open alone is proof of reliability. Say it.

Bullet points

9 strong lines to borrow from.

Each says what was done, how, and what came of it. Swap in your own facts: a line is only strong if it's true.

  1. 1Made around 250 coffees on weekday mornings on a two-group machine, with most drinks out within five minutes
  2. 2Dialled in espresso each morning and adjusted through the day as beans aged and the weather changed
  3. 3Trained four new baristas to run the machine alone within a month
  4. 4Cut milk waste by about a fifth by introducing marked jugs for each cup size
  5. 5Opened the café alone three days a week, including set-up and Food Control Plan checks
  6. 6Brewed filter and batch brew from single origins and explained them to curious customers
  7. 7Remembered regulars' orders and had them started as they walked in
  8. 8Backflushed and cleaned the machine and grinders daily and kept the cleaning log up to date
  9. 9Handled the till, EFTPOS and cash, and balanced the float at close

Common mistakes

What costs barista CVs interviews.

  • "Passionate about coffee" as the whole summary.

    Show it: the machine you've run, your volumes, and what you do to keep coffee consistent.

  • No numbers anywhere.

    Coffees per shift, seats in the café, people you've trained. Owners picture the job from these.

  • Leaving out the less glamorous work.

    Cleaning, stock, food safety records and opening alone matter to owners as much as latte art.

New Zealand and Australia

What changes across the Tasman.

New Zealand

Most cafés in New Zealand operate under a Food Control Plan under the Food Act 2014, so if you've kept its records, like temperature and cleaning checks, say so.

New Zealand CV format

Australia

Under Australia's food safety standards, café staff who handle unpackaged ready-to-eat food need food safety training or equivalent skills and knowledge, so list any food safety course you've done. Australian employers usually say resume rather than CV, and expect about two pages.

Australian CV format

Sources: Ministry for Primary Industries: food control plans, Food Standards Australia New Zealand: food handler training.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

Something else on your mind? Email support@smartcvs.ai and a person will reply.

Do I need a barista qualification?

Not usually. Experience on a busy machine counts for more. A qualification helps if you're new, so list it if you have one.

Should I include non-café hospitality jobs?

Yes, briefly. Bar, restaurant and fast food work all show you can handle a rush and serve customers well.

Is one page enough for a barista CV?

Often, yes. One strong page with your volumes, skills and availability is better than two thin ones.

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