Mark’s Resume – Sort Of

If you’re interested, go ahead and take a quick look at my resume below. But what I’d really like you to do is read my “Bartending Story” which you can reach following that link. There you can see, in depth, the places that I have worked, why I worked there, and exactly what my position or duties were. More importantly, you’ll see that once you get just a little bit of experience as a bartender – you can pretty much write your own ticket.

Mark Unger Wearing Marine Corps Dress Blues

The below resume is a short and somewhat concise list of the bartending jobs I have had up until this moment. My detailed story mentioned above will explain the career moves I made, when and why I made them, and how being an experienced bartender allowed me to accomplish my goals. It’s very interesting and informing – if I do say so myself.

In the meantime, below is a quick hitter. So take a look at this stuff – and decide if I’m qualified to teach you the bartending skills you need to land your very first bartending job.

Busboy/Barback/Bartender/Cook/Janitor/Dishwasher/Salad Maker/Meat Cutter

Rochester, Minnesota, High School Years – Age 14-18

Type of Bar: Huge fine dining room, two bars. One casual, one nightclub

Experience – Almost 4 years 

United States Marine Corps

San Diego, California – Age 18-21

Honorable Discharge, Sergeant (E-5)

Bartender

Minneapolis, Minnesota – Age 21-22

Type of Bar: Gourmet pizza. Very busy place, 5 shifts, 40 hours/week.

Experience: A little over 1 year

Duties: Full-time bartender. Busy place, front bar and service bar.

Restaurant and Bar Manager/General Manager

Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota – Age 22-25

Type of bar: Very similar to an Olive Garden or TGI Fridays.

Experience: 3 years. Final year as General Manager. 50-60 hours/week

Duties: Full profit & Loss responsibility. Because of my prior bartending experience, I was the manager usually designated to hire and train all bartenders. Promoted to General Manager after 2 years and responsible for 60 employees.

Restaurant and Bar Manager

San Diego, California

Type of Bar: Very similar to an Olive Garden or Red Lobster. 50 hours/week.

Experience: 2 Months

Duties: Basically, I was in their management training program the entire time. Resigned my position – no longer had the desire to manage bars and restaurants. I was a bartender at heart.

Bartender/Waiter

San Diego County, California

Type of Bar: Seafood Restaurant and Oyster Bar.

Experience: About 1 ½ years. 40 hours/week

Duties: Bartender, food server, oyster bar cook. 90% bartending.

Bartender/Banquet Bartender

San Diego County, California

Type of Bar: Resort, fine dining, huge banquets, a bit “high-class” for my taste

Experience: About 8 months, part time

Duties: Bartender, banquet bartender, fine dining food server

Bartender/Bar Manager/General Manager of Multi-Units

San Diego County, California

Type of Bar: Nightclub, crazy busy, 40 – 60 hours/week

Note: Bar owner also had additional bars he owned – I managed all of them

Experience: About 6 or 7 years, 40-70 hours/week

Duties: Bartender, Bar Manager, General manager

Bartender/Bar Manager

San Diego County, California

Type of Bar: Nightclub

Experience: 1 Year, 40 hours/week

Duties: Bar Manager first, then bartender

Bartender/Bar Manager/General Manager

San Diego County, California

Type of Bar: Nightclub

Experience: 1 year, 40 hours/week

Duties: Started as a fill-in bartender for a friend who was going on 2-week vacation. Owner asked me to take over bar manager duties.

*The below bartending jobs are not in chronological order. I worked all of these jobs at one time while pursuing my college degree and new business. Kind of a mix ‘n match thing – I worked some of them in combination with others. Mostly part-time. There were also additional bartending jobs that I had which were for a short time – usually helping out someone I knew in the bar business.

Bartender

San Diego County, California

Type of Bar: Theme Restaurant inside a mall

Experience: 1 year, part-time

Duties: Bartender

Bartender/Manager

San Diego County, California

Type of Bar: Private Club

Experience: 6 Months (A favor for a friend)

Duties: Bartender, Weekend Day Manager

Bar Spotter (Sometimes called a “Secret Shopper”)

San Diego County, California

Type of Bar: Multiple Bars in North San Diego County

Experience: 2 Years

Duties: Evaluated bars and bar staff. Sneaky stuff. Looking for theft, drug use, drinking. Worked for multiple bar owners that I knew.

Bartender/Bar Manager

San Diego County, California

Type of Bar: Country Western Nightclub

Experience: 6 Months

Duties: Filled in as General Manager after owner died – until his wife could sell the place. Favor for an attorney friend of mine. Crazy, out-of-control place.

Bartender/Server

San Diego County, California

Type of Bar: Banquet Bartender, 4-Star Hotel. Occasionally worked front Nightclub Bar

Experience: 3 Years, 40 hours/week

Duties: Bartender, did some server work

Bartender/Server

San Diego County, California

Type of Bar: Banquet Bartender, 3-Star Hotel

Experience: 8 Years, part time

Duties: Head Banquet Bartender. Did some server work. Best bartending job I ever had!

Bartender

San Diego County, California

Type of Bar: Banquet Bartender, 3-Star Hotel

Experience: 6 Years, part time

Duties: Bartender, did some server work

Bartender

San Diego County, California

Type of Bar: 4-Star Hotel

Experience: 4 Years, part time

Duties: Banquet Bartender, Bartending off-site. Private Parties

Bartender

San Diego County, California

Type of Bar: 3-Star Hotel

Experience: 4 Years, part time

Duties: Head Banquet Bartender

There you have it – Mark’s Resume. Learn how to be a bartender – fast! I’ll show you. I’ll show you how to land your very first Bartending Job.

You’re going to need a resume and cover letter! In my Bartending Course, I’m going to show you exactly how to compile the perfect resume for a Bartending Job. In the meantime, you might wish to brush up on the basics of resume writing here.