Barista Skills
The key hard and soft skills required for a barista job in 2023 based on our database of over 10 million real job listings.
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A barista is a person who is skilled in making and serving coffee-based beverages, such as espresso, cappuccino, and latte. They typically work in coffee shops, cafes, and restaurants. Part of a barista’s job is to ensure that customers have a good overall experience. Baristas need to be friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable about their craft. They should be able to recommend coffee options and answer any questions customers may have.
They also need to be able to work under pressure and manage their time effectively, especially during busy periods. Overall, being a barista requires a combination of technical skills, customer service abilities, and a passion for coffee.
How we got the data
The data in this report was pulled from Jobscan’s database of more than 10 million job descriptions and 17 million resumes.
We analyzed the job descriptions to find the skills that employers want the most. Then we analyzed the resumes to see which skills appeared most frequently.
Armed with this knowledge, job seekers can easily tailor their resumes and cover letters to highlight the most relevant resume skills for each job they apply to.
top 10 barista Hard Skills
top 10 barista Soft Skills
top 10 barista Skills on Resumes with High Match Rate
- Communication
- Positive
- Organized
- Flexible
- Calm
- Energetic
- Interpersonal
- Friendly
- Professional
- Punctuality
Top 10 barista skills
Examples of how to list this skill on your resume:
- Demonstrated exceptional customer service skills by maintaining a 98% positive customer feedback rating over the past year.
- Created a warm and welcoming atmosphere for customers, resulting in a 15% increase in customer retention and repeat business.
- Provided personalized coffee recommendations to customers based on their taste preferences, resulting in a 25% increase in upsell revenue.
- Trained new hires on customer service best practices and techniques, resulting in a 50% reduction in customer complaints.
Examples of how to list this skill on your resume:
- Adjusted brewing techniques to accommodate customers’ dietary restrictions.
- Responded to sudden staffing shortages by taking on additional responsibilities and supporting team members.
- Effectively prioritized and managed multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment, resulting in a 20% reduction in wait times during peak hours.
- Handled a 50% increase in customers during a promotional event without sacrificing quality or customer service.
Examples of how to list this skill on your resume:
- Utilized active listening and empathy skills to de-escalate customer complaints and improve overall customer satisfaction ratings.
- Facilitated team meetings and brainstorming sessions, encouraging open communication and collaboration among colleagues.
- Communicated effectively with customers to understand their coffee preferences, resulting in a 20% increase in repeat business.
- Developed and maintained relationships with regular customers, utilizing personalized communication to enhance their coffee shop experience.
Examples of how to list this skill on your resume:
- Maintained consistent coffee quality and taste, resulting in a 95% customer satisfaction rating.
- Developed and implemented a streamlined coffee-making process, resulting in a 20% increase in efficiency and productivity.
- Successfully managed a high-volume coffee shop during peak hours, maintaining consistency in quality and speed of service.
- Conducted regular quality control checks to ensure consistency in coffee preparation and presentation.
Examples of how to list this skill on your resume:
- Consistently received positive feedback from customers for friendly and approachable demeanor.
- Achieved the highest tip percentage among baristas by creating a welcoming atmosphere and building rapport with customers.
- Assisted in training new baristas on how to effectively engage with customers and establish friendly relationships.
- Demonstrated consistent friendliness and professionalism, even in difficult situations or with challenging customers.
Examples of how to list this skill on your resume:
- Initiated and led weekly team-building exercises to boost morale and foster a positive team culture among staff members.
- Maintained a positive and professional demeanor while handling high-volume orders during peak hours.
- Successfully resolved customer complaints with a positive and empathetic approach, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Exhibited a positive attitude while training new hires, resulting in their successful onboarding and integration into the team.
Examples of how to list this skill on your resume:
- Consistently maintained a clean and organized work environment.
- Conducted regular cleaning and maintenance checks on equipment, resulting in a 10% decrease in equipment breakdowns.
- Successfully managed multiple orders at once during peak hours.
- Implemented a new organizational system for inventory management, resulting in a 30% decrease in waste.
Examples of how to list this skill on your resume:
- Completed comprehensive safety training programs, including CPR and first aid.
- Consistently followed safety protocols and guidelines, reducing workplace accidents and injuries by 10%.
- Conducted regular safety checks and inspections of equipment and tools, identifying and resolving potential hazards before they became issues.
- Adhered to health and safety regulations and guidelines, ensuring compliance with local and national standards.
Examples of how to list this skill on your resume:
- Managed daily cash transactions with 100% accuracy, minimizing cash discrepancies and errors.
- Processed customer transactions using a POS system, with an average transaction time of 30 seconds or less.
- Implemented a cash handling training program for new hires, resulting in a 20% decrease in cash handling errors within the first 3 months.
- Utilized strong attention to detail to catch counterfeit currency from entering the cash drawer, saving the company an estimated $500 in losses.
Examples of how to list this skill on your resume:
- Received commendation from management for consistently delivering exceptional customer service and contributing to a positive work culture.
- Maintained a high level of cleanliness and organization in the coffee shop, creating an inviting and welcoming atmosphere for customers and staff.
- Initiated and led a weekly coffee education program for customers, resulting in a 25% increase in customer engagement.
- Developed and implemented a customer loyalty program, resulting in a 15% increase in repeat business and customer retention.
5 tips for writing a barista resume
Create a bulleted resume skills section
Use a simple, clean format that highlights your skills and experiences. Focus on readability by using bullet points and short phrases to present your skills. Properly organize your resume into education, experience, and skills sections.
“Adding a skills section to your resume is a great way to draw the recruiter’s attention to your most relevant strengths and competencies.”
– Ashley Watkins, NCRW, NCOPE, Job Search Coach
For example, a barista’s bullet points might look like this:
- Strong customer service skills, including the ability to interact with customers in a friendly and professional manner.
- Knowledge of coffee brewing techniques, including pour-over, French press, and cold brew.
- Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment.
Hitting all the top job requirements with your skills list will help you rank highly for a keyword search within an applicant tracking system. But don’t stop there. Add context for every skill elsewhere in your work experience.
If a recruiter is excited by your customer service skills, for example, the first thing they’ll do is skim your work experience to figure out when, how, and how much you used that skill.
Highlight skills and achievements in your work experience section
As you list your responsibilities, it’s also important to highlight your specific achievements wherever you can.
“For soft skills, it’s often more effective to demonstrate them in the context of your past work experience. Instead of merely stating “excellent team player”, you are better off saying “collaborated with a cross-functional team of 6 on a new product launch that boosted sales by 30% in one year”. Examples of specific accomplishments or business outcomes speak louder than buzzwords.”
– Ana Lokotkova, Career Coach and Advisor
For example, if you increased sales, be sure to mention that accomplishment.
Instead of saying,
“Made coffee and other beverages for customers.”
You could say,
“Crafted high-quality espresso-based beverages, contributing to a 20% increase in beverage sales during my tenure.”
This demonstrates your level of expertise with the skills you listed. It gives the recruiter more reason to be interested in you as a result.
Break resume skills sections into categories
If you’re applying for a role requiring a broad skillset, categorize your skills.
“If you opt to include a designated skills section on your resume, include up to 10 of your core competencies. Excessive skills lists are overwhelming and sometimes confusing to the reader.”
– Kelli Hrivnak, Marketing and Tech Recruiter
For example, someone applying for a role as a barista might benefit from segmenting their skill lists as follows:
Beverage Preparation
- Expertise in crafting espresso-based beverages, including cappuccinos, lattes, and Americanos.
- Knowledge of coffee brewing techniques, including pour-over, French press, and cold brew.
- Familiarity with milk frothing and latte art techniques.
Customer Service
- Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact with customers in a friendly and professional manner.
- Knowledge of menu offerings and ability to provide personalized recommendation.
- Experience handling customer complaints and resolving issues in a timely and effective manner.
Quantify your accomplishments
Use numbers to quantify your accomplishments wherever possible. This helps potential employers understand your abilities and the impact you can have on their organization.
“Recruiters and hiring managers are looking for relevancy of how and when you applied those skills, so provide examples of this in your experience section. Bonus tip: Don’t just insert the skill like a task–include results.”
– Kelli Hrivnak, Marketing and Tech Recruiter
Instead of saying,
“Prepared and served coffee drinks to customers.”
You could say,
“Prepared and served an average of 200 coffee drinks per day with a 99% accuracy rate.”
By using numbers, you give hiring managers a better sense of your value.
Tailor your resume to the job description
Read the description carefully and emphasize the relevant skills and experiences. Highlight the skills that the employer seeks and provide examples of how you’ve used those skills in your previous roles. Doing so can demonstrate that you’re a strong fit for the position and increase your chances of being invited to an interview.
“The ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach doesn’t work when it comes to your resume. For every job application, tailor your skill set to match the job description. Most companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that filter candidates based on keywords and skills listed in the job description. So, research the role you’re applying for and distill the skills required.”
– Ana Lokotkova, Career Coach and Advisor
In order to do this, “you must first understand what skills are most important for the target role,” says Ashley Watkins.
Here’s an example of how to tailor a barista resume to a job description:
Job Title: Senior Barista
Requirements:
- Expertise in crafting a wide variety of espresso-based beverages.
- Ability to provide exceptional customer service, handling complaints and special requests with ease.
- Experience training and mentoring junior baristas.
Tailored Resume Description:
- Crafted an average of 300 espresso-based beverages daily, maintaining consistent quality and speed of service even during peak hours.
- Provided personalized recommendations and exceptional customer service, earning consistent positive feedback.
- Trained and mentored 3 junior baristas, resulting in a 50% increase in overall team productivity.
“Focus on the sought-after and in demand skills. A great way to figure out what is currently in demand is by researching current job openings from your preferred companies and reading through the posting. Pay close attention to the preferred requirements section and build your skills section based on this list.”
– Chelsea Jay, Career & Leadership Development Coach – Seasoned and Growing
Bonus Tip: Use action verbs
Start each bullet point with an action verb. An action verb expresses an action, such as “create,” “build,” “manage,” “lead,” or “implement.”
Action verbs grab the reader’s attention and paint a vivid picture of what you accomplished at work.
Action verbs make your resume more interesting to read. They also show the kind of can-do attitude that employers are looking for.
FAQs
The most important skills for a barista are customer service, communication, flexibility, consistency, friendliness, organization, and passion.
Baristas need to be comfortable with using cash registers, POS systems, and handling cash. They should also be able to maintain a clean and safe working environment and follow health and safety regulations.
If you have no experience, you can still highlight transferable skills that can be relevant to the job. Transferable skills include communication, flexibility, organization, friendliness, consistency, and passion.
Additionally, you can highlight any relevant coursework or training you have received, such as completing a barista certificate program. You can also mention your passion for coffee and any coffee-related hobbies, such as home brewing or attending coffee tastings.
Skills that are less valuable to have on a barista’s resume include leadership, sales, creativity, innovation, marketing, analytical, and computer skills.
Keep in mind that the required skills for a barista role may vary depending on the type of coffee shop you are applying to. It’s always a good idea to tailor your resume to the specific job requirements.
The most important barista skills are customer service and communication skills. Baristas should also emphasize their ability to work in a fast-paced environment, attention to detail, and the ability to multitask.
When writing a cover letter for a barista position, it’s important to highlight the skills and experiences that make you a strong candidate for the role.
The skills you should emphasize in a cover letter include customer service, communication, organization, friendliness, flexibility, a positive attitude, and, of course, any knowledge you might have about coffee!