As you dive into the bustling world of hospitality, crafting a compelling barback cover letter can seem daunting. You've lined up job opportunities, and now realize a polished cover letter is essential—not as a resume echo, but a spotlight on your proudest professional moment. It must be formal sans clichés, concise at a single page, and crafted to engage rather than merely inform. Let's unlock the secrets to writing a cover letter that elevates your application.
- Making excellent use of job-winning real-life professional cover letters;
- Writing the first paragraphs of your barback cover letter to get attention and connect with the recruiters - immediately;
- Single out your most noteworthy achievement (even if it's outside your career);
- Get a better understanding of what you must include in your barback cover letter to land the job.
Let the power of Enhancv's AI work for you: create your barback cover letter by uploading your resume.
If the barback isn't exactly the one you're looking for we have a plethora of cover letter examples for jobs like this one:
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Barback cover letter example
Harper Garcia
Jacksonville, Florida
+1-(234)-555-1234
help@enhancv.com
- Draw Attention to Past Achievements: Emphasizing a specific past achievement, such as improving the beverage stock control system and the subsequent increase in efficiency by 25%, can substantiate your ability to deliver tangible results, which is essential for the role in question.
- Show Alignment with Company Values: Mentioning alignment with the establishment's standards and goals, such as the shared objective of exceeding customer expectations, can demonstrate that you are a cultural fit for the team and share a common vision.
- Express Willingness to Discuss Further: Stating an eagerness to elaborate on how your background can contribute to the team during an interview shows assertiveness, openness to dialogue, and interest in a reciprocal fit, rather than just focusing on personal achievement.
The must-have sections and format of your barback cover letter
When writing your barback cover letter, keep in mind that it'll only be read by the recruiters and not the Applicant Tracker System (or software used to assess your profile). That's why you should structure your content with a/an:
- Header (apart from your contact information, include your name, the role you're applying for, and the date);
- Personalized salutation;
- Opening paragraph to win the recruiters over;
- Middle paragraph with key details;
- Closing that starts from clichés;
- Sign off (that's not mandatory).
Industry standards dictate your paragraphs to be single-spaced and to wrap your content in a one-inch margin. Designing your barback cover letter, refer to one of our templates, which automatically takes care of the spacing and margins.
Choose the same font for your barback cover letter as you did for your resume: the likes of Lato and Bitter would help you to stand out in a sea of cover letters in Arial or Times New Roman.
Export your whole barback cover letter from our builder in PDF to keep the same formatting and image quality.
The top sections on a barback cover letter
- Header: This includes your name, address, phone number, and email, and it's essential because it provides the recruiter with immediate access to your contact information.
- Greeting: Tailor your greeting to the hiring manager or the team, showing your attention to detail and respect for personalizing the correspondence in a professional manner.
- Introduction: Mention your enthusiasm for the bar and hospitality industry and why you're interested in the barback position to engage the reader and set the tone for your cover letter.
- Body: Highlight relevant experience, such as familiarity with bar operations, efficiency in restocking and preparation tasks, and any customer service skills, to show your capability and understanding of what the barback role entails.
- Closing: Express your eagerness to contribute to the team, and your availability for an interview, and thank the employer for considering your application, which shows politeness and your proactive nature in following up on your application.
Key qualities recruiters search for in a candidate’s cover letter
Familiarity with Bar Equipment and Maintenance: Understanding how to use, clean, and maintain bar equipment such as glass washers, ice machines, and keg taps is crucial.
Physical Stamina and Strength: The ability to lift heavy kegs, stand for long periods, and quickly move around a busy bar environment is essential.
Speed and Efficiency: Being able to work quickly to restock the bar, support bartenders during rush hours, and handle multiple tasks simultaneously is highly valued.
Attention to Detail: Keeping inventory, noticing when supplies are running low, and maintaining a clean work environment are all critical tasks that require careful attention.
Strong Communication Skills: The ability to communicate effectively with bartenders, waitstaff, and management to ensure the smooth operation of the bar.
Problem-Solving Ability: Being resourceful and able to handle unexpected situations, like broken equipment or sudden stock shortages, is an important trait for a barback.
Personalizing your barback cover letter salutation
Always aim to address the recruiter from the get-go of your barback cover letter.
Use:
- the friendly tone (e.g. "Dear Paul" or "Dear Caroline") - if you've previously chatted up with them on social media and are on a first-name basis;
- the formal tone (e.g. "Dear Ms. Gibbs" or "Dear Ms. Swift") - if you haven't had any previous conversation with them and have discovered the name of the recruiter on LinkedIn or the company website;
- the polite tone (e.g. "Dear Hiring Manager" or "Dear HR Team") - at all costs aim to avoid the "To whom it may concern" or "Dear Sir/Madam", as both greetings are very old-school and vague.
List of salutations you can use
- Dear Hiring Manager,
- Dear [Company Name] Team,
- Dear [Manager's Full Name],
- Distinguished Search Committee,
- Esteemed Human Resources Director,
- Attentive Selection Panel,
Get creative with your barback cover letter introduction
Recruiters are going to assess plenty of candidate profiles for the role. Thus, anything you do to stand out will win you brownie points.
Use your barback cover letter introduction to share something memorable about your experience.
But before you go down the rabbit hole of creativity and humor, align your message with the company culture.
For example, if you are applying for a role in some startup, use those first two sentences to tell a funny story (about your experience) to quickly connect with the recruiter.
What comes next: your barback cover letter middle paragraphs
In the next three to six paragraphs (or the body of your barback cover letter) you have to prove your unique value.
Most candidates tend to mess up at this stage. They tend to just copy-paste information from their resume.
That's one big no-no.
Remember that when writing your barback cover letter, it has to be personalized. And, your ultimate aim is to catch the recruiter's eye.
So, look back on key job requirements and write down a list that includes the ones you cover.
Next, select just one key achievement from your professional (or personal) history that meets those advert keywords.
Narrate a story around how you've grown your skill set and knowledge. Also, aim to show the unique understanding or soft skills you bring about, thanks to your past success.
Ending your barback cover letter: a closing paragraph with a promise
If you're thinking of finishing your barback cover letter with a "Sincerely yours" or "Thanks for the consideration," you need to read on.
End the final paragraph of your barback cover letter with a twist:
- a promise - of how you'd grow as a professional, part of the company, or improve organizational metrics;
- a call to action - prompt interviewers with some follow-up actions if they are interested in your profile.
A personalized ending would surely help you to stand out by being a memorable candidate.
Which story should you tell in your barback cover letter when you have zero experience
Candidates, lacking professional experience in the field - this one is for you.
Your barback cover letter is an exercise of integrity, honesty, and, above all, spinning a positive narrative around your strengths.
And what better way to capture recruiters' attention than with your most job-relevant achievement (this could be from your internship or volunteering experience)?
Make sure to back up your success with transferrable skills that are relevant to the job (e.g. how your year, studying abroad, has taught you to be more motivated and handle multicultural environments).
Another safe card you can bet on is your career dream: in the body of your barback cover letter, go into the details of how your ambitions would help make the company you're applying for better.
Key takeaways
Winning recruiters over shouldn't be difficult if you use your barback cover letter to tell a story that:
- Is personalized by greeting your readers and focusing on key job skills greets;
- Isn't spread all over the place, but instead focuses on one key achievement and selling your value as a professional;
- Introduces your enthusiasm for the role, passion for the job, or creativity in communication;
- Is also visually appealing - meeting the best HR practices;
- Ends with a nod to the future and how you envision your growth, as part of the company.