Culture of Excellence-the resume

Hello Shop Owners,

When I was on the circuit lecturing at every Coffee Fest in the mid ’90’s one of my most popular seminar topics was how we hired, trained, and inspired baristi to make artisan espresso. Broadly, creating a Culture of Excellence is an infinitely complex affair, but it starts with a resume.

In evaluating a resume it is useful to consider what the job actually is. It is meeting people, listening to them, and creating artistic coffee drinks exactly like they want it, with dazzling efficiency. A barista needs to understand what’s going on with his or her customer with just a glance. Are they in a hurry today? Maybe stressed out or having a tough day? It’s not about you, the barista. It is all about them-the customer. A good barista possesses a high degree of empathy.

The resume needs to reflect this empathy. The applicant that displays some understanding of the pressures of being a busy business owner will prioritize the essential information up front. Employment history is number one and should be the first thing listed in a succinct and easily read chronological order. (We like a background in bartending the best, but any food service will do.) After that education, contact information, and finally hobbies or interests. (For our concept, some artistic interest bodes well for success.)

If a resume is overly photo shopped and cutesy we round-file it. Similarly, listing all the fascinating things they do up front ….jazz musician, endurance athlete, champion dog breeder, merits an instant round file. They have their head up their ass.

A clean resume, organized with an understanding of the demands on a business owners time, is what makes it into the interview at Vivace.