The career opportunities in the craft beverage industry are extensive. Beyond the obvious production jobs, such as brewers, technicians, etc., there is high demand for hiring employees in marketing, sales, administration, and finance. To learn more about the opportunities in the craft beverage industry, check out these helpful guides:
- Wine Jobs: A Comprehensive Guide To Careers In Wine
- Beer Jobs: The Ultimate Guide To A Career In Craft Beer
Every week, more and more resume’s come through our Job Seeker portal, representing eager individuals wanting to find their dream job in one of these competitive categories. With so many resumes and applications, how do you make your experience and qualifications stand out from all the rest? It’s 
actually easier than you think.
In a recent article from Craft Beverage Jobs founder Cindy Molchany, Are You Taking Your Job Search Seriously, she looks at actual CBJ applicants and reviews the Do’s & Don’ts for resumes’ and cover letters. You will be surprised at the number of poorly written and executed documents that are sent to employers these days. A well thought out resume and cover letter can easily rise to the top and get that first phone call that leads to an interview.
Often, the first mistake job seekers make is a failure to understand the role of the employer. When an employer has a job listing to fill, they have a list of qualifications required to do the job. Your first priority is identifying that you meet these qualifications. If your resume does not reflect that your experience is a match, then its file 13 for your paperwork.
When it’s apparent that you meet the qualifications for the job, an employer will begin to look for personal qualities that set you apart from the rest of the job applicants. Sometimes we call this the “x-factor”. Those characteristics that say, “I not only meet the qualifications, but I’ll be a value to your team”. Here are three tips to boost your resume and ensure your potential employer takes notice.
Tip 1 – Avoid Common Resume Mistakes
- Typos and Grammatical Errors – Your resume needs to be mistake free! Spelling and grammar errors can send the wrong message and quickly extinguish any enthusiasm the employer may have had. Take advantage of spell check and grammar apps to help clean up your resume. A couple of free apps that I often use are Grammarly and Hemingway.
- Leaving Off Important Information – If the job listing asks for specific information, don’t leave it out! Often, job listings will ask for specific requirements and qualifications to be highlighted. It is very important to follow through with these instructions. In addition, don’t discount the value of the “small stuff”. The skills gained from part-time jobs you took to earn extra money for school are important to employers.
- Incorrect Contact Information – When you add your contact information, make sure it’s correct! A strong resume has little value if the employer tries to contact you with a phone number or email that is incorrect. This may seem elementary, but it happens more often than you think. The best rule of thumb – check your contact information twice and then check it again!
Tip 2 – Establish Your Authority
- Highlight Commendations – Resume’s are great because you get to talk about you! Don’t be shy when letting the reader know when you’ve been honored in education, work, or social activities. Commendations or awards, let the employer know that others have recognized your efforts and cared enough to document them publicly.
- Highlight Leadership Roles – Highlighting leadership roles lets the employer know, “I have experience as a leader”. These opportunities tell an employer you have experience accepting responsibility and can bring management skills to the company. These are management skills the company doesn’t have to teach or train. This makes you more valuable than a competing resume.
- Highlight Success Stories – Accomplishments Over Duties! Instead of listing tasks or duties, highlight how you accomplished those duties. Employers are less concerned with your duties and more interested in how you accomplished meeting or exceeding your goals.
Duty – As a sales manager, I increased sales by 20%.
Accomplishment – Through building relationships with my vendors, I was able to increase sales by 20%.
Tip 3 – Get Personal
- Avoid a “one-size-fits-all” Resume – Employers can easily spot a generic resume. A generic, or one-size-fits-all resume is one that generalizes your objective and qualifications. This sends the message that your resume was designed for bulk distribution, not for that specific employer. It’s a quick way to get your resume tossed in the trash can.
- Define Your Objective – When an employer reads your resume objective, make it obvious that your interested in their specific job listing. This lets the reader know exactly what you want to do and that your familiar with the job. Here is an example of a clearly defined resume objective:
Sales-Marketing position where I can create strategies to expand customer sales, brand development, and improve customer satisfaction. - Give Your Cover Letter Structure – A structured cover letter will help define who you are and guard against any confusion on what you’re looking for in a job. Your cover letter should be structured to accomplish four things:
- Introduce yourself to the employer
- Pitch “you” to the employer
- Convince the employer that your right for the job
- Inviting the employer to consider you for the job
To learn more about a properly structured cover letter, go to our How To Write an Irresistible Cover Letter guide.
Applying these tips to boost your resume may make the difference when applying for your dream job in the craft beverage industry. The industry and the employment opportunities are growing, so while you are here, visit our Job Listings page to view all of the employers ready to hire you today!
Cheers!
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Photo credits:
Letterpress Leadership via photopin (license)
Scrabble – Resume via photopin (license)