Become a Bartender
Bartending can be an exciting and lucrative job, but it is not right for everyone. Prospective bartenders should be prepared to work odd hours, deal with rude and intoxicated customers, and juggle several different tasks at once. Read on to learn how to pursue this competitive career.
Contents
Steps
Becoming a Bartender
- Meet the requirements. You must be at least 18 years old to work as a bartender, though some states require that you be 19 or 21. Some states also require that bartenders take alcohol awareness classes prior to beginning work. Check with your city/state to clarify the specific requirements.
- Alcohol awareness classes cover DUIs, fake IDs, Blood Alcohol Levels (BAL), serving alcohol to minors, preventing intoxication, and other related issues.
- Do one or both of the following. Some bars hire new bartenders who have completed bartending school, while others prefer to promote their own barbacks/cocktail waitresses to bartending positions.
- Complete bartending school. Each bartending school is different, but most classes will teach you how to prepare hundreds of different kinds of cocktails, deal with intoxicated patrons, prepare garnishes, pour liquor, and differentiate between different types of beer and wine.
- Find a job as a barback or cocktail waitress. Barbacks are bartenders' assistants. Duties include collecting empty glasses, preparing garnish trays, getting ice, wiping down the bar, and restocking supplies. Cocktail waitresses are responsible for delivering alcoholic beverages to patrons in bars, music venues, and other drinking establishments. Both of these positions will give you hands-on experience working in a bar setting and prepare you for a future bartending job. Let your employer know that you are interested in working as a bartender so that he or she can notify you when new positions become available.
- Get practice. Regardless of what route you choose to take, it will take a great deal of practice before you will feel comfortable running a bar on your own. Most bars offer training to new employees and will start new bartenders off working alongside a seasoned bartender in order to gain supervised experience.
- Find work as a bartender. Bartenders can work in a variety of establishments including restaurants, bars, clubs, hotels, casinos, and music venues. Send out your resume to several different establishments in your area and check your local listings for job openings.
- If you already have a job as a barback or cocktail waitress, then set up a meeting with your supervisor to discuss the prospect of being promoted to a bartending position.
Being a Good Bartender
- Know the qualities required of a bartender. Bartending might sound like a fun, carefree job, but it can also be very tiring and stressful at times. Consider whether you have the qualities of a good bartender:
- Strong people skills. Bartending is an extremely social job. You must enjoy being around people of all different backgrounds and be prepared to interact with intoxicated patrons.
- Good memory. Bartenders must memorize the recipes for hundreds of different kinds of cocktails and be able to keep track of which patron ordered what drink. A good memory allows you to remember your regular patrons and their regular orders. Knowing their drinks make them feel important and welcomed. This leads to repeat business and better tips.
- Sales skills. Most bartenders are paid minimum wage and rely on tips to make their money. Friendly, accommodating, and charismatic bartenders are most likely to receive good tips.
- Ability to multi-task. Bartenders often serve several different customers as the same time, and must juggle mixing drinks with counting money and making change.
- Ability to work under pressure. Bartending can be stressful, especially if you work at a busy bar and are the only bartender on duty.
- Deal with drunk patrons appropriately. Bartenders are legally required to refuse service to patrons who are visibly intoxicated. Many bartenders do not realize that they can also be held legally responsible for accidents that may occur to a customer from over serving them. If your drunk customer leaves and hurts themselves or someone else, you and the bar can be held responsible. You will need to learn to recognize when a patron has had enough, and in some instances, ask him or her to leave the bar.
- Intoxicated patrons can become defensive, rude, and even violent when confronted, so it's important that you have an assertive personality and not be too shy to stand up to these kinds of people.
- Update your craft. In addition to learning the "classics," bartenders must also stay up-to-date with new cocktails and be knowledgeable about which kinds of drinks are trending at any given point in time.
Tips
- Be prepared to work during weekends, holidays, and late at night.
- Check with the various bars in your area to determine their requirements. Some bars will hire people with no experience and train them onsite.
- Completing bartending school won't guarantee that you will find a job as a bartender.
