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How to Get a Bartending Job
By Brian J Williams | December 31, 2009
Looking for a bartending job can become a frustrating experience. There are many myths about what it takes to get a bartending job. If you really want a bartending job, there are truly only 2 requirements, a warm personality and a great attitude. Everything else can be taught. So don’t believe the widespread myths below.
You can’t get a job without bartending experience. There are many situations in which a bar owner or manager would actually prefer to hire someone without bartending experience. If you can show that you are responsible and a good employee you have a chance to get the job. Many owners are tired of bartenders with a bad attitude and worse habits. Teaching the details of the job is easy compared with trying to teach a good attitude.
Bartenders need to know hundreds of drink recipes. This is a myth that bartenders love to perpetuate. The truth is that most bars only use 20-30 different drinks and if you don’t know how to make it you can refer to a recipe book behind the bar. The 20-30 drinks most often served in your bar you will need to memorize but serving them is the easiest way to do this. You don’t need to memorize a book. Most drinks are evolutions of an old classic, so if you know about 10 basic recipes you can build your knowledgebase of drinks off of that.
The busy nightclubs are where the money is. Some of the busiest bars are actually the worst ones to work in. You don’t get the chance to get to know your customers so they often tip very low. You also have to split your tips with lots of other bartenders. Low tips combined with lots of fingers in the pot do not usually add up to lots of money. Slower neighborhood bars and small restaurants often outperform busy nightclubs when it comes to bartender tips, and the job is more enjoyable.
You have to learn the ropes as a barback or server first. Bartenders usually have the most responsibility and authority among the front of the house staff. This doesn’t mean you have to work your way into that position. Some owners may insist that you barback first but this will only be when you haven’t made them believe what a great bartender you will be. Keep trying to convince them before you take the barback job. Sometimes they just want to see if you will fight for it.
You have done your duty if you fill out the job application. Don’t stop with the job application. Have a relevant and compelling cover letter and resume ready to go also. Getting a bartender job is about getting the owner to consider you a friend. Use a cover letter and resume to put your best foot forward and display your personality. Then the interview will be a whole lot easier.
You have to go to bartending school and be certified to bartend. It absolutely drives me crazy when I hear people repeating this myth. It is almost always a recruiter for bartending schools. In my 15 years in the business I have to meet a bartender who went to bartending school. Truth is that most bartending schools are scams. They will teach you how to make drinks but you can learn that on your own for nothing but a little time. Bartending schools usually charge upwards of $800 on the promise of job placement after you complete the course. Before you register for a bartending school ask them for reference of former students. If they truly can place you in a job after graduation they should have hundreds of willing references. If they can’t provide the references then turn and run, they are trying to steal your money.
You need to know somebody in order to get a bartending job. This is true if you mean that you need to meet the owner or manager of the bar. You should use your cover letter and resume to introduce yourself and the interview to solidify the job. If you can make the owner feel like your friend, they will know you are a good bartender. And if they like you, your chances of landing the job will go up too. Don’t worry about who else you know, just get to know the owner or manager and you will get the job.
Don’t complicate your bartending job search by buying into the myths above. If you truly want to make your job search easy then stay persistent and believe in yourself. Hundreds of aspiring bartenders get a job every day, and many of them didn’t have any previous experience. Stop believing in what other people tell you and go find out for yourself. You just might end up with a great new bartending job.
Brian has hired dozens of bartenders, many who had no previous experience. His free How to Become a Bartender newsletter exposes the myth of previous experience. He can help you find your first bartending job.
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