HOW AND WHY TO BECOME A BARTENDER
Recently, bartending has become a choice of profession for many, and it has indeed proven to be an exciting and highly rewarding job for those currently in the job. If you are planning to take on a bartending job, you should be prepared for a lot of things such as working odd hours, dealing with rude and insolent intoxicated customers, doing multiple things all at the same time and keeping up a good attitude regardless of what the job throws your way. Sounds challenging, right? There is no job without its challenges, and for you to adequately cope with the challenges of bartending, there should be a “WHY you want to become a bartender?” before you begin to think of “How?”
Continue to find out how to get into this competitive career.
- THE MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS
- Have you attained the minimum bartending age in your location?
All over the world, age requirements for working as a bartender vary across the world. In most places, you only have to be at least 18 years old while in some other places, you have to be aged 21. Before you apply for bartending jobs, you should check out the age requirement for bartenders in your location.
- Take any relevant and required courses.
In some states, bartenders are required to take alcohol sale courses before taking up any bartending employment. Find out the requirements in your state or city. Alcohol sales or awareness courses include Blood Alcohol Levels, Fake IDs, DUIs, preventing intoxication, serving minors, alcohol, etc.
- Attend Bartending School if necessary.
There are different bartending schools, and different states have their specific requirements for people looking for bartending jobs. If your location or the establishment you want to work requires having a bartending certificate from a certified bartending school, then you should go to a bartending school. A bartending school will prepare you for the job, teach you the basics about mixing and serving drinks, teach you the necessary human relations skills to deal with intoxicated patrons, teach you about various types of wine, cocktails, and beer.
You can skip this entirely if it is not necessary in your city or state and you should also note that attending a bartending school is not the same as job experience. If an establishment requires you to have prior experience as a bar-back or waiter, you will still have to pay your dues regardless of your certificate.
- Get a job as a cocktail waiter or waitress or a bar-back
Bar-backs work as assistants to bartenders and is one of the best ways to gain some experience and learn at the same time. The duties of a bar-back include getting ice, collecting empty glasses, wiping the bar, preparing garnish trays and restocking the bar. Waiters and waitresses do the job of delivering drinks and beverages to the guests in the bar.
Put in quality work so that you can stand out and be up for promotion soon enough. You should also notify the employer that you would like to take up a job as a bartender so that you can be considered first when there is a job opening.
- APPLYING FOR BARTENDING JOBS
- Prepare a simple and straightforward resume
Most hiring managers only give resumes a quick look, and this is why you should keep it simple and straightforward. Your resume should contain your name and contact details, languages and special skills, education, work experience, and referees.
- Submit your resume along with your application
As a bartender, you can work in casinos, restaurants, hotels, bars, clubs, and general entertainment establishments. Watch out for bartending vacancies in these establishments and submit your resume with your application. Check local listings too for regular job openings. If you already have a job as a waiter or bar-back, discuss with your current employer or supervisor about your promotion when a bartending position becomes open.
Attend interviews when you get invited. Make sure you be yourself and present yourself as a hardworking and professional individual passionate about the job. Get to the interview early, dress well, and make a good impression of yourself. Answer all questions directly and honestly. If you can do prior research about the establishment, it could be a plus for you. It’s normal to be nervous, so keep calm if you get nervous.
- Learn about what makes a good bartender.
Bartending may seem like a fun, enjoyable job that does not require any special skills but bartending requires a lot of physical and mental skills. It can be demanding, tiring, and stressful. Ensure you have the skills and qualities to handle the job. You must be able to work under pressure and multitask.
- Have excellent people skills
A bartender must be very sociable and be able to interact with people with a smile and keep them entertained.
- Excellent Sales Skills and Memory.
As a bartender, you will have to know hundreds of recipes for drinks and beverages by heart and be able to remember what every person in the bar ordered for. Your memory must be excellent so you can know what some regular customers order every time they come to your bar. Knowing their regular orders makes them feel welcome and important.
- Handle drunk patrons and guests appropriately
As a bartender, you are required by the law not to serve customers or patrons who are intoxicated. A lot of bartenders do not know that they are legally responsible for any accident occurs to a customer from serving them with too many drinks. If your drunk patron leaves your bar and gets involved in an accident, you and the bar can get fined. So, what do you have to do?
- Know when a customer has had enough drinks. You can ask them to leave once you see they are nearing their alcohol limit threshold.
- Intoxicated customers can get rude, violent, or defensive. So you should have a personality that can tackle these kinds of behaviors.
v. Keep improving and updating your craft.
You have to keep learning and updated about new cocktails and recipes as well as what kind of drinks are trending and well-loved at a particular time.
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