Bartending Jobs
81Bartending Jobs
Bartending can be be a lucrative and fun career or short term job. Lots of people get into bartending to make extra money or to make quick money while they go to school or start a business. There are, however, lots of different types of bartending jobs.
Bartending jobs can be as informal as working in a small family owned establishment or as structered as working at a Las Vegas casino. The type of bartending job that you will want depends on your personality and your goals.
Bartending Job - Type 1
When you are looking for your first bartending job, an establishment that is small may be a better fit for you than a place with a very high volume. These types of establishments offer you the chance to gain on-the-job experience in a slower paced, less stressful environment. These types of establishments also give you the opportunity to earn great money because you really get to know your customers. Because a bar with lots of regulars can be a goldmine for bartenders, these bartending jobs aren't only for the inexpereinced. If you are new to the business or looking for a place that feels more like a hang-out than a job, a bartending job at a local pub or restaurant is probably the best fit.
I would recommend a job where you can gain on-the-job experience over going to bartending school. Bartending schools offer simulated on-the-job experience and should make you comfortable behind the bar. Most people, however, go to bartending school thinking that the school will place them in a job when they graduate. This isn't neccessarily true. Most schools just don't have those resources. In my 12+ years in the business I have yet to work with anyone who graduted bartending school.
Bartending Job - Type 2
A second type of bartending job would be a job at a medium sized, quicker paced restaurant or bar. These bartending jobs could be at busy chain restaurants, high end bars, small nightclubs, hotels and catering halls. These bartending jobs are also great opportunities to make money but the atmosphere and expectations will be different then at the bartending jobs mentioned above. At these establishments you will have more customers and make more drinks. These jobs are recommended for bartenders who have sharpened their skills and are very efficient behind the bar. You will spend less time talking to your customers and more time making drinks. More drinks and more customers usually means more money but your customer relation skills need to be as efficient as your drink making skills. The caveat to working in these establishments is that you will see most of your customers only once and need to exceed their expectations in order to get a good tip. Lots of these establishments cater to tourists and those on vacation, which can be a good thing because people on vacation usually don't mind spending money. You do need to, however, make sure that they are having a good time.
Bartending Job - Type 3
A third type of bartending job is at very fast paced and large establishments. These are usually large nightclubs and busy casino bars. At these bartending jobs drink making is more important then customer relation skills. Most of these establishments are so busy that the bartenders aren't even expected to converse with the customers. Efficient drink making skills are an absolute must and you hope that your customers appreciate that enough to leave a decent tip. Most of your money at these bartending jobs will be made because you are making a ton of drinks. So while your tip per drink may go down, your overall tips may go up. It depends on how good you are.
There is a technique that some bartenders will use in these fast paced bartending jobs to try and earn bigger tips. This popular technique is called flair bartending. This is when the bartenders do more than just make drinks but also spin, throw and balance their equipment. You may have seen flair bartending on television or the internet as its popularity is on the rise. This technique, however, is difficult to master and most establishments don't want their bartenders throwing glass behind the bar. But the customers do enjoy the show as well as their drinks and this certainly increases tipping. I have included a video below of the TGI Fridays Flair Bartending Championships. Even if you are not interested in one of these bartending jobs the video is entertaining.
Those are basically the three types of bartending jobs. There are many degrees in each category but this should give you a good general idea of what will be expected of you at different types of bartending jobs.
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Thanks. Sounds like you keep good company.
worked in clubs for 20 years. some of my best friends were bartenders, djs and the like. :) good company, indeed.
Hey everyone. I hope you enjoy the hub.
Please don't be shy and feel free to post a comment.
I want your feedback. What do you want to know about bartending jobs?
I'll do my best to answer any question you have. This hub is here to serve you.
Take me up on the offer - let's see where it goes
im just starting off in bartening i have no experience and i can't seem to get a job bc everyone wants experience any ideas??
Alisha -
Shoot me an email at brianwilliams@getabartendingjob.com and I'll respond with some ideas. Let me know where you have gone and what your approach has been so far. Also, check out my free newsletter at www.getabartendingjob.com for some great tips.
I've heard that there's usually a certain "type" of people who get bartending jobs. Ie. they have to be good at not only making drinks and have a good memory but they must also be a good conversationalist and are usually good-looking. How much of that is true?
Also, I'm almost 18 and will be attending college at the end of this year but I want to bartend as a part-time job sort of thing. I have no experience whatsoever so do you have any suggestions on how I should approach this?
Thanks :)
Hi Jamie,
You are right about there being a certain type of people in bartending. This doesn't mean that its any more difficult to get a bartending job though. You need to be a good conversationalist in almost any job and being good looking doesn't mean you have to be Americas next top model. You need to enjoy the company and conversation of other people and you need to dress appropriately, be well groomed and have good hygiene. These traits will help you no matter what field you pursue.
If attending college in the fall is the first time you are going to live away from home I DO NOT recommend you go get a bartending job. Moving away and attending school is difficult, you don't want to add the pressure of a late nite job.
Get settled at your new school before you think about a bartender job. In most states you need to be 21 anyway before you can bartend. If you need a job while attending school, look into serving tables, barbacking or hostessing at a restaurant. If you do well they will offer you a bartending job by the time you turn 21.
How to Get a Bartending Job
- How to Become a Bartender
A program that gets you the bartending job you want in 30 days or less. Sign up for the free newsletter to receive tips, techniques and bartending recipes. - The Webtender
The internet's oldest and biggest community of bartenders. Check out their forums for invaluable advice from real bartenders - Bartending Cover Letter
Tips on how to write a great bartending cover letter - Bartending Resume
Learn how to write a bartending resume that will get you the interview even with no experience. - How to Become a Bartender - A Case Study
Find out how one student went from no experience to doubling his day-job income in just 6 weeks!
TGIF Bartending Championships
Bartending for Beginners Blog
- Follow this advice to get a bartending job
How to Get a Bartending Job from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit Bartending positions are highly desirable and equally hard to get. The job itself is fairly simple, but getting one's foot in the door is not. Here's some tips to help you score one of these fun, lucrative jobs. Steps Develop a plan. No matter which steps you decide to implement below, everything is easier with a plan. Getting a bartending job is no different. Write down 5 places you want to work. Get the contact info for the people who are doing the hiring at these five places. Implement the steps below with these five people in mind. There are a lot of myths out there regarding getting a bartending job, like you have to have experience and you have to start as a barback or server. To learn more and read about how to kick start your bartending job search check out this article.How to Become a Bartender Meet the right people. It's all about who you know. If you have a favorite watering hole, find out who the owner is and start talking him/her up. Befriend the bartenders, barbacks, and cocktail waitresses, and let them know you're looking for a bartending job. Tip well, go often, and generally be a happy, useful presence at the bar. Observe bartenders in action. There are little tricks to pouring a good beer, mixing drinks, and saving time behind the bar. Watch how your mixer handles drink orders. Most of it is not rocket science; the most commonly ordered drinks are liquor plus a mixer. Buy drink manuals to learn about the more complex drinks and practice at home. Consider whether you want to go to bartending school. Some say this is a waste of time and money, saying that it costs about $500 and you learn by mixing colored water, not actual alcohol. They teach you outdated drinks like "grasshoppers" that no one orders anymore, and most will claim to help you find a job. These "job leads" are generally terrible dives you wouldn't want to work at anyway. Most real bars will laugh at someone with a bartending school diploma and no actual work experience. Dress the part. If you want a gig at a fancy restaurant, dress professionally. If you want a job at a hip club, dress edgy. If a dive bar gig is fine by you, dress tough. Most bars are going for a certain look or image, whether they tell you that or not. Look for charity guest bartending gigs. Many big cities are now offering this option. You pick a charity, promote the event, and bring your friends in. In exchange, you and a couple friends get trained for the evening and get to mix drinks all night. It's a great way to get some experience and make contacts. If you impress the bar owner, it could lead to a job. Write a great cover letter and resume. Oftentimes a great cover letter and resume is enough to overcome a lack of experience. Some establishments prefer to hire bartenders with no experience because they won't have any bad habits to break. Experienced or not, the cover letter and resume need to be exciting and pop with personality. A great personality and attitude will elevate you above the competition every time. Prepare for your interview properly. Many bartending job applicants go into their job interviews unprepared. If you look at bartending as a quick fix or so easy to do that you don't need to prepare you will not get the job. The best way to prepare for your interview is to write a great cover letter and resume. You will have them to bring to your interview and the process of writing them will better prepare you for the interview. Tips Come up with a plan and take action. Like anything in life getting a bartending job requires some effort. The more you put in the more you will get out. Decide on the type of place you would like to work, build a list of 7 of these establishments. Write a great cover letter and resume and go to these establishments. Call ahead first so you will be speaking to the right person. Have anecdotes and stories ready and entertain when you get there. Good employees are very hard to find. If you can show that you will be a great employee, they will hire you or find someone who will. Do not b.s. as suggested in other areas - tailor your experience to present yourself as a great employee but never lie about it. More real advice like this is available in a "How to Get a Bartending Job" newsletter Catering companies are a good place to start. They are easier jobs to get, if you can b.s. a little bit, and you will learn a lot by doing basic drinks and pouring wine and beer. Become a barback first. Work your way up the ladder. Bussers have a good opportunity to barback, in some bar&grill joints you must become a busser before they consider you for barback. If you plan on going to a bartending school check their Better Business Bureau profile, be sure they guarantee job placement and that they give you a minimum expected pay rate, never pay for an orientation meeting, ever. Related wikiHows How to Get a Job After You've Been Fired How to Be Confident and Outgoing in a Job Interview When You Are Blind or Visually Impaired How to Get a Job How to Find a Job if You Are Disabled How to "Build" a Bar Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Get a Bartending Job. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
- He Doubled His Income by Bartending 2 Nights!
If you are new to bartending or looking for a way to break in the this article is for you.... Please realize that you can do this - Believe in yourself, get off the internet... and go do it! Here's the article: I have been in the restaurant and bar business for over 12 years. The question I am asked the most, by a landslide, is "how do I become a bartender?" I have been asked this question by people already in the restaurant business and people with no experience just looking to make some extra money. I give them all the same answer, "Decide that you want to become a bartender and resolve yourself to doing it."Becoming a bartender is just ......... Read the full article here
- How to Get a Bartending Job with Little or No Experience.
Lots of people want to get a bartending job but don't know how to go about doing it. This article will expose some of the myths of bartending jobs and show you the steps to getting your first bartending job.The first step in getting a bartending job is getting an interview..... Read full Article Here
- Cool Martini Recipes
This is a great resource. I have been getting quite a few requests for specific, hip and cool martini recipes. I thought you would like to check out this recipe list from the folks at Swank Martini. Swank Martini Recipe List Swank sells stuff like martini shakers, glasses and all kinds of bar related stuff. They even have olives! I have a few of their modern martini glasses and they are great at parties but I don't want to get into that. I'm writing to tell you about their Martini Recipe List. They continually update it and its got to have more than 200 recipes on it right now. So if you're having a party anytime soon or want to feature some killer new martinis at your bar then check out Swanks Martini Recipes at: Swank Martini Recipe List I hope you enjoy;) Let me know which ones you like best.
- Persitence is more imprtant than bartending experience
I thought you might like to hear one of my all-time favorite quotes: Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; un-rewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. - Calvin Coolidge Whenever I start to feel defeated I read that quote. Thinking back, persistence is how I produced the Seven Secrets Program. Persistence is how I went from busboy to Food and Beverage Director. Persistence is how I convinced my wife to marry me. Everything that I have ever gained that is of value to me; I gained through persistence. So, if times are getting tough or you just need a little inspiration just remember those words from our 30th president. Thank you for reading and Good Luck, Brian Williams getabartendingjob.com











Iðunn says:
2 years ago
neat hub. I know many bartenders, they tend to be grand people.