Bartending Jobs: Start Your Career as a Bartender

You won’t find it too difficult to get a bartending job if you have a certificate from a bartending school and enough experience. Still, applying for a bartending job is not easy, since thousands of young people are also doing it. You have to have both experience and education to immediately get hired as a bartender.

How to Get Hired as a Professional Bartender

The bartender is in charge of many things, including taking care of customers’ needs, and maintaning the supplies in the bar’s inventory. The employer won’t hire you if he thinks that you don’t have enough skill and experience to be trusted with these things. After all, wine bottles alone cost thousands of dollars, so they have to be sure that the bartender is perfect in handling supplies. Here are other things that employers are looking for in a bartender:

• Bartending certificate: Bartending certificates are offered by both brick and mortar and online bartending schools. You can get your own certificate after you complete one to two weeks of bartending training. The schedules of brick and mortar schools are more regular than online schools, but some of them also accept adjusted schedules. Online schools have more flexible schedules, and you can study in the comfort of your home. Once you finish the program, the online school sends you the certificate or provides a link where you can download it yourself. You then have to print that certificate, so you can show it to employers.
• Complete bartending skills: Brick and mortar schools are generally better than online schools because they offer face-to-face interaction with an expert instructor. They also have a complete set of facilities that you can use to mix drinks, and identify beverages. Online schools are usually limited to subjects about customer service and tip maximization. It’s difficult to learn mixing techniques through online schools because the instructor can’t directly point out your mistakes. During the job interview, the employer would ask about these skills, and he would prefer that your bartending skills are complete.
• Pleasant personality: Many bars are famous for their wise bartenders who can offer precious advice to different customers. While it’s hard to learn this skill in school, you can always practice being a friendly guy when you’re already working either as a bartender or as a barback. The best bartenders are well-rounded in all subjects, including road directions, sports trivia, and relationship matters.
• Drink mixing: Employers today are increasingly looking for bartenders who can do fancy mixing techniques, also known as “flair bartending” or “flairing.” It’s usually easier to learn these mixing techniques in brick and mortar bartending schools because doing it on your own can result in injury and a lot of broken bottles. Flairing may include flipping and juggling bottles, setting liquors on fire, and even performing magic tricks. If you’re really good at flairing, you can join flairing competitions and be the star of an establishment.
• Lots of experience: Your chances of getting hired as a bartender increase as you gain more experience in the field. While a bartending certificate can get you a long way toward becoming a professional bartender, you can easily lose the job to someone who has years of experience working as a barback. In addition to your certificate, you must work in the field as much as you can, even only as a barback, because this will make your resume more attractive. Some applicants even go through the trouble of being waiters and waitresses first, before they work their way up to become a real bartender.

Where to Find a Bartending Job

Bartending is staple where there’s plenty of nightlife happening. Cities that are nightlife hot spots employ hundreds of bartenders, waiters, and waitresses. Going to such cities is the best way to start your career as a bartender. The following are the famous nightlife cities inside and outside the United States:

• New York City, New York: The Big Apple never sleeps because its nightlife is scene is pumping and on fire 365 days a year. The city has cocktail bars on the Upper East Side, and rowdy bars in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan. New York City is the birthplace of disco, and it’s famous for bars like Bungalow 8 and Studio 54. It’s a challenge to become a part of New York’s nightlife scene, but once you get in, you’re bound to rake in cash. Also, consider applying for a bartending or barback position in hotels and restaurants, so you can gain lots of field experience.
• Miami, Florida: Miami is a nightlife hot spot that is absolutely wild every night. You have to know how to mix mojito in order to get a job as a bartender in this city. Mojito is made of white rum, carbonated water, mint, lime, and sugar. It’s very popular in Miami, where customers drink them to have the energy to dance and go wild all night long. Check out places like Skybar, Mansion, and Nikki Beach to see if they have openings for bartenders or barbacks.
• Las Vegas, Nevada: Vegas is the party capital of the world, and it’s the best place to find a job as a bartender or a barback. In fact, it’s already an accomplishment to get hired as a waiter or waitress in this place. Money flows into Vegas every day of the week, and you’re guaranteed a good pay as long as you do your job well. Consider applying for a waiter position first, then work your way up as a bartender if the pay is really good. Any bar or establishment along The Strip is a good place to work in as a bartender.
• London, United Kingdom: If you live in the UK, then the best place to show your skills as a bartender is London. Be sure to check out clubs in Mayfair, Camden, and South Kensington if they have job openings for barbacks and bartenders. You’re guaranteed huge tips in these places because even Prince William and Prince Harry party at these places. You can also visit the Leicester Square where they hire lots of professionals in the food and beverage industry for hotels and casinos.

Don’t hesitate to invest time and money in your training as a bartender to get hired by the best establishments in the future. You can get into any hotel or bar if you completely develop all your skills and work hard.