Bartending License

There’s no such thing as a “bartending license” that you have to get before you can become a true bartender. Employers today however, are looking for bartenders with lots of experience and good bartending training. Bartending schools award their graduates with bartending certificates that many employers in the food and beverage industry recognize. Getting a bartending certification helps you get hired as a bartender faster.

Benefits of Being a Certified Bartender

Bartending is a very competitive field because many young people are drawn to this professio. It’s described as a “recession-proof” career. The hourly salary of a bartender is about $5 to $8, plus tips that are about two to four times that amount. Indeed, few jobs let you party for so much money.

You are already one step ahead of other job applicants if you have a bartending certificate. A bartending certification guarantees your employer that you at least have the basic skills that are required of a bartender. These skills include: customer service, mixing drinks, bar magic, and many others. The following are the other benefits of being certified by a bartending school:

• Greater chance of a higher salary: Some bars and hotels do recognize certificates by well-established bartending schools. They may offer you a higher salary if you graduate from a bartending school that has provided them with many brilliant bartenders, barbacks, waiters, and waitresses before. Your chances of getting a higher salary increase even more if you have experience working as a bartender or a barback.
• Easier employability: Many aspiring bartenders today apply for a job without having any experience or training at all. It’s almost impossible for them to get hired by the best establishments, unless they have a good educational background and they’re willing to work their way up from the lowest levels. Having a bartending certificate immediately puts you ahead of these people, especially if your bartending school has a very good reputation.
• Show your specialization: Bartending has a wide range of responsibilities, but their duties are different from that of a barback, a waiter, or a waitress. You’re basically in charge of expensive beverages and alcoholic drinks that you need to distribute to the right people. One mistake and you can cost the bar or hotel thousands of dollars, either by breaking precious champagne bottles or giving drinks to underage people. Studying in a bartending school guarantees your employer that you know all the basics of bartending, and that you are a “safe investment.”
• Be a full-fledged bartender: The best brick and mortar bartending schools will equip you with all the skills and knowledge you need to become a successful bartender. Online bartending schools are also good, but the complete equipment and face-to-face interaction you get from brick-and-mortar bartending schools will prove more useful when you’re already immersed in the field. A bartending certification assures your employer that you’ll act professionally when they hire you, and that you’ll know exactly what to do in different bar situations.

Brick and Mortar Schools that Offer Certification

Almost all bartending schools offer certificates to their graduates, so you’ll likely get a certificate whatever school you choose, whether brick and mortar or online. The real trick is to find a bartending school that is well-respected and widely recognized. Here are a few brick and mortar schools you might consider:

• American Bartenders School (Palm Desert, California): The American Bartenders School has been operating for almost 40 years, and has branches in New York, New Jersey, Chicago, and California. The school is well-known in the bartending industry because of their highly skilled graduates. The training they offer lasts for only two weeks.
• ABC Bartending Schools (New York City): ABC Bartending Schools have branches all over the United States. Tony Sylvester, its founder, has been producing excellent bartenders since 1977. The school accepts all students 18 years of age or older. You only have to finish 40 hours of bartending training to become an ABC bartender. The curriculum includes topics on bar equipment, drink mixing, tip maximization, and catering.
• Bartending Academy (Tucson, Arizona): The Bartending Academy in Tucson, Arizona also gives certificates to their graduates. Like other schools, the training lasts for two weeks, although some students finish it earlier. The school’s official website has testimonials written by their successful students already working in the industry.

Online Bartending Schools that Offer Certification

Many online bartending schools award their certificates after their students finish their exams. Some of them send it to their students’ e-mail addresses, others provide links where students can download the certificate. Sometimes, it’s up to the student to print the certificate. Consider the following online schools if you want to train as a bartender:

• Nexgen Bartending School: Nexgen Bartending School requires its students to pass an online bartending test with a mark of 70 percent or higher for them to receive their certification. You can take as much time as you like to complete the program if you have a busy schedule.
• Professional Bartending School: The Professional Bartending School offers a 30-day refund policy, which means you can quit anytime you think their program is not helping you improve. After you finish all their downloadable exercises and tests, you’ll receive their certificate which is recognized by many establishments.
• The Bartending College Online: You can’t go wrong with the Bartending College because its brick and mortar school has been in existence since 1980. The Bartending College Online is just an extension of that service, where students can study bartending in the comfort of their own home. The school also gives its successful students real certificates of completion that many employers recognize.

Wouldn’t it be nice to apply for a bartending job in a big-time establishment with a certificate in your hand? You’ll feel much more confident, knowing that you have all the skills that the employer is looking for. Go and get your bartending certificate now to start your successful career as a bartender.