suggestions for becoming a bartender?

Question

I have asked a couple of bartenders if schooling is the way to go and they all said NO, to just go look for a job, most people will train you. is this true? The guys I have asked say it would be easy for a cute girl to go in and get a job... but I have absolutely no experience... any suggestions? Thank you

PS I'm 25 and cute :) haha.

Answer 1

first, youre probably not cute since you had to put that in, but thats beside the point. im a server and most bartenders arent just hired off the street, especially those with no experience. best way to do it is become a server first, and work to bartender within that restaurant. if then thats not enough of the bartender experience, gain experience there till you can be hired into a real bar.

Answer 2

I went to a bartenders school almost 9 years ago. I think at the time that it cost me $800 dollars.

Since then, I have trained many bartenders and personally I do not think it was fair. I spent all that money and then trained people for free.

You can get a job where you don't know anything and they will train you. I personally wouldn't have the guts to apply for a job that I didn't know what I was doing.

The people that I ended up training were friends of friends of friends that wanted to do this and they were desperate for other bartenders.

If you are looking for a job in a well known place, I would think that you would have to have qualifications. But, if you don't go for it.

I went to a part time class for 2 weeks and they taught us many things that I'll never use. But, at least I do have the knowledge over others and don't have to look stupid.

Best of luck to you.

Answer 3

Chances are good that your friends are right, although it does depend on whether you're talking about bartending in a place that's just a bar, or in a restaurant, and what sort of a place it is. It's true that most bartenders in restaurants were in other positions there first (or at least that was true for the ten years that I worked in food service). Setting that aside, if you were hired as a bartender in a restaurant, you're almost better off without separate mixology training, as they'll have their own recipes and techniques which you'll have to learn anyway.

If you're talking about a place that's just a bar, like a college bar or a hometown corner bar or something like that, then it depends on the clientele. Your average college bar, sports bar, corner bar sort of place is going to be 90% beer, rum & coke sorts of drinks, and very basic stuff that doesn't require much learning to make. If you're talking about a jazz club or a martini bar or something like that, then you'd actually need some skill and some learning, generally both to mix drinks and to do so with flair.

If you've got the time and the money to take a bartending course, though, don't be afraid to do it just for fun. They're usually a good time, and it's a fun party skill to have (just don't get saddled with bartender duty everywhere you go).

Answer 4

if you go out to the bar and ever watch the bartenders make drinks or you know the basics...you can bartend. plus, alot of bars have bartending books and receipe card files that you could look through when you have down time. im a bartender and everyone has to start somewhere. when you get trained you will most likely be trained on using the till,opening/closing procedures, etc. alot of drinks are self-explanetory anyways. give it a try, youll do fine.

Answer 5

sure give it a try,
the school would make you better faster.