In the United States, you don’t have to be legal drinking age in many states to be a bartender. [2] X Research source If you’re not old enough to be a bartender yet, you can still work on your skills. Start learning drink recipes. You could also start working in a restaurant or bar as a barback or server to get experience.
If you’re in the US, try to find a bartending program licensed by your state’s Department of Education. This shows that a program is legitimate. If you’re considering bartending school, schedule a visit before paying. See the school and meet some of the instructors to decide if they’re professional and knowledgeable about the industry. They should also use a professional textbook and class materials. This way, you can avoid getting scammed. There are also many online bartending programs, but be careful with these. Investigate them thoroughly to make sure they aren’t scams. If possible, try to talk with people who completed the program to make sure they were able to get a job afterward. Bartending school usually costs a few hundred dollars, whether in-person or online.
Don’t just practice making drink recipes. Work on learning how to make garnishes for the drinks as well. This is important for cocktails, especially at fancier bars.
Some of the most common cocktails are a dark and stormy, old fashioned, negroni, daiquiri, martini, whiskey sour, margarita, and Moscow mule. [6] X Research source If you commit these recipes to memory, you’ll probably have all the necessary knowledge to land a job. It’s easy to find recipes online to study. You can also get a bartending book full of recipes. Remember to look up common bar terms too, like “neat” and “on the rocks,” so you know what customers are asking for.
If you don’t feel like you’re naturally outgoing, you can always practice this skill. Try setting up a mock bar at home and serving friends and family to improve. You also might make a mistake while you’re working. This is completely normal. Just get ready to apologize to the customer and fix your mistake. Remember that you also have to be firm sometimes. Customers who have been drinking can get rude or rowdy. Be ready to cut them off if they’re drunk, or kick them out of the bar if they’re acting inappropriately.
Common skill these courses teach are checking IDs, spotting fake IDs, recognizing when someone is drunk, and other issues that might come up while you’re working. Not all bars require this license, but it could make you a stronger candidate if you have it. Some states also offer more comprehensive bartender certifications, which are similar to a certificate from bartending school. Some higher-end bars might require these credentials.
You can usually start working as a barback without any experience or certifications, so consider getting this job while you’re working on your bartender certifications.
Always remember to include your contact information on your resume! This seems so simple, but people sometimes forget. If you don’t have specific bartending experience, be sure to highlight any customer service jobs you’ve had. Being a server, cashier, host, or helpdesk worker can show that you know how to work with people and take care of customers. Remember that the average person will spend less than a minute looking at your resume. Make sure that someone scanning it quickly can see all of your experience.
Remember to have your resume handy in case the manager asks for it.
Remember to adjust the location settings to the area you want to work in. Otherwise, you’ll have to sift through a lot of postings nowhere near you. Since applying online is easy, you’ll probably have a lot of competition for these postings. You should combine this method with applying in person as well.
Be prepared because the manager may want to interview or test you right there. Try to visit the bar at a less busy time, like mid-afternoon. If you come it any a busy time, the manager won’t have any time to talk to you. If you know anyone that works at a local bar, let them know you’re looking for work. They could put in a good word for you with the manager.
Remember that this might be different if you’re interviewing at an upscale bar. Bartenders in these places often wear ties and dress pants, so dress appropriately for the interview. A good rule of thumb is to try and dress a bit more formally than the bartenders working at the bar.
Try to make the interview with the manager conversational. This will make them like you as a person and they’ll be more willing to hire you. If the manager asks why you want to work at this bar, say something like “This is just the perfect atmosphere that I work well in. I can tell that the customers and staff are all people that I can get along with, and I can really do my best work here. " The manager might try to make the interview tough or stressful for you. This is probably a test to see how you handle pressure, so remain calm and friendly throughout the whole process, even if it’s stressful.
The manager will probably ask you how you’d handle some hypothetical scenarios, like remembering drink orders for a very large group or spotting a fake ID. Try to anticipate all of the situations you might come across on the job and have good answers for them. Have a few stories ready about when you had to resolve conflict, like needing to kick a drunk patron out of a bar. These are situations that will probably come up on the job, so the manager wants to know you can handle it. Say something like, “I remember once a customer came into the bar stumbling, and I could tell he was already drunk. It wouldn’t be right at all to serve him, so I told him he had to leave. When he wouldn’t, I let the bouncer know so he escorted him out. "
You don’t have to be very wordy when you follow up. Just say, “I wanted to thank you again for your time yesterday. I’m still very interested in the job, and I’m hoping to hear back from you soon. "
Come prepared and bring anything that the manager tells you to bring, like pens or bottle openers. Also, dress exactly like they tell you to dress. Stay calm while you’re working your shift. It’ll probably get stressful, and the manager may have scheduled you at a busy time on purpose to see how you perform. Just remember all of your skills and experience to work through it. Remember to work well with everyone else on shift at that time. Being a bartender means being part of a team, so contribute to that team as much as you can.
