Starting out...

How did you get your start doing bartender work, and what career moves did you make to get to your current position?

Do you need a particular educational background?

I know some bartenders are gonna laugh but I went to bartending school. They helped get a job in a sports bar, then I moved on to a club ( made 200-400 per busy shift.) I thought it was easy. It didnt' have to "work my up" as a barback or server either.

One thing about bartending schools: They're not alike. I shopped around and found prices ranging from over $1,000 to $400.00 and NO the more expensive school was not the best (kinda a dump) it was the cheaper school that was the best. SHOP AROUND!

there are a LOT of misconceptions out there about bartending. It's not hard. You don't have to be "lucky" to get a job...just go out and look. Keep applying and you'll get hired.

Williams Hills in Los Angeles, California said: I know some bartenders are gonna laugh but I went to bartending school. They helped get a job in a sports bar, then I moved on to a club ( made 200-400 per busy shift.) I thought it was easy. It didnt' have to "work my up" as a barback or server either.

One thing about bartending schools: They're not alike. I shopped around and found prices ranging from over $1,000 to $400.00 and NO the more expensive school was not the best (kinda a dump) it was the cheaper school that was the best. SHOP AROUND!

there are a LOT of misconceptions out there about bartending. It's not hard. You don't have to be "lucky" to get a job...just go out and look. Keep applying and you'll get hired.

Hi i am interested in bartending but i cant afford the school .Any thoughts?

I have a few questiones about bartending for a school project and if anybody could answer them it would be awsome

1. How did you get into bartending?
2. What kind of schooling do you need to be a bartender?
3. On average what’s the salary like?
4. What are the pros and cons of being a bartender as a profession?
5. What are the differences between bartender, trick/flair bartending and mixologist?
6. How old do you have to be to bartend in Washington State?
7. What’s your favorite drink to make?
8. Do you make a lot in tips?
9. What types of things do you do working as a bartender
10. Do you enjoy your job?

1. My roomates suggested it to me so I went to a bartending school.
2. Best to go to a GOOD school. Check 'em out first. They're not all the same...most are crappy.
3. usually min wage but the tips are good.
4. Pros: Great money. Cons: Dealing with drunks & fights on occasision.
5. A bartender is someone who knows "service" as well as drinks recipes (Mixologist), flair bartending is flipping bottles...which is NOT bartending.
6. 21
7. I like making Cosmos. I think it's my best drink. Or AppleMartinis.
8. YES
9. Everything from making drinks, cleaning, inventory, checking I.D.'s, Monitoring the bar, etc..
10. I love it. For someone who didn't go to college I've been around the world and seen things professional people only talk about. I think I've learned a LOT being a bartender. The world is one big university.

I have been a bartender for 17 years. I make roughly 75K a year working 35 hrs. per week. The work can be demanding physically and stressful, but, compared to other jobs I've had (labor and sales), a great career. Downside is there is no upside. I can make as much after 15 yrs. as the guy/girl they hire tommorrow. Also, age discrimination is huge in the food-bev business. Advice=don't get hung up on how to make drinks (3% of job), dealing with customers (personality), is what it takes. Be honest and caring (which can be tough sometimes - believe me), and always ready to SERVE. You take a lot of crap behind the bar but blow it off. A good way to start is in the banquet beverage area. Hotels always need on-call people who are able to work Saturday nights. If no bartending shifts are available, ask for a barback position. Barbacks become bartenders within 6 mo. plus make decent ($15 hr.) working.

"...there are a LOT of misconceptions out there about bartending. It's not hard. You don't have to be "lucky" to get a job...just go out and look. Keep applying and you'll get hired"

Thanks a lot for your comment, this help me a lot!

just go out lookin but dont look to hard becase maybe your hometown or your favorite bar are hireing so just ask around and find a good school cause i am racently paying 400.00$ for my school is is a very nice school

Host said: How did you get your start doing bartender work, and what career moves did you make to get to your current position?

Do you need a particular educational background?

take a p/t job as a server in a restaurant and just watch and learn as you go.server money is actually decent too,and the bartender is always the last person to leave.....if you dont mind working till 3 a.m 5 nights a week,this can be a lucrative gig.but its not for everyone.and there are many responsabilities associated with this position.

After bartending in NYC for a few years now, I would suggest you shop around for the best school to attend before dropping $500-$1000 for a course. Be sure that bartending is for you, and that you can handle the late nights and drama often associated with it. When you are ready to begin, find a local pub/bar near your place and begin helping out there. Even if you are only a barback or the pay is minimal, you need to get in somewhere. Remember, you are not working for your first job, you are working for your <b>next</b> job. When you have a few months of experience and ready to jump to the next step, begin looking for places you might want to work at and see their employment status. Do they need someone? Are all the bartenders a certain gender, where you might not be able to bartend no matter your ability? What is the clientèle like? Remember, younger partiers may go out more often but tend to tip less, where older crowds may be more sporadic but leave you more per drink. Once you found the location you want to work at, and determine whether or not you need schooling, begin to look at all the options. I am biased towards my school, The Academy of Professional Bartending (www.ezbartending.net), because that is where I went. (Sorry for the shoutout, they are great people and want to thank them). See what each school offers, their prices, location, time, etc. After finding the best school for you, see if you can go one class for free, which most offer. Make sure your school has lifetime job placement and has connections with good bars in your area. Complete the school and use your networking skills to the max. If you follow these steps you should be in good shape for your first real bartending job. Good luck!

hang out on a slow night at a local bar & talk to the bartender what are the main drinks they serve. pubs and dance clubs have extremely easy drink lists.
don't be an ass and make the bartender tell you whats in every drink just write down on a notepad the most common drinks then when you get home look up the ingredients for everything and make a drink list including ingredients. Now that you've leaned the majority of the drinks start applying as barback/bartender at any of your local bars and be persistent. When you go for the pos. tell whomever you bartend but will barback until a pos. is available. You are the definition of a hard worker. Barbacks work really hard and should be respected just like a bartender but they never get that respect. Once you start pouring drinks or getting more hands on experience start applying for bartending pos. at other places. I worked my way up. It was valuable experience.

Host said: How did you get your start doing bartender work, and what career moves did you make to get to your current position?

Do you need a particular educational background?

It takes a certain type of person to be a good bartender. I started at 21, now 27 and still going strong. I feel like I have done so much growing behind the bar. I have become better and better every year. I did the chain restaurants (thats where i got my start), I did a happy hour saloon in downtown where many lawyers and county officials daily visited. I did a mexican restaurant, I did owner operated local hot spots, banquet bartending (weddings, kinces, family reunions, office christmas parties, high school reunions, etc), hotel bartending, and now I bartend at a pool bar-- love it. I have loved every place I worked at, honestly. It IS like being an actress. You need to appeal to everyone who sits at your bar to make the best money, so you are constantly self adjusting and finding how you can fit with people. Its actually fun. Everyone wants to make friends and if I kept every business card I would have a shoebox completely full. Every night as I dump out my tip jar, the cards and numbers get thrown away, most often without even thinking. But its not that I dont truly like the people, there are many people that I will never forget and I have met so many cool characters over the years. It has helped me realize what I like in people and what I want to portray in myself. Bartending and the relations with others has given me a lot of clarity with life. Ive worked with awesome bartenders, and really sucky bartenders. My advice for any bartender is to be yourself. Even as an actress/actor and PEOPLE PLEASER, you can still be real and let YOU shine through. Those who are phoney, arrogant, cocky, conceited, or are doing it for attention or girls, never make it big, or long

thanks soooo much bartenders for sharing info on all of the postings... it has really given me confidence to go out there and land that bartending job!

I'm thinking of going into bartending for financial reasons and because I've found that I'm pretty good at selling extras at restaurants. I've found the questions and comments here very helpful. I'm hoping I can find a local school to go to since I'm a hands on learner unless I can find a bar or restaurant that'll hire me and I learn as I go which is my best way of learning. At the moment I'd be happy to get a positon as a "bar back" to learn about this as a career.

i like to go to the employment sites that are geared towards our industry. i've been hooked on www.fiestajobs.com lately. marriot posts there with some other big guys....

If you have no experience and are young I would start by getting my foot in the door as a barback. See how the long nights work for you and your life style. See how quickly you can pick it up through on the job training/experience. I went to bartending school and was not impressed at all. There were too many in the class so I took my own time and came in after hours to get more practice. They had the TABC (Texas) training apart of it so it cost me more like $100 for it when I can do it online or outside of the school for $25. Some of the information given to us in the training "material" was straight from the web. My externship ended up to be sitting at a restaurant they directed me to for 2 hours (which I paid them for & got paid $0) and doing nothing. Although while I was watching the bar I saw they did nothing like what the school was teaching us. The school can teach you what they call the "right" way of doing things but in real life at the various places you will do it "their" way which might be quite different. So for me I don't think the school are worth it unless you are 18 and have no prior experience working in any real job.

rose in Orlando, Florida said: Hi i am interested in bartending but i cant afford the school .Any thoughts?

Well, personally I got a bartending book off line and I have been bartending now for 3 yrs. Bartending school is a rip off. you can learn the same things at home. I had to study at home because I work and go to FSU. A lot of people I talk to on line who want to become a bartender are ordering this bartending book to. Its a step by Step book for someone who is wanting to learn how to bartend. I am so glad I ordered it it was the best and most complete book, and easy to follow book I have ever read. check it out. good luck hope this helped. Sara the book its- BartendingExposed.com

Host said: How did you get your start doing bartender work, and what career moves did you make to get to your current position?

Do you need a particular educational background?

I was a bartender for 4 years I started out with no clue except working at a waitress. You have to be out going, and attractive to make money. It is easy to learn. Main thing is to read the books on drinks. One book that is good is bartending for dummys. It teaches what the differents in well drinks, bourbons, and liquor, etc.

Take a look at this article. It might help.

www.squidoo.com/How-To-Get-a-Bartending-Job

One option is you can go to bartending school. I wouldn't recommend it. I would either start off on slow day shifts or get a barback position. You can learn a lot barbacking and be promoted easily. Experience always trumps bartending school. The school will not teach you the reality of the business. It's not all about knowing the drinks, i've been bartending for 5 years know and I'm still learning new drinks. It's about customer service and how you present yourself. Be confident(not to be confused with cocky), professional, and understanding. You will have to put with with uneasy customers, that's part of it.

Bartending is tough to make a career out of. Save your money!!! Use it as a way of possibly opening your own business of somekind.

Host said: How did you get your start doing bartender work, and what career moves did you make to get to your current position?

Do you need a particular educational background?

Nope, check out www.barninja.com and take the classes and you can learn everything they would teach you in a bartending school. Then try bar careers placements or get a job serving in an establishment until a bartending position opens.

well, i would love to be a bartender. And what? cant find anything. I have a feeling that people, after looking at my application and see no experience dont wanna deal with me, or maybe because of my accent (im not from US). So, i dont know, maybe i am not lucky?
and btw, i went to bartending school, paid 300$ (which is not bad). At least i make drinks at home when friends coming over.
keeping looking for a job anyway.

you should try hotel bartending, it would be much easier being from another country, with an accent. just be confident during interview and let them know, you know, what you're doing (even if you don't, its okay) try large hotels that cater to international travelers. also, maybe try picking a restaurant or bar that has influence from your country. you would think that would give you the upper hand and make the experience for the guest more traditional. (ex, if you are latin, try a mexican bar or restaurant; if you are irish, try an irish pub. this could be your gateway). one thing about this business, you gotta use what u got. good luck

Williams Hills in Los Angeles, California said: I know some bartenders are gonna laugh but I went to bartending school. They helped get a job in a sports bar, then I moved on to a club ( made 200-400 per busy shift.) I thought it was easy. It didnt' have to "work my up" as a barback or server either.

One thing about bartending schools: They're not alike. I shopped around and found prices ranging from over $1,000 to $400.00 and NO the more expensive school was not the best (kinda a dump) it was the cheaper school that was the best. SHOP AROUND!

there are a LOT of misconceptions out there about bartending. It's not hard. You don't have to be "lucky" to get a job...just go out and look. Keep applying and you'll get hired.

Thank you for your input. I live in Anchorage, Alaska and will be starting bartending school soon. There is only one bartending school in Alaska so I don't have a lot of options. The school here costs $800.00 but has a solid reputation & is known to assist w/ job placement. I hope all goes well.

young america in Houston, Texas said: I am thinking about going to bartending school. How hard it is to be a bartender? I am a quiet person. Do I need to talk much to be a bartender?

I'm not necessarily load but I'm not quiet either. I think you'll need to come out of your shell a bit in order to bond with your customers. You don't have to be load and crazy, but try to be a bit more extroverted.

Chan in Anchorage, Alaska said: I'm not necessarily load but I'm not quiet either. I think you'll need to come out of your shell a bit in order to bond with your customers. You don't have to be load and crazy, but try to be a bit more extroverted.

loud*

My age (56 ) and background checks are the things that will prevent me from going ahead with my plans for becoming a bartender I believe.

Has anyone out there got any experience with this ? I retired too early and am really looking forward to this.

Thanks for any input !!!

I went to bartending school and I LOOOOOVED it. I went in there knowing NOTHING, just like everyone else in my group...and after 8.5 hours a day for 5 days, I cant even believe how much I have learned. I would definitely recommend going to bartending school. Make sure you find a GOOD school. I JUST finished this past friday, and I went into a go-go bar and asked the owner if they were hiring bartenders. He told me to come back tomorrow and get behind the bar and work a few hours! So this proves a point: don't just search on craigslist for places that need bartenders. Make a list of bars that you think you would like to work at, and go to them in PERSON and talk to the owner/manager about a possible job. It is waaaay easier to get a job in this type of industry then people might think. Also, you can buy mixing kits, which is a really great idea if you want to get your feet wet with private events first before working at a bar. Make some business cards...set them up in front of your bar when you are working at your private event, and Im positive people will take your cards and word of mouth will help get you some private events to bartend at.

Host said: How did you get your start doing bartender work, and what career moves did you make to get to your current position?

Do you need a particular educational background?

Hello question man. Well there are different ways to become a bartender. I went through vocational training program with the USBA. They have a great book, an instructional dvd and a test. You get certified by them and helped out with job placement. I was with them for two months and now I am really making the type of money I wanted to make. Their about $100.00. What a bargain. I got their profile builder for 9.00 per month and the bar contacted me. Now I work at the blue laguna. Their website is www.bartendingbartenders.com

young america in Houston, Texas said: I am thinking about going to bartending school. How hard it is to be a bartender? I am a quiet person. Do I need to talk much to be a bartender?

I went to the USBA bartending training course. It was a hundred bucks and I learned a ton. Give them a call they even help place you into jobs. www.bartendingbartenders.com
I do not think that age is a big deal.

Paul

Most bars do not perform background checks for bartenders and servers. If you need to learn how to bartend go to www.barninja.com They have tons of information on bartending and learning to bartend.
-Mike

gerader schoolldagotts in Crystal River, Florida said: My age (56 ) and background checks are the things that will prevent me from going ahead with my plans for becoming a bartender I believe.

Has anyone out there got any experience with this ? I retired too early and am really looking forward to this.

Thanks for any input !!!

Barbacking is a great way to get into a high volume bar, which is the place you will find the most income. If you prove your self as a hard worker they will give you a chance. That's how we hired in most high volume establishments I have worked at. If you need more information on learning to bartend check our www.barninja.com They have tons of info.
-Mike

Hector G. in Lakeland, Florida said: I'm thinking of going into bartending for financial reasons and because I've found that I'm pretty good at selling extras at restaurants. I've found the questions and comments here very helpful. I'm hoping I can find a local school to go to since I'm a hands on learner unless I can find a bar or restaurant that'll hire me and I learn as I go which is my best way of learning. At the moment I'd be happy to get a positon as a "bar back" to learn about this as a career.

There are a lot of great comments above. I'm not going to refute what some of the experienced people above have said. We operate several bartending schools; one of them at www.bartending-school.com has been the premier school in the Washington DC/Maryland/Virginia area for decades. Another one at bartendingschoolpittsburgh is the only Pennsylvania bartending school that includes the state preferred alcohol management program as part of its course: RAMP. That school also includes a national program, TAM. We do things right.

You can become a bartender in a lot of ways, including on the job training and through a bartending school. There are clear advantages to a good school. One of them should be realistic training with bartenders with vast experience; the other should be active job placement assistance with real leads. We provide both.

Over the years one thing that has changed are the number of places that provide quality training for bartenders. That number has definitely shrunk. The quality of on-the-job training is far less than it once was.

A second way to really develop is to apprentice or learn from quality experienced bartenders. I can't emphasize how much you can learn in that fashion while on the job.

One other thing that we see all the time from commentators is how bars/clubs/restaurant managers won't hire from schools.

Having owned a bar, hired bartenders and managers and fired bartenders, let me say that isn't true. We actually found very good reasons for hiring people out of a school, when we owned a bar, and conversely we have explained to owners and managers benefits that will help them with our grads.

We don't give those secrets out...but we did build a small bar into the killer in its market by very sound business reasons....and one small part of it had to do with hiring fresh bartenders from schools.

Good luck in how you proceed.

Host said: How did you get your start doing bartender work, and what career moves did you make to get to your current position?

Do you need a particular educational background?

Well at the time it wasn't my intention to be a bartender, it kinda happen over night . i didn't have a job my wife was the bread winner. I needed to some way provide. so a friend of minds call me one evening and told me he was heading to a local bar and asked if I wanted to come... it was silent then he said he was paying ..lol I said cool. so we get there and i seen a old friend Gary as a bartender so i walked over to say how's it going .. he was telling me that he's been bar tending for about 6 months only and that he loved it and it was easy money for him. so i was very intrigued I asked how did you find out about mixing drinks and the whole run down and so forth, he said "the internet"
he said he took a course got certified and got job soon after.

So i did the same 3 years later here I am! I'm loving it easy money and its not hard at all.

if your interested go to google and research, you'll find so much info that way. and if wanna know about about the drink mix process go to www.audiodrinks.com here you can download a free trial of audio drinks mixes on your Mp3 or iphone. very useful tool!

good luck freedie O

Host said: How did you get your start doing bartender work, and what career moves did you make to get to your current position?

Do you need a particular educational background?

im a military wife and im only 20 (been married almost 4 and half years) but here in texas you can serve at age 18

i started bartending at 18 not knowing what i was doing, just leanred and used online to see what drinks were now im pretty damn good at it ringing about 1-2k on a good decent night pulling 400-500 dollars AFTER splitting with 2other bartenders

now when we get restationed in dec to VA which you have to be 21 to serve, i dont turn 21 till may but once i do ill be a bad ass bartender cause ill already know what im doign :)

Hey Everyone,

I am an author and I am writing a new book on how to make more money in tips as a server or bartender in a recession. Now I have been in food service for over 9 years but I want to know about some of the things that you may do to make more money in tips or something you may have seen someone else do that got them a higher tip.

Any information you can give me on this topic would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Cheers

rose in Orlando, Florida said: Hi i am interested in bartending but i cant afford the school .Any thoughts?

I am going to FSU in Fl and I wanted to bartend also.The school here wanted 500.00 for a 2 week course. Bartending School cost way to much for me ! My friend recommend a bartending book/course that she took. Bartendingexposed.com I ordered the book/course for 37.00. I recommend this bartending book/course also. I wouldn't be bartending right now without it. Good luck hope this info was helpful

Host said: How did you get your start doing bartender work, and what career moves did you make to get to your current position?

Do you need a particular educational background?

You need to at least order a bartending book/course. That's what I did. I could not afford a bartending school. I am going to FSU paying my way. I learned everything that I needed to know to bartend from bartendingexposed.com I never went to a bartending school. I really am happy that I didn't have to pay out all that money for a school. Anyway, I live in a collage town, My parents live in Ft Myers Fl You do not need any educational background to work as a bartender.My start was I wanted to bartend to make money to pay for school, rent etc. Bartenders make great money! So I ordered bartendingexposed.com and studied. Then I applied for jobs. Now I work at a collage bar in town. Hope this info was helpful

Has anyone tried www.totallyfreebartending.com ? I took thier online course in a day and I will admit I did learn a lot. Today was my first day looking for a part time bar tending job with limited success. Found out the being a guy is half the loosing battle in my area lol. Anyways, great post people, helped me out a lot. Gave me some ideas for my area.

hi My name prem I wark in bartender job still 10years 5years in mumbai 5 years in bahrain

rose in Orlando, Florida said: Hi i am interested in bartending but i cant afford the school .Any thoughts?

Hi, I was like you I could not afford bartending school. I am going to FSU in Fl. paying for my classes, rent,car etc. But I knew that bartenders made good money. I also read the bartending forums and most people said bartending school was a waste of money..so I didn't know what to do. I was talking to a friend who bartends, and she recommend bartendingexposed.com to me this course cost me 37.00.You can down load and start studying right away. I just studied in my free time, then applied for jobs. I got a job at a collage bar here in town. I agree with these other comments you do not need to pay all that money for a school.Just get a bartending course like I did and study. That's all you need to do.You will save a lot of time and money. Good Luck Sara

I think it is good to look at a few different things as far as information is concerned. www.freebartendingtips.com has a little article on whether one should go to bartending school. I hope that helps.

Hello fellow bartenders and mixologists. We’ve just redesigned the bartender lounge web site and want to get your thoughts on the new platform. Click the link below to visit the new site, or got to bartenderlounge.com

www.bartenderlounge.com/join.html?sID=42

Hector G. in Lakeland, Florida said: I'm thinking of going into bartending for financial reasons and because I've found that I'm pretty good at selling extras at restaurants. I've found the questions and comments here very helpful. I'm hoping I can find a local school to go to since I'm a hands on learner unless I can find a bar or restaurant that'll hire me and I learn as I go which is my best way of learning. At the moment I'd be happy to get a positon as a "bar back" to learn about this as a career.

bartending is great and lots of reasons to do it! snipsly.com/2010/07/20/learn-to-bartend-for-free/

What do you guys thank about breathalyzer in bars?

secretsfromspoons.wordpress.com/

Margarita in Dallas, Texas said: If you have no experience and are young I would start by getting my foot in the door as a barback. See how the long nights work for you and your life style. See how quickly you can pick it up through on the job training/experience. I went to bartending school and was not impressed at all. There were too many in the class so I took my own time and came in after hours to get more practice. They had the TABC (Texas) training apart of it so it cost me more like $100 for it when I can do it online or outside of the school for $25. Some of the information given to us in the training "material" was straight from the web. My externship ended up to be sitting at a restaurant they directed me to for 2 hours (which I paid them for & got paid $0) and doing nothing. Although while I was watching the bar I saw they did nothing like what the school was teaching us. The school can teach you what they call the "right" way of doing things but in real life at the various places you will do it "their" way which might be quite different. So for me I don't think the school are worth it unless you are 18 and have no prior experience working in any real job.

Thanks for that comment that's what I was looking for. I've been bartending for about a year now at a high volume restaurant in Longview, tx. I want to move to Austin and bartend downtown and make some real money, and I was thinking about attending the school just so I would have more on my resume. But I think i'll second guess that.

Well if you are looking for a bartending job then you can try out this website www.bartendingjobs.us
They have more than a thousand bartending positions posted from all over the US at every given time. And I believe you don't need a lot of experience to land one of these jobs just keep applying and since there are so many job postings there, you can apply to as many as possible that way you maximize your chance of landing a decent and good bartending job.

Hi guys I just wanted to share with you all bartending starters this might be a great way to get involved in this exciting bartending world: www.bartendingcrashcourse.com/ rather than going to bartending school you can download this bartending ebook, I have bought this myself, and it looks great almost all american drinks are in here, tips and tools you need to use a great way to get started with bartending.

www.bartendingcrashcourse.com/

Wow, there's a lot of people linking their paid courses and ebooks without any mention of cost or that they make commission off of it :P I personally liked this site: www.BartenderMixed.com/ unlike the others mentioned it's free and offers more than many of these ebooks do. I've bought a few of them and they help, but only to a certain extent.

If you still aren't sure beyond this site then take a class. My friends got jobs after taking classes and said they liked them. Personally I just used sites like the one I mention. Different things work for different people.