Im thinking of taking up bartending....

[samsonite2100]

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I'm just cutting and pasting my reply to the last guy who asked the question:

You will have a really tough time getting a decent job unless you are a big Abercrombie type guy. Most of the popular and high-end places hire based almost entirely on looks.

There is no such thing as a "bartending license." These courses will teath you how to make drinks and be a good bartender but the certification is useless in helping you to find a job. Again, you will have a lot of trouble finding a job unless you have big [censored] or are a big meathead guy.

I worked as a bartender for about a year in a private club (a club for rich people, not the fun kind). If you really want to work as a bartender, concentrate on golf clubs, non-trendy restaurants, college bars, etc.

Working as a barback can help you get a job but can often hurt your prospects. Barbacks are promoted only rarely because, while there is an unending supply of qualified bartenders, a good barback is much harder to find, especially if you know the place and its system.

PM me if you want more info RE bartending school and the job market.

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I'm guessing you live in LA? I disagree with you about the barback thing, as most of the people I know who bartend started there, but it may be true in bigger cities like LA or NYC.

[bcbaseball]

OP, what type of jobs could be possibly be open to you? Do you have any connections with a good gig?

[WhoIam]

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I'm guessing you live in LA? I disagree with you about the barback thing, as most of the people I know who bartend started there, but it may be true in bigger cities like LA or NYC.


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I guess I made barbacking sound like some awful dead-end job, which it isn't. I certainly know people who got their starts as barbacks. I just want people to realize that it isn't the fast-track to a real bartending job they might think it is (though admittedly this is all from talking to other people). A lot of people think "I'll do a really good job and then the boss will make me a bartender in a couple weeks." You may eventually get promoted, but you're most likely going to have to deal with the frustration of seeing less qualified people from the outside hired first. As I said, there's a glut of qualified bartenders, but there are far fewer good barbacks.

OP, in case you're basing your decision on the movie Cocktail, I can tell you that most of the time, bartending has nothing to do with entering into homoerotic mentorships with Australians. Sorry.

[Dyenimator]

I've done it for the past 2 years and I'm ready to get out. 20 years old and heading back to school like I should.

I imagine it would be easier working at a high end place. Only having 5-10 customers at a time, making expensive drinks. But when your bar is 60 feet long and you have to worry about your whole bar plus making drinks for the floor, it gets pretty stressful.

[ackid]

Thanks for all the info.

I got a friend who's got conections in the restaurant business. He said he could help me find a job. The school I was looking at says they have job placement too. I wanted to look into the schooling just to get a basic feel for the job before I start somewhere, as I dont have any experience in the field.

[milliondollaz]

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Those bartending school classes are a bit of a joke with most people I know and work with. As in, having gone to one won't really help you get a job bartending.

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Those courses are absolutely worthless. You can get behind a bar and learn as you go.

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so you're saying that if i walk into place and say i want to be a bartender, the school isn't going to help my odds at all? i would feel pretty dumb saying that i had NO experience.

bartending seems like a cool job to make some extra cash, have fun while you do it, and make some great connections.

anyone want to elaborate on the fringe benefits?

edit: anyone know of any hook-ups around the peninsula for a clown w/ no experience?

[WhoIam]

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The school I was looking at says they have job placement too.

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Hahaha. Job placement = giving you a few sheets of paper with the names and addresses of establishments that are not hiring bartenders. Remember, these schools produce more graduates per week than there are available jobs.

I not knocking bartending schools--they're great for teaching you the skills and getting you comfortable behind the bar, but they're useless for finding a job. Most managers would rather hire a clueless hot chick than a genuine certified bartending school graduate.

[milliondollaz]

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Most managers would rather hire a clueless hot chick than a genuine certified bartending school graduate.

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i guess this makes perfect sense to me. gotcha.

[BradleyT]

For those that are bartenders, how many "core" drinks are there that you make repeatedly - about 15 - 20? What's the most popular mixed drink where you work?

[Tennenbaum]

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Whats up guys,

Im thinking of going to bartending school. Anyone else have experence with this and/or bartending in general? What should I expect? How easy is it to find a job after completing the course?

ac.

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I never took the course, just the barcode exam. Meaning I am legally able to serve alcohol. I tended bar for a short while at an Italian joint a few years ago. I liked it. Wish I had taken the course. But it's not needed if you get a drink book. Most people order easy things...but if you work in a real busy bar you'll get people ordering weird stuff. Take it, it should be fun, and you could probably find a job somewhere relatively easy. Albeit, I'm a chick and everyone loves a cute chick bartender.