Gharti's Guide to Becoming a Bartender
Become a bartender, Chase your goal, Serve the world,
live the dream!
Introducing the Gharti's Guide to Becoming a Bartender
Most
bartenders agree with me, breaking into the industry and becoming a bartender
is one of the most (if not the most!) difficult and frustrating aspects of
bartending.
I hear
these frustrations all the time:
• How do I
get a bartending job with no experience?
• Should I go
to bartending school?
• What’s a
barback? And what are my alternatives??
• How do I
even go about looking for bartending work? Should I apply for jobs online? Or
should I go into bars directly with my resume?
These are all valid questions. And believe me, I understand your frustrations!
There is so much conflicting information out there that it
can be difficult to figure out the good from the bad. Especially when you’re
new to the industry.
But rest assured, every working bartender out there once found themselves in exactly the same position you find yourself in today. So yes, it is possible to become a bartender!
And that’s what this guide
is about.
If you’ve ever wanted to become a bartender but you weren’t sure how to get started, this guide is for you.
Who This Guide
is for
If you’ve ever wanted to become a bartender but you weren’t sure how to get started, this guide is for you.
If you’ve
ever struggled to find a bartending job (regardless of your experience), this
guide is for you.
And if you’ve ever had any questions about bartending school, writing your resume, or the hiring process in general, this guide is for you!
This series isn’t going to teach you how to become a cocktail bartender overnight. That’s impossible. Instead, it will teach you the first steps you need to take to break into the industry and become a great bartender.
We won’t be singing kumbaya around the fire here. I’m sharing battle proven strategies and insights discovered by me and my successful bartender friends.
Here’s what we’ll cover throughout this guide:
• Chapter 2:
Proof you can become a great bartender
• Chapter 3:
Bartending School: Everything You Need to Know
• Chapter 4:
7 Strategies to Land Your Bartending First Job
• Chapter 5:
How to Write an Irresistible Bartending Resume
• Chapter 6:
How to Nail Your Bartending Job Interview
• Chapter 7:
How to Smash a Bartending Trial Shift
• Chapter 8:
Next steps: From No Job to Bartending Brilliance
Strap in, grab a coffee, and anything else that you like to consume whilst you’re learning, and let’s get to it!
So You Want to Be a Bartender
I don’t
blame you.
If you love
to socialise, travel, and party, bartending will be the best jobs you ever
have. It gives you the freedom and flexibility to travel the world, make great
money, it’s fun, you learn invaluable life skills, and you’ll make some great
friends along the way.
And if you
fall in love with it (like I did), you can realistically work in bars for the
rest of your life. Or alternatively, you could use it as a side gig whilst
you’re working towards something else. Like studying, building a business, or
travelling the world!
It doesn’t
matter who you are. Anyone can do it and you don’t need to spend years studying
at university to land a job. If you knew how you could start bartending
tomorrow.
Money,
flexibility, adventure and excitement. It’s not a surprise that bartending jobs
are highly sought-after positions. But if you don’t know what you’re doing, it
can seem like an impossible industry to break into.
But is it really as tough as you think?
Becoming a
Bartender is Easier than You Think
Despite
bartending jobs appearing to be extremely competitive, the reality is, they’re
not! I cringe every time I hear someone talk about how hard bartending jobs are
to land.
In my
experience, they’re anything but, regardless of how much experience you have.
But there’s
a lot of bad advice out there on how to become a bartender. Some people will
tell you that you HAVE to go to bartending school. Or that you NEED
to have amazing social skills.
Other people will tell you that you have to have ‘deep connections’ in the industry.
But the
truth is, you don’t need any of this if you have will power and hunger of knowledge.
All you
need is a plan and a strategy and if you’re willing to put in the work (it’s
not as much as you think), you’ll become a bartender.
I know, because I’ve done
it.
Who am I?
Why bartending?
I’m not sure why, but as
soon as I turned 20, I wanted to become a bartender. It looked so cool. In
between making drinks and serving
Guests, the bartenders laughed with their colleagues, had shots with their Guests, and chatted up the attractive waitresses!
It looked fantastic and I wanted to be a part of it.
But back
then, my life was a lot different. I was a shy innocent person who hadn’t seen
much of the world, I didn’t have many friends, my social skills were poor, and
I had very others works experience. I was the last person you would have
expected to work behind a bar.
Fast-forward to today and my life couldn’t look more different.
I’ve
managed bars in Delhi, Mumbai and International Airport, I’ve worked in Pubs,
restaurants, sports bars, cafes, and nightclubs. I’ve backpacked throughout
Asia, I’ve lived in Malaysia, I’ve partied in Goa, I’ve trained in T.G.I.Friday,
I’ve developed some much needed social skills, and I’ve made some awesome
friends along the way.
It’s been
an incredible journey and it’s all because I became a bartender.
Am I special?
Far from
it. I’m just a regular guy who took an interest in the craft of tending bar.
Anyone can do it. And you don’t have to spend years studying at university, or
have any particular skill-sets.
If you can
hold a conversation with a friend and you’re willing to learn, you can become a
great bartender.
That being said, even though
anyone can become a bartender, it’s not for everyone.
Most people
assume bartenders are always having the time of their life. And to be fair,
most of the time they are! How could they not??
They’re
making great money, socialising for a living, laughing with their colleagues,
and flirting with attractive women (or men).
But it’s
not all sunshine and rainbows… Great bartenders aren’t made overnight and
working behind the bar can be tough.
First of all, no-one starts out as an exceptional bartender. The chances are, you won’t start out working in a cocktail bar, you won’t start out working the best shifts, and you won’t start out making great money.
It takes
time to get that kind of level.
‘Rome
wasn’t built in a day,’ the old adage goes. And becoming a great bartender is
no exception.
Most
talented bartenders don’t even start out as bartenders. They start out as
servers or barbacks first before they progress into a bartending position.
And to be
honest, it’s the best way to start!
It’s a lot
easier to land a job as a barback or server. And you get to experience what
it’s like working in a bar from the ground up. Instead of jumping behind the bar
on a Friday night, getting completely overwhelmed, giving up, and concluding
bartending isn’t for you. You’ll be able to ease your way into bartending and
in the long run, you’ll be much better off.
It took me a year of working
as a server, and then another 6 months of working behind the bar before I
really started to excel as a bartender.
Then’s There’s
the Actual Work
Working
behind the bar isn’t always fun.
It’s going to get stressful when the bar’s full, you’re understaffed, and your POS system decides to shut down. You and your colleagues are going to have heated arguments in the middle of a shift. Guests are going to get annoyed at you when you cut them off. And you’re going to have to deal with the occasional drunk/rude Guests yelling at you.
You’ll also be working late nights, long shifts, over the weekends, and during the holidays. These unusual hours can make it difficult to hang out with friends that aren’t in the industry. And it can put a strain on your romantic relationships.
For some people, this makes bartending a deal breaker.
And there’s
nothing wrong with that. But it’s good to know these things up front, before
you jump into it.
For the rest of you, these smalls things won’t be a problem. And what you’ll get out of being a bartender will be priceless!
Instead of being locked into a job and location you don’t enjoy, you’ll have the freedom & flexibility to travel the world and work wherever you want.
It’s fun, you’ll make great money, you’ll develop insane social skills, and you’ll have your days free to do whatever you want. Like sleeping, or going to the beach!
Conclusion
Becoming a
bartender is easier than you think. There’s a simple process that you need to
follow and as long as you put in the work, you’ll get there.
It’s going
to take a little bit of work on your end, but when you’re bartending in Pubs, making a lot money in tips a night, and traveling the world as a
bartender, you’ll know it was worth it.
Proof You can Become a Great Bartender
Before I’d even turned 20, I knew I wanted to be a
bartender. I’d always thought that bartenders looked so cool! So as soon as I
was old enough, I started looking for bartending jobs.
But back then, I didn’t know how the hospitality industry
worked and I certainly had no idea how to go about looking for work.
So I did Hotel management because that time Bartending course not available in india.after course i did work as waiter in hotels and restaurants but i don't get bar work after that i become restaurant manager i got good post and salary but something was missing because my goal was different then i decided now i want to be a great bartender so i am looking job for bar at the last i got job in TGI Friday as a waiter that was big challenge for me after Manager i work as a waiter, but i accepted,I remember
thinking to myself: “How on earth do you
become a bartender if you don’t have any experience?”
The Experience Requirement is a Myth
If you’re anything like I was, seeing that most bartending
roles require you to have a minimum of 2 years experience can be unsettling. It
makes you wonder whether or not you could ever become a bartender.
The first time I saw that most bartending roles have an experience
requirement.That’s
the WORST
approach you can take!
Because the truth is, the experience requirement isn’t as
important as you think. And they don’t apply everywhere for every
position…
My First Hospitality Job
I remember those first few weeks like it was yesterday…
I must have been one of the worst servers the Maya Hotel had
ever seen!
Hospitality was a mystery to me and those first few weeks
felt like hell. I knew nothing about food and alcohol, I dropped trays of red
wine on Guests, I thought the rest of the staff hated me, and I could barely
take an order without experiencing waves of anxiety!
After a month of working there, I couldn’t believe I still
had a job.
But I stuck at it and after a
few months, I started to get better. I felt less anxious at work, I learned how
to carry 3 plates, I could talk to the Guests without having a panic attack,
and I befriended most of the staff.
Why am I
telling you this?
To show you that if an innocent, anxious Person like me with no
experience can become a great bartender, so can you.
Those first few months working as a server were essential to
my success as a bartender. It gave me the experience and confidence necessary
to eventually progress into a bartending position. It showed me that you don’t
need to have an endless amount of experience to find a job.
And it made me realise that anyone can become a great
bartender.
I’ve worked
with talented bartenders who were extroverts, introverts, nerds, jocks,
fighters, models, and musicians. Bartenders who were fat and thin.
Some who were studying law, some who were building
businesses, and others who went to the beach every day!
My point is, anyone can become a great bartender. It doesn’t
matter who you are or what you look like. You don’t need to have insane social
skills and you don’t need any special skills-sets.
Everything you need can be learned.
As long as you’re willing to work at it and put up with a
bit of shit, you’ll get there.
There are only 2 requirements
you’ll ever need to meet if you want to become a bartender. But they’re 2 of
the easiest job requirements around.
The Only 2 Requirements a Bartender Needs
One of the best things about bartending is that you don’t
need any special requirements to work behind the bar. You don’t need to be born
with any special abilities, you don’t need to study for years, and you don’t
need to have any ‘deep’ connections within the industry.
As long as you’re old enough, and you’ve passed an alcohol
awareness program, you can work behind the bar.
Age
Unless you’ve been living in a cave your whole life, you’ll
know that there’s a minimum age requirement to be a bartender. It differs from
country to country. And in the USA, it differs from state to state. But
generally, it’s between the ages of 18-21.
In Australia, Europe, and the UK, you can start working
behind the bar when you turn 18.
If you’re
from the USA and you’re not sure what the minimum age requirement is in your
state, in india you must to be over 25 years it is very high age requirement for work in bar.
Alcohol Awareness Programs
The other requirement you may need to meet is to pass an
alcohol awareness program. It’s known as an Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC)
program in the USA.
Now, an alcohol awareness program is NOT the same as a bartending certificate/licence you might receive
from a bartending school. You definitely DON’T
need one of these to become a bartender.
In fact, they could be detrimental. But more on that later.
An alcohol awareness program is run by the states government
to certify that you’re aware of how to serve alcohol responsibly. You don’t
receive any bartending training per se. You will simply be taken through the
dangers of alcohol and how to serve it responsibly.
And at the end of it, you’ll be given a certificate.
They’re easy to pass, they’re inexpensive to get, and they
take less than a day to complete. But once again, whether or not you need one
depends on where you live.
In Australia, the certificate is mandatory. But in the UK
and France, you don’t need one. Once again, in the USA, it’s a little more
complicated. The laws vary from state to state. Some require them, others
don’t.
If you’re not sure whether or not you need one, a quick
google search with your state and ABC requirements in the search tab, should do
the trick.
**WARNING**
When you’re looking for an alcohol awareness program/ABC anywhere in the world,
make sure it’s licensed by the state. Some websites aren’t certified by the
state meaning that they’re not legit. They will try and sell you a fake program
which doesn’t certify anything! Do your research and you’ll be fine.
What Does it Take to Become a Great Bartender?
Anyone can pass an alcohol awareness program. You don’t even
need to be a bartender to pass one of these. But not everyone will become great
bartenders. So what does it take to go from zero to bartending brilliance?
The right attitude and the willingness to learn.
If you want to become a bartender, you’ve got to get the job
first. And to do that, you need to have the right attitude or you’ll never
break into the industry.
You’ve got to be prepared to apply for as many jobs as
necessary. You’ve got to be willing to work as a barback or server first. And
once you’ve got the job, you’ve got to be OK with the fact that you’re going to
suck in the beginning!
If you’ve got the right attitude, becoming a bartender will
be easy. But, to take your game to the next level and become a great bartender, you need to be willing
to learn and work at your craft ON AND
OFF the job.
That means learning about the different kinds of alcohol (beer,wine, liquor), memorising different cocktail recipes, improving your people
skills, using both hands whenever you can, learning from other bartenders, and
paying attention to the details.
If you’re a complete beginner, there will be a learning
curve. And it might seem a little daunting at first. But it’s worth it.
Because once you’re ‘great’,
you’ll be more confident, you’ll be making better money, you’ll be able to work
in better establishments, and you’ll never have to worry about finding a job
again.
8 Qualities of a Great Bartender
I don’t care who you are or what you do. Unless you’re
physically or mentally impaired, you’ve got what it takes to become a great
bartender. You don’t need any sort of specialised knowledge and you don’t need
to be born with a genetic advantage.
Anyone can cultivate the right attitude. And if you’re
reading this article, you’re willing to learn!
So what does it mean to be a great bartender? What qualities
do they possess that puts them a step above the rest?
In my experience, I’ve found that there are 8 qualities that
all great bartenders have. They aren’t magical abilities that no-one else
possesses.
Although at times, they may seem so.
They’re all qualities and skills that you can work on. And
to really excel at this craft, you’ll need to develop every single one of them.
At least to some extent.
Those 8 qualities are:
2.
Knowledge & Skill
3.
Hard Working
4.
Well-organised
5.
Solid Memory
6.
Multi-Taskers
7.
Personal Grooming & Cleanliness
8.
Trustworthy
1) Guest Service & People Skills
Great bartenders are always charming & personable, they serve all of their Guests to the best of their ability, and they know how to handle themselves in almost any social situation.
If a fight’s
about to break out, they’ll be able to diffuse the situation calmly before
anything serious happens. If a drunk Guests gets too rowdy, they’ll be able
to talk them down without them taking offence.
And of course, they’ll be able to regale their Guests with entertaining stories that keep them coming back for more!
It goes without saying, that
they’ll be able to charm the pants off almost any potential mate.
2) Knowledge
& Skill
The second most important quality a great bartender will
have is a sound knowledge of booze and an extraordinary amount of skill at what
they do.
They’ll intimately know about the different types of liquor,
beer, and wine they sell. They’ll be able to guide their guests through their
menu and educate them on what they sell. And they’ll be great at recommending
different products, for different people, on different occasions.
On top of that, they’ll possess great skill in what they do.
They’ll be quick and efficient in all of their movements.
Whenever they can, they'll use
both of their hands, they’ll be able to confidently use all of the equipment
behind their bar, and they’ll understand how to apply the most important
cocktail/bartending techniques.
3) Hard
Working
You’ll never see a great bartender standing around doing
nothing. Even when the bar is empty. One of the golden rules of hospitality
is:
There’s always something to do!
Great bartenders take this rule to heart. When it’s quiet,
they’ll be deepcleaning the bar, re-organising the fridges/shelves, studying
their stock, learning the till system, or offering to help out in other areas
of the bar/ restaurant/cafe (like on the floor or in the kitchen).
And when it’s busy, they’ll be running around (read: walking
fast) serving guests as quick as they can, changing kegs, replenishing stock,
and helping out wherever they may be needed.
You’ll never
see one of these bartenders on their phone, sitting down, or trying to get away
with doing nothing. They’re always working hard.
4)
Well-organised
A well-organised bartender means a well-organised bar. And a
well-organised bar leads to a much better service overall.
Everything behind the bar should have its own place so that you can find things easily without having to think about it. This type of organisation saves you precious time when you’re busy making it easier/quicker to serve more customers and ultimately, make more money.
They make sure Guests always have a drink in their hands
(unless they’ve had one too many, which they’ll of course know). They pay
attention to the stock levels throughout the night (including napkins, till
rolls, straws, & change) to ensure that they never run out of
anything.
And finally, they clean up
after themselves (and others) as they go, making sure that everything looks
neat and tidy.
5) Solid
Memory
Have you ever wondered how bartenders remember your whole
drink order, as well as the orders of the 3 other people standing next to
you?
It’s because they’ve developed great memories. They know the
menu like the back of their hands and they’ve learned how to store multiple
orders in their memory at once.
When someone orders a drink from them, they’re able to
quickly recall the drink’s recipe, price, what it goes well with, and any
relevant specials. And they’re able to systematically store those orders in
their memory because they actually pay attention to what their Guests want!
A solid memory vastly improves the pace and quality of service
because it prevents you from having to constantly run back and forth to check prices, recipes, and what the guests’s order.
because it prevents you from having to constantly run back and forth to check prices, recipes, and what the guests’s order.
Guests quickly get frustrated if you take too long to serve them so developing a solid
memory is crucial.
6)
Multi-Taskers
There are so many different things that you need to be doing
when you’re working behind the bar. Serving Guests, cracking jokes,
replenishing stock, changing kegs, making drinks, pouring beers, cleaning,
cutting, stirring, shaking, etc.
It’s a huge advantage if you can tackle multiple jobs at
once and all great bartenders know how to multi-task. They might be wiping down
the bar whilst they’re taking an order, pouring a beer whilst they’re
collecting money, or shaking & stirring 2 cocktails at once.
When they replenish stock, they’ll top up everything they
can because they know it’s going to save time in the long run.
These bartenders use their time
efficiently and do as much as they can with the time they’re given.
7) Personal
Grooming & Cleanliness
Would you like to be served by a bartender who looks like
they haven’t had a shower in a few days? How would you feel if they used their
dirty hands to squeeze multiple lime wedges into your gin & tonic?
Probably not great.
A bartender should always take
pride in their appearance. They should be well-groomed & dressed
appropriately whenever they’re at work. They should wash their hands regularly
and they should always pay attention to their own hygiene.
8) Trustworthy
Regardless of how good of a bartender you are, you’ll always
be handling large amounts of cash. And you need to be trusted with it.
The
hospitality world is quite small and word travels fast. If you become known as
someone with ‘sticky fingers’, you’ll quickly get booted out of the industry
and you’ll find it very difficult to find another job.
Can You Become a Great Bartender?
The short answer is YES,
you can. Even if right now, you’re thinking ‘How on earth am I supposed to
remember all of this??’
What I’ve described above is the ideal bartender. It’s the kind bartender you should strive to be. But the truth is, I’ve never met a bartender that was perfect in all of these categories.
Just like anyone, great bartenders have their strengths and weaknesses. And bartending is a skill that’s developed over time.
I’ve worked with bartenders who knew a lot about booze but weren’t amazing with people. I’ve also worked with bartenders who had incredible people skills but couldn’t tell you the difference between vodka and gin.
To really excel at this craft, you don’t need to be ‘perfect’ in any of these areas. You just need to be good enough. And when you’re starting out, you don’t need to be great at any of them.
In fact, the chances are, you’ll be terrible in most!
But if you’ve got the right
attitude and you’re willing to learn, you’ll quickly improve when you start
working behind the bar. That’s why you should be aiming to get a job as soon as
possible.
Remember Being a Bartender is Fun!
I know, I know. I've just made bartending sound a lot more
serious than you've anticipated. But don’t worry, it’s not.
Sure, there will be times when you'll need to act
responsibly and professionally at work. And there will be times when you won't
want to be there at all, just like any job.
But the majority of the time, you'll be laughing with your
colleagues, entertaining your guests, making great money, and genuinely
enjoying yourself.
Bartending is a lot of fun, especially when you get good at
it.
So don't settle for mediocrity. Commit yourself to becoming
a great bartender.
Bartending school reminds me of a conversation I once
overheard between a head chef and an aspiring chef.
The head chef said, “If you want to work in my kitchen, you can start out by peeling potatoes. If you choose to go to chef school first, then great! You’ll spend a lot of money learning cooking theory and techniques that you won’t necessarily need. And when you finish chef school and ask to work in my kitchen, you’ll still start out by peeling potatoes!”
This is exactly the same way I feel about bartending school.
Except instead of peeling potatoes, you’ll be washing glasses, taking out the
trash, changing kegs, or waiting tables.
You’ll spend a lot of money learning bartending theory and
techniques that you won’t necessarily need. And at the end it, when you’re
looking for a bartending job, you’ll still start out as a barback or server
first.
The reality
is, bartending
is learned & mastered on-the-job. And no amount of schooling can
replace that.
A Graduate in Action
I was managing the bar at an extremely busy restaurant in Delhi was a tough bar to work behind and we needed a strong team.
That meant hiring good staff. And since I was the manager, it was my responsibility.One day I had one boy come in for a trial. When he arrived, he was confident and happy. And after briefly talking with him, I thought he showed promise.But, less than 30 seconds into the trial, I could tell he wasn’t good enough.In fact, I doubted whether or not he’d even stepped foot behind a bar before! So I asked him straight up, “Have you ever worked behind a bar?” He said, “No, I haven’t… But I’ve graduated from bartending school.”
My Introduction to Bartending School
I was genuinely surprised. I’d never even heard of
bartending school before. Let alone bartending school graduates. I’d always
assumed that bartending was learned on-the-job.
That was one of the main reasons why I thought bartending
was such a great profession. You DIDN’T need to go to school and you
could start earning an income straight away.
Yet, here this boy was. A bartending school graduate. And
despite this boy l having attended one,he wasn’t good enough. Even outside of
my bar,he was going to struggle to find bartending work.
Unfortunately for him, there’s just no way a school can
prepare a beginner for what it’s actually like to work behind a busy bar.
That’s something only experience can teach you.
Usually, at
this point, I would just send an unsuccessful trial home. She obviously wasn’t
good enough and I didn’t want to waste his or my time. But I was intrigued by
him. He clearly wanted to be a bartender and I felt obliged to show him the
ropes.
So I told him that I wouldn’t be able to give him a job. But
if he wanted to,he was welcome to stay on for a couple of hours and
experience what it’s like to work behind a real bar.
He agreed. And for the next
couple of hours,he got some REAL bartending experience.
The Reality of Bartending School
I’m a huge fan of education. In my opinion, education is one
of those crucial factors that separates those that succeed in this industry and
those that don’t.
So when I found out that bartending school existed, I was
interested in them and I wondered what they taught.
I started looking into different bartending school programs,
I read reviews, I scoured the bartending forums, and I read every single blog
post I could find on the subject.
And what I found out was interesting.
It seems that the only websites recommending bartending
schools are the schools themselves. Almost every working bartender out there
discourages attending bartending school. They think it’s a waste of time and
money. And they recommend starting out as a barback or server first, before
progressing into a bartender’s role.
Jason Shurtz, founder of ‘The Bartending Blueprint‘ and YouTube channel ‘Bartending Pro‘, says it straight in his post: Bartending School Scams: The Facts They Don’t Want You To Know.
Jeffery Morgenthaler, infamous cocktail expert and author of
‘The Bar Book‘, discourages bartending school
and recommends starting out a barback first, when he answer’s a fan’s question in his post here.
Dave Allred,
founder of ‘The Real Barman‘ and author of ‘How to Be a bartender in 30 Days or Less,’ clearly gives
his view of bartending school in his YouTube
video here.
AND VinePair
writer, Nick Hines, even attended a bartending school and documented
the process. It turns out that even the instructor acknowledges that you’ll
still have to start out as a barback or server first.
Why do Bartenders Hate Bartending School?
After reading all of these negative reviews, I was
surprised. My initial instincts were that bartending school was a good thing. I
mean, you get to learn about bartending before you become a bartender!
How could that not be useful??
So I dug a little deeper and it turns out there are two main
reasons why bartenders discourage bartending schools, scammy bartending schools
and arrogant
graduates.
Scammy Bartending Schools
Unfortunately, there are a lot of scammy bartending schools out there. These schools don’t care if
you become a bartender or not. They just want your money and they’ll try and
convince you to attend their school by making you guarantees they can’t keep.
Or worse, completely lying to you.
More specifically, these schools will guarantee you a
bartending job upon graduation, when in reality, they’ll scurry you out the
door with a list of bars & restaurants to apply to.
As far as your job hunt goes, you’ll be in exactly the same
position you were before you attended the school.
They’ll also try and convince you that you need a bartending
licence or certificate in order to become a bartender. And that if you attend
their bartending school, you’ll receive your bartending licence upon graduation
and be bartending in no time…
Just for the record, you DON’T need a bartending
licence or certificate to become a bartender!
Finally, the
worst of these schools will teach you useless (and sometimes inaccurate) theory
to fill in time, which ultimately, wastes your time & money.
If you’re set on attending a bartending school, make sure
you do your research first. Because you want to avoid these scammy bartending schools at all costs!
Arrogant Graduates
The other reason why bartenders discourage bartending school
is because they’ve met graduates who often think that they’re amazing
bartenders even though they’ve never worked behind a real bar before…
These graduates think that they don’t need to pay their dues
and work their way up as a barback or server first.
They think that they should be working the best shifts right
away because they attended a 4 week course and they know where Tequila comes
from!
To experienced bartenders & bar managers, this kind of
attitude is very off putting. NO amount of schooling can teach you
what it’s like to work behind a REAL bar.
And because of these arrogant
graduates, they assume that bartending school is a waste of time and that
the people who attended them aren’t worth employing.
Experience is the king in this arena.
So whatever you do, don’t
assume that bartending school will transform you into an amazing bartender.
Stay humble and be willing to work your way up.
Before I continue, I’d like to point out that there are some legit bartending schools out there. Not all of them are trying to steal your money and some of them will actually help you prepare for what it’s like to work behind the bar.
So let’s take a look at some of the pros & cons of legit bartending schools.
Pro: They’re Fun & You’ll Meet Like-Minded People
Bartending school can be a fun and interactive way to learn about bartending. You’ll also meet a bunch of other like-minded aspiring bartenders who are eager to learn about bartending too! you’re a social butterfly and learn better in group settings, bartending school may be for you.
Con: They’re Expensive
Bartending school is expensive, both in time and money. Some of them will take you 16 weeks and a whopping Rs.30000 to complete…
The question you need to ask yourself is, are you spending money on bartending school to meet people? Or are you trying to get a job?
Pro: You’ll Learn a lot of Theory
Most bartending schools place an emphasis on theory. Even the legit schools. You’ll learn about the history of alcohol, how alcohol is made, you’ll learn about beer, wine & spirits, and you’ll learn tons of cocktail recipes.
Con: Most of it will be Useless
However, the theory that you do learn is often too in-depth. For example, most bartenders only need to learn a maximum of 30 cocktail recipes (not 150). And you’ll never need to recite the history of alcohol at a job interview.
On top of that, a lot of the theory that you learn will be difficult to apply in a real-life setting. And since you won’t be using it, you’ll end up forgetting most of it. Which will make you wonder why you learned it in the first place…
Pro: Basic Practice in a Safe Setting
Probably the best part about bartending school is that you actually get to practice basic bartending techniques. You’ll get to practice making cocktails, pouring draught beer, pouring alcohol, serving Guests, etc. And you’ll get to practice all of this in safe setting without Guests yelling at you for being too slow.
Con: No Practice in a Real Setting
Guests will rarely yell at you for being slow! In fact, most of the time they’re very understanding of beginners. Practicing in a safe setting might seem like the way to go, but pouring drinks without anyone to serve is easy. You can practice that at home.
One of the most important aspects of bartending is being able to serve Guests & make drinks in a dynamic setting. You need to practice pouring drinks while Guests are watching, others are waiting, and when you’ve got a handful of other things to do.
The Pros & Cons of Bartending School
Before I continue, I’d like to point out that there are some legit bartending schools out there. Not all of them are trying to steal your money and some of them will actually help you prepare for what it’s like to work behind the bar.
So let’s take a look at some of the pros & cons of legit bartending schools.
Pro: They’re Fun & You’ll Meet Like-Minded People
Bartending school can be a fun and interactive way to learn about bartending. You’ll also meet a bunch of other like-minded aspiring bartenders who are eager to learn about bartending too! you’re a social butterfly and learn better in group settings, bartending school may be for you.
Con: They’re Expensive
Bartending school is expensive, both in time and money. Some of them will take you 16 weeks and a whopping Rs.30000 to complete…
The question you need to ask yourself is, are you spending money on bartending school to meet people? Or are you trying to get a job?
Pro: You’ll Learn a lot of Theory
Most bartending schools place an emphasis on theory. Even the legit schools. You’ll learn about the history of alcohol, how alcohol is made, you’ll learn about beer, wine & spirits, and you’ll learn tons of cocktail recipes.
Con: Most of it will be Useless
However, the theory that you do learn is often too in-depth. For example, most bartenders only need to learn a maximum of 30 cocktail recipes (not 150). And you’ll never need to recite the history of alcohol at a job interview.
On top of that, a lot of the theory that you learn will be difficult to apply in a real-life setting. And since you won’t be using it, you’ll end up forgetting most of it. Which will make you wonder why you learned it in the first place…
Pro: Basic Practice in a Safe Setting
Probably the best part about bartending school is that you actually get to practice basic bartending techniques. You’ll get to practice making cocktails, pouring draught beer, pouring alcohol, serving Guests, etc. And you’ll get to practice all of this in safe setting without Guests yelling at you for being too slow.
Con: No Practice in a Real Setting
Guests will rarely yell at you for being slow! In fact, most of the time they’re very understanding of beginners. Practicing in a safe setting might seem like the way to go, but pouring drinks without anyone to serve is easy. You can practice that at home.
One of the most important aspects of bartending is being able to serve Guests & make drinks in a dynamic setting. You need to practice pouring drinks while Guests are watching, others are waiting, and when you’ve got a handful of other things to do.
That’s what real bartending
is. Wouldn’t you rather practice that?
Pro: Job Assistance Upon Graduation
Almost every bartending school will guarantee you some kind
of job assistance upon graduation. If they’re legit, they might actually assist
you in finding a job. But not as much as you think.
They’ll probably help you out with your resume, they’ll tell
you how to look for work, they’ll give you some interviewing tips, and some
might even give you exclusive access to an online job placement board.
Con: They Can’t Guarantee a Bar Will Hire You
But they can’t guarantee a bar will hire you. And they
certainly can’t guarantee that you’ll start out as a bartender. That’s up to
the bar’s managers.
And some bar managers despise bartending schools. So when
they’ve seen that you attended one, they’ll throw your resume in the bin
without even considering you.
Harsh, but
unfortunately true.
So What are Your Alternatives?
By far the best way to learn
how to bartend is on-the-job. No amount of schooling or study can replace
on-the-job experience. That’s why you should focus on breaking into the
industry as soon as possible.
Start Out as a
Barback or Server
If you have no experience, finding a job as a bartender is
going to be tough. It can be done, but it's unlikely. When you're looking for
work, by all means, apply for bartending roles. You just need to make sure you
let potential employers know that you're willing (and happy) to start out as a
barback or server first.
The chances are, they'll be the only positions employers
will want you for.
But that's not a bad thing!
Almost every great bartender started out as a barback or
server first. It teaches you some of the fundamental skills you'll need to
succeed as a bartender.
It might not seem as glamorous as bartending, but what
you'll learn is priceless.
You'll learn how to work hard in a high-pressure
environment. It will teach you how to interact with the chefs, other
bartenders, wait staff, Guests, managers, and the boss. You'll learn
bartending terminology, how to change kegs, where the stock is, what the stock
is, and how to break down & set up the bar.
In short, you'll build up a base-level of
experience that will be invaluable to you and your employer when you
progress into a bartender's role. And once you've proved yourself as a barback
or server, you'll be first in line when any bartending positions open up.
Self Study
Support the on the job experience with some self-study, and
you'll become a great bartender in no time.
What do I
mean by self-study?
Basically, anything that's going to teach you the theory
behind bartending, drinks, food, customer service, people skills, techniques,
and the hospitality industry in general. That could be through reading books
& blogs, watching YouTube videos, or by taking online courses (I’m a HUGE fan
of online courses!).
Live training sessions &
courses (including legit bartending schools) are also an option. But things you
can re-visit are the best.
Is Bartending School Worth It?
For the majority of you, I’d say no.
If you want to become a bartender as quick as possible,
don’t go to bartending school.
They’re expensive, they can’t guarantee you a job, you’ll
learn a lot of useless theory, and you won’t be practicing in the right
setting. On top of that, having attended one might even dissuade potential
employers.
On the other hand, if you’re a social butterfly, you learn
better in group settings, you want to have some fun, and you want to learn
about alcohol, cocktails, and bartending right away,
bartending school could be
for you.If you do choose to attend a bartending school, make sure
you do your research because you want to avoid scammy bartending schools at all costs.
And whatever you do, don’t
assume that bartending school will transform you into an amazing bartender with
bars & restaurants lining up to hire you.
How to Write an
Irresistible Bartending Resume
I know what
you’re thinking…. Writing your bartender resume sucks!
And I don’t blame you. I remember when I had to sit down and
write my first resume. It was a painful process. I didn’t know what to include
or how to organise it, so it ended up taking me ages to complete.
And by the end of it, I still had no idea whether it was any
good or not.
Fast-forward to today and my experience with resumes
couldn’t look more different. Working as a traveling bartender for so long,
managing bars, and hiring my own teams, has taught me a lot about what makes a
bartender resume great.
And you know what, your resume doesn’t have to be
complicated or fancy.
In fact, some of the best resumes I’ve seen were very simple
in their design and content. But you’ve got to know what you’re doing. Because
bad resumes are thrown into the bin quicker than you can say, ‘I’ll have a Vodka Martini!’.
Which is why we’re going to go through everything you need
to know and do, to write an irresistible bartender resume.
Let’s get to
it.
How Managers Read Bartending Resumes
If you think that managers are going to spend hours pouring
over your resume, calling up references, and analysing every tiny detail.
You’re wrong.
The reality is, managers only give your resume a quick scan
and decide within 30 seconds whether or not they’re going to proceed with your
application.
That means that if it’s poorly laid out, hard to understand,
has spelling errors, it’s too long, or it includes too many irrelevant details,
they won’t think twice about throwing your resume in the bin.
That’s why keeping your resume simple, clear, clean, accurate,
and relevant makes a huge difference in how successful your resume will
be.
As a general rule, your resume should never be longer than 2
pages. And if you can keep it to 1 page, even better. Any longer than that and
the chances are that you’ve included too many unnecessary details that just
wastes everyone’s time.
This is also true when it comes to resumes with fancy
designs. Sure, they can work. A fancy design can help your resume stand out in
a pile of white pages. But if the design makes it more difficult to read and
harder to navigate, it’s not worth it.
There’s also a much better way
to make your resume unique, interesting, and ultimately stand-out. We’ll cover
that in the work experience/employment history section.
A Word on
Cover Letters
Some people seem to think that writing a cover letter is
important when you’re applying for a bartending job. But they’re not.
Unless they’ve been specifically requested, (which is
unlikely) don’t waste your time (it literally is a waste of time) writing them.
The managers won’t read them unless they’re really bored. So all they do is add
unnecessary ‘bulk’ to your application.
It’s much
better to get to the significant points immediately. And that means getting to
your resume.
Remember, you’re applying for
a job behind a bar, not an office position in a corporate environment. As far
as hiring processes go, it’s not that serious!
Should you
Attach a Photo?
Whether or not you should attach a photo is going to depend
on where you live and where you’re applying to.
In Europe, it’s common practice
to attach photos with resumes. In the US, it seems that the country is divided
on whether or not you should include one.
And in Australia and the UK, attaching a photo is frowned
upon.
Why?
Because it gives your potential employer a chance to
discriminate against your application based on looks, age, and ethnicity.
So being an Aussie, my advice would be to NOT
attach a photo to your resume. If they really want to see what you look like,
they can see you when you hand in your resume or during an interview.
That being said, this is the
hospitality industry. And some venues will ‘require’ a photo with your
bartender resume. If that’s the case (and you want to work there), obviously
attach a photo.
How to Write your Bartender Resume
When you take into account how managers read your resume,
you’ll want it to be easy to understand, simple to navigate, nice to look at,
and for it to have relevant content.
The way to do this is to break up your resume into a few
important sections. Every great bartender resume will include them. And you
don’t need to add anything else to it (unless you REALLY want to).
Here’s how you should organise your bartender resume:
•
Header
•
Special Skills/Languages
•
Education
•
Work Experience
•
References (available upon request)
Header
I’ve seen a lot of resumes and you’d be surprised at how
many fail to include a good header. It sounds really stupid, but some resumes
don’t even both to include their name! And even more of them forget to include
their contact details.
Whatever you do, DON’T
forget to include your name AND
contact details…
That’s why your resume should always start with a prominent
header. I like to keep it in the centre and at the top of the page. Start with
your name in big bold letters and use a larger font. Then include your phone
number and email address directly below.
Including your mailing address is optional. But it’s very
unlikely that they’ll contact you via post. I’ve also known bar managers who
discriminate against applicants based on where they live. So I advise against
it.
Including your availability is also optional. I like to
include it because it lets my potential employers know how much I can work. And
I also know that it helps them decide whether or not my availability will be a
good fit for their team. But that’s just a personal preference.
Here’s how it might look:
Your Name
Address: XYZ, ABC,9999
Phone: -999 999 999
Email: your-email-address@whatever.com
Availability:
Full-time
Skip the
Objective
It was once a requirement to include your objective in your
resume. But that tradition has become outdated.
Nowadays,
it’s no longer necessary.
Why? Because your objective is
pretty obvious. To get a job… So it doesn’t make any sense to include it. The
objective section is completely pointless, no matter how you dress it up.
Special Skills
& Languages
This is a section where you can include any relevant skills
that might help you succeed in your working environment.
If you speak any other languages, always include them here,
regardless of how bizarre they might be. You never know, there might be a
wealthy regular from Tanzania that frequents the venue you’re applying to.
Speaking another language is always a valuable skill to have in
bars & restaurants. Spanish is incredibly useful in the US, and I’ve found
French to be particularly useful in the UK.
Specialised computer skills are also useful to include. Graphic
design, programming, expert knowledge of POS systems, digital marketing
experience, etc, are always valuable to businesses nowadays, including bars
& restaurants.
If an employer sees that you have them, they’ll be more
interested in your application because you could potentially to help them out
down the line.
**Note** Please don’t include knowledge of basic
computer skill-sets that most people have. Knowing how to browse the internet
and use Microsoft Windows doesn’t count as ‘specialised’ knowledge!
Here’s how to organise this section:
Languages
I’m
a native English speaker. I’m also fluent in both written and spoken
French.
Computer Skills
I
have a wide variety of experience with a number of different POS systems. I
have a firm grasp of the adobe creative suite. I’m a skilled website designer
and fluent in HTML, CSS, and Ruby on Rails.
Education
& Training
I know this isn’t a corporate job, but if you’ve achieved a
certain level of education, you should include it in your bartender resume.
Sure, you don’t need a degree to work in the hospitality industry. But it shows
that you can apply yourself and see difficult tasks through.
How to Nail Your Bartending Job Interview
Well, there are 3 things that could happen. First of all, your application might not be
successful. Unfortunately, you need to be prepared for that because it’s going to happen
more often than not.
It’s not a big deal though because there are hundreds of reasons why your application
might not work out. And most of them are outside of your control. So don’t be too hard on
yourself.
Secondly, you might be asked to come in for a bartending job interview. If you’ve got a
solid bartender resume, this is the most likely outcome. And this is what we’ll be focusing
on now.
But there’s also a possible third outcome. You could skip the interview completely, and be
asked to come in for a trial. Believe it or not, this happens more often than you would think.
And this is your ideal outcome.
Why?
Because no-one likes interviews, including the person that’s interviewing you! And skipping
the interview stage will save you time and ultimately get you a job faster.
That being said, bartending job interviews are common practice. Especially in the more
professional establishments. So you can’t just hope for the best and assume you won’t be
interviewed.
You need to be prepared. Which is why we’re going to go
through exactly what you need to know and do, to nail your bartending job
interview.
Let’s get to it.
Preparation is KEY to Your Success
If there was only one piece of advice I could give you on how
to nail your interview. It would be that preparation is KEY to your success.
I know, I know. Preparing for interviews is boring. It’s
almost as bad as writing up your resume. But you don’t need to spend days
studying a venue’s wine list to prepare for a bartending job interview…
Generally, a couple of hours of intentional preparation is
more than enough. Which isn’t that much when you consider that being well
prepared could be the difference between you getting hired, or not.
For example, what if your interviewer asks you why you want
to work there? (A common interview question they’ll likely ask you.)
If you’re well prepared and you’ve done your research,
you’ll be able to respond with an intelligent answer. It could be as simple as
something like this,
“I’m passionate about the hospitality industry and I love the craft behind great cocktails, which is why I want to learn as much as I can. [Insert name of venue] has a great reputation for its professional bar staff and creative cocktail list. So I know that working here will teach me a lot and help me hone my skills as a bartender.”
Finish it off with a bit of humour and you’ve got yourself a
well-prepared answer that will go down a treat in an interview.
On the other hand, if you’re
unprepared and you haven’t done your research.
You’ll
struggle to put together an intelligent response.
“Ummmmm… It’s got a cool atmosphere and the staff seem nice.” Who
would
you rather hire?
you rather hire?
Don’t just think you can go into an interview, wing it, and
come out successful. It’s a lot harder to pull off than you think.
Sure, it can work. But it’s
risky. And when you’re looking for a bartending job, you want to eliminate as
much risk as you can. Being well-prepared will eliminate a lot of that risk.
It’s OK to be Nervous
Unless you’ve been to hundreds of bartending job interviews,
the chances are you’re going to be nervous. And guess what?
That’s OK!
Almost everyone gets nervous before job interviews. It’s
normal and it’s nothing to worry about.
As
long as you can still have a conversation, occasionally smile, and answer the
interviewer’s questions, you’re going to be OK.
And if you do happen to screw up an interview because you
were too nervous, don’t be too hard on yourself. Because believe me. It can
happen!
Try and remember that
interviewing is just like any other skill. The more you do them, the better you
get at them. So if you do screw one up, get back out there and go do another
one. The next one you do will be easier.
How a Bartending Job Interview Works
There is no stock standard way job interviews work in the
hospitality industry. Every bartending job interview you go to will be
different.
Some interviews will be really
serious, whilst others will be a lot more casual.
Some interviewers might ask you
about your strengths and weaknesses.
Whilst others will prefer to talk about what you got up to
over the weekend!
It can be
hard to predict how an interview will pan out. But in general, the more
professional the venue is, and the more advanced the position you’re applying
for is, the more likely the interview process will be taken seriously.
On the other hand, if you’re applying for a job at the local
pub down the road, the chances are they’ll just get you in for a ‘casual chat.’
But at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. Because
you never know how serious an interview will be until you get there. So make
sure you’re wellprepared regardless. Because that will put you in the best
position possible to nail those interviews.
And besides, that preparation
will still help you enormously during those ‘casual chats.’
What Managers are Looking For
Despite every bartending job interview being different,
they’re all designed to look for the same thing. Managers will be looking for
applicants who possess (or have the potential to possess) the qualities of a
great bartender.
How does this help you?
It helps you because knowing what managers are looking for
means that you’ll be able to prepare for the interviews much more effectively.
Instead of preparing answers that have no real purpose. You’ll be able to
tailor your answers to specifically highlight exactly what they want in an
employee.
For instance, let’s say you know that managers are looking
for hard workers, solid communicators, and someone who wants to learn. When
you’re asked about your strengths, you’ll be able to say,
“My number one strength is that I’m great with people. I enjoy being around them, I love meeting them and I like making them happy. That’s one of the reasons why I’ve always been drawn to bartending. Because at the end of the day, bartending is about making people happy. One drink at a time! On top of that, I take great pride in what I do. Bartending is more than just a job for me. I enjoy it, so I work hard and I’m always looking to learn and improve. On & off the job.”
If you can come across as someone who possesses the exact
qualities your potential employer is looking for, it almost guarantees that
you’ll be hired. At the very least, you’ll get a trial.
Here are the qualities that managers will be looking for:
•
People Skills
•
Hard Workers & Willingness to Learn
•
Experience, Knowledge, & Skill
•
Appearance
People Skills
Communication skills, personality, charisma, being likeable,
whatever you choose to call it, is the number one quality managers will be
looking for in a candidate.
The
better you are with people, the more likely you are to be hired.
It’s as simple as that.
At the end of the day, hospitality is about people. It’s
about giving the customers an enjoyable experience so that they want to come
back again, and again, and again. That’s not going to happen if you’re the
negative bartender who doesn’t feel like talking to anyone.
Don't be that guy…
On top of that, managers want to work with someone that they
like. They don’t want someone in their team that’s going to ruin the vibe
behind their bar. And poor people skills will do that.
Now, does that mean you need to be ‘Casanova’ to get a
bartending job?
No, it doesn’t.
When I started out, my people skills were terrible. That was
one of the main reasons why I wanted to become a bartender in the first place.
I knew that working behind the bar would force me to talk to all sorts of
people and ultimately develop these much-needed skills in my life.
And it did!
So no, you don’t need to start off being great with people.
It’s not the only thing managers will be looking for. This is particularly true
if you’re applying for barback positions or bartending positions in a dispense
bar (bars that don’t require you to serve customers, like a restaurant).
But if you
think your people skills need some work, be prepared to work on them. Because
it will be very difficult to do anything interesting in this industry if you
don’t.
Hard Working, Willingness to Learn
No one likes working with lazy people. Especially behind the
bar. There’s no sympathy for lazy colleagues among bartenders. Because if lazy
colleagues aren’t doing enough, it means that everyone else will have to pick
up their slack.
The same goes with having the willingness to learn. If
you’re not sure about something and you have to constantly ask your colleagues
questions, they’ll have more work to do.
And over time, it’s going to get annoying.
That’s why hard workers and having the willingness to learn
are the second set of qualities managers will be looking for. They almost trump
people skills. But not quite…
The truth is, it’s hard to show that you’re a hard worker
and that you want to learn during an interview. Coming well-prepared and
tailoring your preparation to emphasise these qualities will help. But the only
way you can really show them that you possess these qualities is during the
trial shift and once you’ve started working with them.
If you’re someone who’s currently lacking in people skills
right now, this set of qualities is particularly important. Because this
is where you’ll be able to make up ground and convince them that you’re
worthy of the job.
It’s how I got started in the
industry and it’s also one of the reasons why I’ve done so well. I worked hard
and I learned as much as I could (that includes working on my people skills by
the way!).
Experience,
Knowledge, and Skill
Experience, knowledge, and skill is the third set of
qualities that managers will be looking for in a potential candidate.
Unfortunately, experience does matter for bartending
positions. Especially when you’re applying for more advanced roles. But it’s
overrated.
The only
time experience isn’t overrated is when it translates into knowledge and skill.
But that doesn’t happen as much as you would think.
More often than not, you see ‘experienced’ bartenders with
bad habits, big egos, and a sense of entitlement that doesn’t sit very well
with new managers.
If you’re a great bartender and you have the experience to
back it up, then perfect. That experience will go a long way throughout the
hiring process. But you don’t need to stress if you’re lacking in that
experience.
Relevant experience can go a long way in an interview.
Especially when you’re applying for entry-level bartending, server, or barback
positions.
What is relevant experience?
Relevant experience is any kind of work experience
(including volunteer work) that you have that requires a similar sort of
skill-set you would need as a bartender, barback, or server. And since you
already know what managers are looking for (people skills, hard workers, and
the willingness to learn), describing your relevant experience shouldn’t be too
difficult.
For example,
let’s say you’ve worked in retail before and you’re asked, “So, you don’t have any bartending
experience… What makes you think you would be a good bartender?”
Your answer could look something like this,
“Sure, my hospitality experience is currently
lacking right now. There’s no doubt about it. But I know that I possess some of
the most important qualities that make a great bartender. And I’ve used these
qualities throughout my previous work experience.
When I was working in retail, I was serving
people out every single day and giving them the best experience possible. And I
loved it. I’m a people person and at the end of the day, bartending and retail
seek to achieve the same thing. To make people happy.
But retail has never appealed to me as much
as bartending has. There’s a craft behind bartending that I really want to
learn. And I’m willing to work hard to get good at it. So to answer your
original question, I would be a great bartender because I’m already good with
people, I want to learn as much as I can, and I’m willing to work hard to get
good at it.”
That’s how
you could relate seemingly unrelated work experience in a bartending job
interview.
Appearance
I’ve put this last because I believe that it’s the least
important factor with the majority of managers when they’re hiring.
The way I look at it is simple. Your appearance matters to the
point that you can control it. Which means that you need to be
well-groomed, appropriately dressed, clean, and hygienic.
You don’t need to be a professional model or a fitness
fanatic to work behind the bar. In most places, at least…
Great bartenders come in all
different shapes, sizes, genders, and facial asymmetries. The qualities above
are much more important than your appearance. Trust me on this. No sane manager
wants to work with a group of good-looking bartenders who don’t do anything.
The Interview Process
Now that you know what managers are looking for, you need to
learn what to do in order to succeed in your bartending job interview.
For simplicity, I’ve broken down the interview process into
four stages.
Here’s
what it looks like:
1)
Preparing for the interview
2)
When you arrive
3)
During the interview
4)
After the interview
1) Preparing
for the Interview
As I mentioned earlier, preparation is KEY to a successful bartending job interview.
There are 3 different kinds of preparation you’re going to
need to do:
•
Research on the Venue
•
Questions They’ll Ask
•
Questions to Ask
The good news here is that you only need to do the
preparation for the ‘questions they’ll ask’ and ‘questions
to ask’ once. Because, in most cases, they’re going to be the same for
every bartending job interview you go to.
On the other hand, you’ll have to do the ‘research
on the venue’ preparation for every venue you get an interview to.
How long should you spend preparing?
In general, an hour is enough for venue related research.
And then 2-3 hours should be enough for the ‘questions they’ll ask’
and ‘questions
to ask’ preparation.
The more you do the better. But you don’t need to go too
crazy. At the end of the day, it’s still a bartending job interview and the
interview process isn’t that serious.
Research on the Venue
The best research you can do on a venue is on-the-ground research. That basically
means going into the venue and checking it out. By doing this, you’ll be able
to see the staff live in action, check out the menus, see what kind of service
they provide, and get a feel for what the venue is like.
However, I
know that most of the time, you’re not going to do that. And to be honest, you
don’t need to.
Unless you’re applying for a more advanced position, this
kind of in-depth research is unnecessary. Most of the time, browsing the
internet is more than enough to get an idea of what the venue is like.
So your first point of call is their website. And your
second point of call is Tripadvisor.
Take a look at both of these locations and figure out the answers to the
following questions:
•
What type
of venue is it? (cafe, pub, restaurant, nightclub, cocktail bar?)
•
What kind
of clientele do they have? (uni students, corporate, tradies, families?)
•
Do they
specialise in anything? (types of food, trivia nights, cocktails, coffee,
wine, beer, whiskey?) • How long have
they been open for?
•
What do
they sell on their menus?
•
What are
their reviews like on Tripadvisor?
Write down your answers to these question in whatever form
you like (i.e. dot points, longer sentences, mind map, etc), and keep them
close. Because we’ll be using these answers for some of the ‘Questions they’ll
ask’ preparation.
Questions They’ll Ask
Once you know about the kind of establishment you’re
applying to, you’ll need to do some specific job question preparation.
Basically, that means you’ll need to have an idea of what you’re going to say
when they ask you personal and situational specific questions.
I recommend that you be completely honest with all of your
answers because honesty goes a long way in the hospitality industry.
Here is a list of questions I recommend you prepare for:
•
Tell me
about yourself. (Have a brief story to tell about your history, what you
do, and what you enjoy)
•
How long
have you been bartending for?
•
Why do you
like bartending? (if you have no experience, the question will be: why do
you want to be a bartender/server/work in hospitality?)
•
Why do you
want to work here? (Tailor your answer to this question based on the
research you’ve done. I.e. if they specialise in wine, you could say how
interested you are in wine, and that by working here, you wish to study up on
your wine knowledge.)
•
Why did
you leave your last job? (Don’t blame the venue you left. Be as respectful
as you possibly can to your previous employers - even if you hated them…)
•
What are
your strengths and weaknesses? (Hint: Think about the ‘what managers are
looking for section’ and relate it to that. As far as weaknesses go, it’s hard
to answer this question well. I suggest you mention a couple of weaknesses you
may have that aren’t in conflict with the qualities of a great bartender.)
•
What
experience do you have? (If you don’t have any hospitality experience, use
the power of relevant experience as I did in the section ‘Experience, Knowledge
and Skill.’)
•
What’s
your favourite drink?
•
How would
you make an x-cocktail? (only relevant if you’re applying for a more
advanced bartending position. If that’s the case, make sure you brush up on
your cocktail knowledge.)
•
How would
you cut someone off? (Here’s a great article on the subject if you’re
unsure.)
•
What is
your definition of great guest service? (Short answer: To make guest happy so that they keep coming back.)
They may ask you questions outside of this list, but
preparing for these questions will be more than enough. This preparation will
give you a solid foundation so that regardless of the questions they throw at
you, you’ll have an idea of what to say.
Questions to Ask
At the end of every bartending job interview, your potential
employer is going to ask you if you have any questions.
Whatever you do, don’t say no!
Having a
list of questions is a great way to demonstrate that you’ve come well-prepared
and that you’re actually interested in the job. This is also your chance to get
some clarity about the position you’re applying for.
Here’s a solid list of questions you could ask:
•
How long
have you been working here for/ how long have you been the manager? (I love
starting off with a question about them. Because everyone like it when you show
interest in them. And you want this person to like you.)
•
How many
bartenders work at the same time?
•
Do you
have any barbacks on the weekend?
•
Do you
have security?
•
How many
shifts per week are you looking to cover?
Should you ask how much you’ll be paid?
That’s a tough one. And at the end of the day, it’s a
personal choice. Some people don’t think you should because it can come off as
presumptuous. They think you should wait until after you’ve been offered a job.
But personally, I like to get
clarification. I want to know how much I’ll be getting paid before I commit
myself to a trial. And since I’ve been in a hiring manager’s shoes, I know that
the majority of the time, they won’t be offended if I ask.
2) When You
Arrive
First things first. You should assume that the interview
starts as soon as you walk through the front door. Because your potential
employer and the staff working there will be sizing you up from the minute you
arrive.
First
impressions count, and first impressions last. So you want to make a
good one.
How do you make a good first impression?
Arrive 10 minutes early, dress appropriately (see below),
bring a copy of your resume (see below), greet the other staff members, shake
their hands, introduce yourself, engage in some small talk, and smile.
Most of the
time, you’ll speak with one of the staff members first. And they’ll ask what
they can do for you. Just let them know that you’re there to see the hiring
manager (ideally you would know their name) in regards to a job interview. And
then politely wait until the manager is ready to see you.
Dressing appropriately doesn’t mean wearing a suit and tie.
In general, it means that you should wear something similar to what you would
be wearing if you worked there.
If you’re not sure what that is, a safe outfit choice would
be black or navy blue jeans, black shoes, and a dress shirt. Remember, you
should also be looking clean, showered, and well-groomed.
You should also bring a spare copy of your resume. Resumes
get lost quite easily so it’s always good to have one on hand just in case the
manager wishes to refer to it. Bringing in a spare resume also shows that
you’re wellorganised and well-prepared.
When the manager is finally ready to see you, shake their
hand, introduce yourself, engage in some small talk (nice to meet you, how’s
has your day been?), and smile! Sound familiar??
After you’ve exchanged pleasantries, they’ll take you to a
quieter area of the venue so you can get started with the interview.
This is when the nerves start to kick in…
3) During the
Interview
Providing that you’ve done the preparation, this part of the
hiring process isn’t very complicated - The manager is going to do is ask you a
bunch of questions that you’ve already prepared for.
Be friendly, smile, act as confident as you can, show an
interest in them, show an interest in the position you’re applying for, and
you’ll be fine.
As I mentioned earlier, honesty goes a LONG way in the
hospitality industry. And that’s especially true for interviews.
So if you don’t know the answer to something, don’t lie. Be
honest about your experience and your knowledge. If they ask you something
you’re not sure about. Tell them you’re not sure, and why you’re not sure. But
always try and put a good spin on it.
For example, if you don’t know much about wine and they ask
you, how’s your wine knowledge? Simply say,
“Unfortunately, wine isn’t
something that I’ve had time to study in detail yet. I’ve been focusing on
craft beer lately. But now that I’ve learned a lot about beer, I plan on
tackling the wine world next.”
That answer is a lot better than pretending to know about
something you don’t. Because if they choose to dig any deeper, they’ll find out
straight away that you’re bullshitting. And catching you lie during an
interview is a deal breaker.
Are they going to ask questions you haven’t prepared for?
Probably. But it’s not a big deal. If you’ve done most of
the preparation above, you’ll know more than enough to succeed throughout the
interview process. You’ll just have to wing a couple of answers on the fly!
Unless you want to spend days
studying, you can’t prepare yourself for every single interview question. And
nor would I recommend you to…
4) After the
Interview
Thank the manager for their time, shake their hand, smile,
and say that you look forward to hearing from them. As you leave, say goodbye
to the other staff members and exit the venue.
Then search for the nearest bar, order a shot of Jaeger and
a beer to calm those nerves!
If the interview went well, then great! That beer is going
to be delicious. But if it didn’t go as well as you would have liked it too,
don’t stress out about it.
Interviewing is a skill that you get better at over time. So
just keep on going to those interviews. And besides, you never know. You could
have done a lot better than you thought.
Follow-up
Regardless of how you think your interview went, you MUST follow-up. This is something that
most people don’t do. But it’s really dumb if you don’t because the manager may
have lost your contact details, or they could have simply been too busy to
call.
It’s happened to me before and following-up got me the job.
Anywhere from 3 days to 1 week after the interview is a good
time to followup. And you should call them directly so you can find out how you
went straight away.
Emailing can
be a little unreliable with bar managers.
If they still haven’t made a decision. Say ‘no problem’ and
politely ask them to get in touch when they’ve made up their mind. Then
follow-up again 1 week later.
If your bartending job interview was successful, they’ll
either hire you straight away (doesn’t happen very often) or they’ll ask you to
come in for a trial (much more likely). They could ask you to do a trial
straight after the interview (so be prepared!), but it’s more likely that
they’ll ask you to come back a few days later.
And finally, if you’re interview was unsuccessful, ask for
some feedback!
I know it’s hard to do, especially after you’ve been told
you suck. But this is KEY if you
want to improve your interview skills and eventually land a job.
Ask them why they chose not to
proceed forward with your application and ask them for some recommendations on
what you could do better in the future. This type of feedback will do wonders
for your future interviews.
Conclusion
If I could only give you one piece of advice with your
bartending job interviews, it would be that preparation is KEY to your
success. It’s the difference between you being able to nail those
interview questions, and being so nervous that you struggle to put together
coherent responses.
Throughout the interview process, you want to keep in mind
that managers are looking for candidates with strong people skills, hard
workers, the willingness to learn, experience that translate to knowledge or
skill, and people who are well-presented.
You want to tailor your answers as best you can to highlight
these qualities.
Also, remember that as soon as you walk through the front
door, the interview has started. Your employer and future colleagues will be
sizing you up from minute one. So make sure you walk in with your game face on.
Finally, remember that interviewing is like any other skill.
They can take time to get good at and the more you go to, the better you’ll
get.
So
get there and go get some interviews!
The quicker
you start this process, the sooner you’ll land a job ;-).
How to Smash Your Bartending
Trial Shift
I remember my first successful bartending trial shift like
it was yesterday. It was at a quiet TGI friday bar/restaurant in the Mall of Delhi, India. The kind of venue you would expect to see your
grandparents frequenting for a small beer on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Needless to say, it wasn’t very busy. And in hindsight, I
didn’t have much to worry about. Anyone could have done that job.
But at that point, I’d never worked behind a bar before.
So I
was nervous…. Really nervous.
When I arrived, I shook the manager’s hand and asked him what he’d like me to do.He told me to go behind the bar and start serving Guests.
That’s it!
So I kept my head down, listened to what the manager told
me, served Guests, worked as hard as I knew how, and somehow managed to
survive my first 2-hours behind a bar.
And despite
feeling terrified throughout the entire shift, it was a great experience. In
the end, all I did was pour beers for old men who were trying to hook me up
with their grand-daughters!
A couple of days later, I found out I had worked hard enough
because I was called up and told that I had landed my first bartending job
:-).
Now, it’s your turn.
The Purpose of a Trial Shift
If you’ve got to this point in the hiring process, first of
all, congratulations! You’ve (probably) worked hard to get to where you’re at.
Writing your resume, applying for an endless amount of jobs, and going through
the interview process.
It’s hard work.
So you’ve done well to get to this point. And you’re almost
there… You’ve just got one more challenge left until you actually have a job.
Before we continue, you need to understand how important
your trial shift is. Writing your resume, applying for jobs, and going through
the interview process, has all been leading up to this point.
And as soon as you step behind that bar for your trial
shift, nothing else matters. It doesn’t matter how good your resume was, who
you know, or how well you interviewed. All that matters now is how well you perform
on game day.
Why?
Because the trial shift is where you put your money where
your mouth is. It’s where the manager gets to see how well you work behind
their bar, how well you get along with the clientele & staff, and if you’re
a suitable fit in general.
Essentially, it’s their chance
to see if you’re good enough for the position you’re applying for.
Whatever You Do, Don’t Lie
One of the reasons why managers view bartending trial shifts
as so important is because it separates the honest applicants from the
dishonest ones.
It’s
almost impossible to fake or lie your way through a trial shift.
So don’t
even try.
If you’ve told the manager that you’re great at making
coffee. You better be sure that they’re going to test you on it. And if it
turns out you suck, they’ve just caught you lying and the trial shift will
likely finish shortly after.
That’s why you should never lie in the preceding stages of
the hiring process (i.e. on your resume or in the interview). There’s no point
because you’ll end up being tested on it.
Slightly exaggerating how good
you are is OK (and expected). But you should never say that you can do something
you can’t.
7 Rules for a Great Bartending Trial Shift
Do you remember what managers are looking for in a potential
applicant?
In Chapter 2: ‘How to
Nail Your Bartending Interview’ I described in detail what managers are
looking for. If you can’t remember, make sure you go back over it.
But to briefly touch on it again:
Managers are looking for applicants who have
solid people skills, hard workers, those who are willing to learn, experience
that translates into knowledge and/or skill, and people who take pride in their
appearance.
During the
interview and the resume stage, you need to convince the manager that
you possess these qualities. But, during your trial shift, you need to PROVE
to the manager that you possess these qualities.
How on earth do you do that?
Good question…
The simplest answer I can give you is that you prove you’re
worthy through your actions. That means acting in the same way as someone who
already possesses those qualities.
Now, that’s a lot harder to pull off than you think. So to
make it as easy (and uncomplicated) as possible for you, I’ve broken down what
you need to do into 7 easy-to-follow rules.
The best part about these rules is that they’re relevant
across all FOH hospitality jobs out there. So it doesn’t matter what type of
trial shift you have (barback, server, bartender). If you follow these rules,
you’ll impress the manager and secure yourself a job.
Those
rules are:
1.
Come Prepared
2.
Arrive Early
3.
Listen & Ask Questions
4.
Work Your Arse Off
5.
Smile & Be Friendly
6.
Keep Your Conversations Short
7.
Communicate & Stay Out of the Way!
Rule No.1:
Come Prepared
Before you even get to your trial, you need to be prepared.
It doesn’t look very good if you rock up late or you’re wearing the wrong
clothes.
Trust me…
Coming prepared to a bartending trial shift is simple
enough. All you need to do is ask the manager what you should wear, what time
your trial shift starts, and if there are any specific items you need to bring.
Like a pen or notepad.
And then wear what they tell you to wear, and bring what they tell you
to bring!
If you they tell you to wear or bring something you don’t
have (like a black shirt) go out and buy it. You need to act like a
professional and that means purchasing the right tools and the right clothing.
Besides, if you’re serious about becoming a bartender,
you’ll have to get them eventually anyway. Regardless of what they tell you to
bring, every bartender and server should always have the following items on
them:
•
Wine knife,
•
Bar blade,
•
2 pens (just in case one breaks or you lose it),
•
A lighter.
Make sure you bring these and any other additional items
they tell you to bring.
Finally, remember that they’ll
be judging you on how well you present yourself. So arrive well-groomed,
showered, and make sure you look clean.
Rule No.2:
Arrive Early
It goes without saying that you should arrive early for your
trial shift. Arriving early shows that you’re organised, you’re reliable,
you’re professional, and you’re serious about the position you’re applying
for.
So
get there 10-20 minutes before your bartending trial shift starts.
That will give you more than enough time to have a quick
chat with the manager about what will be expected of you. And you might even
get a chance to familiarise yourself with the menu before you get started.
Just as with the bartending job interview, when you arrive
you should assume that the trial has started as soon as you walk through the
front door.
When you arrive, make sure you greet the other staff
members, shake their hands, engage in some small talk, and smile. Then let them
know that you’re there for a trial and politely ask them if you could see the
manager.
When you see the manager, do exactly the same thing.
After you’ve greeted the manager, they’ll either ask you to
get started straight away. Or they’ll ask you to wait until they’re ready for
you. If they ask you to wait, grab a menu to take a look at and start
familiarising yourself with what you’ll be serving.
Remember, they want someone
who’s willing to learn. By reading the menu before you start, you’ll be showing
them that you’re that person.
Rule No.3:
Listen & Ask Questions
Throughout the entire trial, you should be listening
intently to everything the manager says. Try not to zone out (which can happen
when you’re nervous) because they’ll be giving you a lot of important
information on what to do and how to do it.
For example, when you start your shift, they’ll probably
give you a tour of the building and the areas you’ll be working in. When they
give you the tour, they’ll likely show you where the ice machine is, where the
keg and stock rooms are, and where to empty the trash.
Then they’ll give you a run down of the position you’re
applying for, how it works, and what you’ll be expected to do throughout your
shift.
Pay
attention to everything they say!
Because you’ll need to remember what they’ve told you when
you start working. And you want to avoid asking questions the manager has
already given you the answer to as much as possible.
(Note: If they don’t tell you anything and
they just expect you to know what you should be doing, see the section ‘Let’s
Talk Specifics’ below.)
Most managers are reasonable and they won’t expect you to
remember everything. So it’s also important that you ask questions when you’re
not sure of something.
In fact, even if you don’t have any questions, I recommend
that you ask questions. Because once again, asking questions shows them that
you’re willing to learn.
A great question to ask when there doesn’t ‘appear’ to be
anything to do is, ‘what can I do now?‘
It’s a
simple question that has powerful benefits. It shows the manager that not only
are you willing to learn, but you’re also there to work.
And you would be surprised at how effective this question
is. Especially with experienced managers. It get’s asked so rarely by new
bartenders, that when a manager encounters someone who does ask it, they see it
as a REALLY good sign.
Which brings us to Rule No. 4.
Rule No.4:
Work Your Arse Off
One of the golden rules of hospitality is that ‘there’s
ALWAYS something to do.‘ That’s why the question above is so powerful.
It shows the manager that you’re willing to go out of your way to find out what
that ‘thing’ to do is.
In the long run, that will make their life easier.
So during your trial shift, you want to make sure that
you’re always doing something. Basically, you need to work your arse off.
You want everyone in that building to see you constantly in
motion. That could be wiping down the bar, restocking the fridges, serving
customers, figuring out the POS system, studying the cocktail recipes, or
reading the menu again.
If you’re not sure what you should be doing, ask.
Hospitality professionals work hard and the harder you work
in this industry, the more you’ll be respected. If you’re not doing something,
it means that someone else is going to have to pick up your slack.
And no-one wants to work with
someone who doesn’t pull their own weight.
So it’s very important that you
work as hard as you can during your trial shift.
Rule No.5:
Smile and be Friendly
It’s time to show off your people skills and personality.
This is one of the most important qualities managers will be looking for,
because at the end of the day, hospitality is about people.
It’s about making sure your guests enjoy their experience so
that they keep coming back for more.
There’s no
doubt about it, the better you are with people, the easier you’ll find a job in
the hospitality industry. So if you already have solid people skills, then
great. You’re probably a lot stronger in this area than I am!
But if you’re more like me and you weren’t born with great
people skills, I wouldn’t worry about it. As long as you can smile (even if
it’s forced) and hold a friendly (i.e. not rude) conversation with a stranger,
you’re good enough.
And remember, working in this
industry will help you develop strong people skills very fast. So even if you
start off weak in this area, you’ll quickly improve.
Rule No.6:
Keep Your Conversations Short
There’s a fine balancing act between being friendly with
customers & colleagues and working hard. On the one hand, you should be
giving your customers the attention they deserve.
But on the other hand, you don’t want to be seen as someone
who spends most of their time talking. If you want the job, you need to prove
to your manager that you’re a hard worker. And that’s not going to happen if
you’re talking all the time.
So don’t get caught up in
long-winded conversations with a customer or one of your colleagues during your
bartending trial shift. There is always something you should be doing, so make
sure you’re doing it.
Rule No. 7:
Communicate & Stay Out of the Way
Behind the bar, there’s a subtle dance happening between all
the bartenders. Everyone moves in sync with each other and despite moving
quickly, they somehow manage to avoid running into each other.
Even when
it’s extremely busy… How?
The answer, my friend, is communication. When it’s busy,
bartenders move by instinct. They don’t have time to look where they’re going. So
they rely on vocal cues to figure out where their colleagues are.
If it’s your
first shift, you need to learn how to communicate with your colleagues so that
they don’t turn around and bump into you. This is particularly true for barback
and busser positions and it’s really simple to learn.
All you need to do is yell out ‘BACKS‘ or ‘BEHIND‘
whenever you’re behind someone or outside of their vision, to let them know
that you’re there.
It can take some time to get used to, but knowing about it
is more than enough to impress your manager. There’s nothing worse than working
a busy shift with someone who keeps getting in the way and doesn’t do anything about
it!
When you step behind that bar
(or onto the restaurant floor), you’re a part of the team. And communication is
essential to an effective team.
Rule No. 8:
Have Fun
This isn’t really a rule. It’s more of a recommendation
because, for some of you, this will be your first shift working in the
hospitality industry.
So
enjoy it!
I know it’s going to be hard (especially if it’s busy) when
you’re feeling anxious, and everyone you’re working with looks stressed. But
those moments of stress are usually followed by moments of laughter, the
occasional shot, and a refreshing beer.
And in my opinion, that’s what
makes the whole hospitality thing worth it.
Let’s Talk Specifics
**WARNING**
Sometimes, the manager on your trial shift will give you absolutely NO
direction. They’ll just throw you into the bar and expect you to already know
what to do. It can happen and it happened to Darcy O’Neil, the founder of the ‘Art of Drink‘
bartending website, the first time he stepped behind the bar.
I highly recommend you check out his first bartending
shift story here. Not only is it
funny, but it provides some useful context on what could happen at your
bartending trial shift.
(On a side note, if you find yourself at a
trial where the manager gives you no direction and expects you to just ‘figure
it out’. It’s a sign that it won’t be a great place to work. It might be a
great place to get some initial experience.
But if I was you, I wouldn’t stay
there for long.)
Now, the situation Darcy found himself in is rare. But it
happens. And if it happens to you and you don’t have any experience, you’ll end
up standing around feeling useless.
So to prevent that from happening, you need to know some
specific things you should be doing for the specific positions you’re applying
for.
That’s what you’ll find below. You’ll learn the most
important things barbacks, servers, and bartenders should be doing throughout
their shifts.
Let’s get to it.
Bartending
Trial Shift Specifics
A bartending trial shift is more complicated than a barback
or server trial shift. And that’s because a bartender has more to do and they
need to know more about their products. That’s one of the reasons why
experience is valuable when you’re searching for a bartending position.
But at the end of the day, the job isn’t overly
complicated.
Here’s
a list of things you should be doing, in order of importance:
•
Take Guest’s orders and make them drinks
•
Put those orders through the POS system/Till and
collect payments (or start them a tab)
•
Clear glasses off the bar
•
Wipe down the bar
•
Cut essential fruits (lemons & limes) and
prepare any garnishes
•
Clean up any mess you make
•
Familiarise yourself with the bar and where
everything is
•
If there are no barbacks, you should also be
doing all of the barback’s duties (see below)
Barback Trial
Shift Specifics
Barback trial shifts are the least complicated, but they’re
also the most difficult in terms of how hard you’ll work. Barbacks are given
the jobs that no-one else wants to do. That means doing a lot of heavy lifting,
running around, and cleaning.
Barbacks are generally the hardest workers in any bar.
That’s one of the reasons why it’s such a great position to start off in when
you don’t have any experience. Not only will it teach the basics of what it’s
like to work behind a bar, but it will force to develop a strong work ethic.
Here’s
what you should be focusing on as a barback, in order of importance:
•
Top up ice-wells (there’s nothing worse than
running out of ice) – You’ll need to find out where the ice machine is
•
Re-stock the bar (fridges, spirits, wines,
fruit, etc) – You’ll need to find out where the stock rooms are
•
Change kegs (if they need changing)
•
Collect glasses from the floor
•
Clean up any mess you see (even if you didn’t
make it)
•
Wash & polish glasses
•
Empty the trash
Server Trial
Shift Specifics
Sometimes to break your way into bartending, you need to
start out as a server first. Starting out as a server will get your foot in the
door making it a lot easier to progress into a bartending position later on.
But starting out as a server isn’t that bad. In fact, it
could be the perfect preparation for you as a bartender. Because working as a
server/waiter is more people orientated, it will force you to develop solid
people skills fast.
So if you struggle in this area, working as a server first
could be perfect for you.
Server trials are more complicated than barback trials
because you’re dealing with people. But they’re not as complicated as
bartending trials.
Here
are some specific things you should be doing as a server, in order of
importance:
•
Seating customers and handing them menus (if
there isn’t a host)
•
Taking customer’s food & drink orders (ALWAYS write them down on a notepad
even if you think you have a really good memory. Note down any allergies.)
•
Put those orders through the POS system (Inform
the chef and bar of any allergies and any unclear details)
•
Run food and drinks to tables
•
Clear tables (empty glasses and finished plates)
•
Wipe down tables
•
Reset tables
•
Polish cutlery
After the trial
Once your trial shift is over, make sure you thank the
manager for their time and say goodbye to the other staff members. Then run out
of the building, search for the nearest bar, and order ANOTHER shot of Jaeger and a pint of beer!
Then give yourself a big pat on the back and congratulate
yourself. You’ve made it through the entire hiring process in once piece. I bet
you it wasn’t as hard as you thought it was going to be…
But before you completely relax, you’ve still got one thing
left to do. You need to follow-up with the manager to find out how your
bartending trial shift went. Remember, following up could be the difference
between you getting hire or not, so make sure you do it.
3-7 days is more than enough time after your trial shift to
give the manager a call.
If you’re unsuccessful, try not to take it personally. It
happens to the best of us. Just remember to ask the manager for some feedback
before you hang up the phone. You want to find out what you did well, and what
you did wrong so that you can improve upon those things for your next trial
shift.
And if you get the job, congratulations!
You deserve
it
From No Job to Bartending Brilliance!
Throughout this guide, you’ve learned what it takes to break
into the industry and become a bartender. What’s more, you’ve learned the
mindsets required for success in this industry and detailed strategies you can
start using today today to land your dream job.
•
In Chapter 1, we looked at the lifestyle of a
bartender - both the good AND the
bad and whether or not this career is a good fit for you.
•
In Chapter 2, I showed you how anyone can become
a great bartender. It doesn’t take any specific skills-sets or innate natural
talent. It takes the right attitude and the
willingness to learn.
•
In Chapter 3, we explored whether or not
bartending school was worth it and what your alternatives were. If it were me,
I’d go with the alternatives.
•
In Chapter 4, you learned literally EVERYTHING you need to know to write an
irresistible bartender resume.
•
In Chapter 5, we took you through 7 different
strategies to look for work and found out resume dropping is the most
effective.
•
In Chapter 6, we looked at the interview process
and what you need to do (and say) to impress the hiring manager and get a trial
shift.
•
Finally, in Chapter 7, you learned exactly what
you need to do & focus on during the final stage in the hiring process -
your trial shift.
I hope this guide inspires you to get out there and start
looking for bartending work. Whether you want to be a bartender on the side,
make it a full-time gig, or use these skills to take you around the world, you
can do it!
And
that means learning how to:
•
Memorise & make the most important
cocktails
•
Use the most important bartending techniques
•
Provide outstanding customer service so that
guests keep coming back for more (and so that your pockets are over-flowing
with cash every night!)
•
And more…
I give away tons of free material on all of these topics.
I’m even building a full course that takes you step-by-step from “no job” to
bartending brilliance (i.e. learning how to become a GREAT bartender.
Thanks a lot i hope you like my blog of Bartending keep in touch many more blogs will be with you so best of luck and do Rocks.
Vinod Gharti
awsome things you share with us i hope its gonr be a work for bigners bartenders like me your one of the best student ROHIT RAWAT
ReplyDeleteU r the best ever I wish u will be a grt bartender
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