Over the years, bartender jobs have become careers. Part of the reason for this is the expansion of the food-service industry. Many new types of alcoholic beverages have come out on the market. There are newer and more defined drinking establishments available. Plus there has been a general increase in this particular business, so there is a lot more job availability.
Becoming a bartender involves much more than just deciding you want to become one. Business owners are putting higher and higher expectations on their potential employees, which is evident during the hiring process.
First of all, there are bartending schools that can be attended. Going after bartender jobs with a certificate from one of these schools makes job searching a whole lot easier. Plus, each state has its own regulations regarding bartenders, so you must be sure that you meet these regulations.
There are other factors aside from training that have to be considered as well. You need to have the right personality to become a bartender. If you don’t possess much patience, or if people irritate you easily, then this is one profession you probably don’t want to enter into. We all know that when some individuals have had just a little bit too much to drink they can be become arrogant and belligerent. You as a bartender will often be counted on to defuse escalated situations.
You have to really enjoy talking to people. Everyone loves good conversation, especially when they are having a drink.
You have to have excellent knowledge about the types of alcohol you are going to be serving. How detailed this knowledge must be will also depend on the type of establishment you work in. Bartending jobs are available in a variety of places. For example pubs, restaurants, nightclubs, and big hotels, just to name a few. If you are working in a pub, then you will probably need to know more about various beers and ales, as opposed to liquors and cocktails.
After you have gained some good experience at a variety of bartending jobs, you may decide that you would like to pursue some bartending management jobs. Once you have reached this stage, you are going to not only need all of the attributes that we have covered for being a bartender, but a you will need a few more as well. You will have good experience at dealing with the customers, but now you will most likely have a staff of employees to contend with as well. Likely you will be responsible for their work scheduling. You have to be able to handle a variety of situations in this area. For example, if a waitress calls in sick one hour before her shift on a Saturday night, then you are going to have to have a backup plan for this type of situation. If you are going to panic about it you will make matters worse. So you can see the bartending management jobs can demand quick decisions.
You may also be in a position where you will have to hire staff. Here you are going to need some good interviewing skills. Aside from people issues, you are now going to have to take care of the ordering and stocking of your bar. This will be a whole new experience. If you have never been in a management position before, consider applying for one of the assistant bartending management jobs first. This way you can ease into the management sector and learn as you go along. You may even have to expand your knowledge to be able to cover all aspects of drink mixing. This will be especially true if you are working in a nightclub. People who frequent these clubs tend to go for more of the exotic drinks. You will of course need to be well versed with the drinks listed on the menu, but there will be occasions when customers will ask you to make special drinks. As long as it isn’t against the owner’s policy, give it your best try. You may end up with one more drink to add to the menu.
As different types of wines and liquors come out onto the market, you will need to stay informed about them. You will have the added responsibility of making sure that your staff always remains current with what is available in the industry.
