Have you been searching how to become a bartender lately? Since career and degree go hand in hand as per the Trend, it doesn’t apply to all the fields. If you have a knack of pleasing the party and making the best of people’s nightlife, Bartending is your forte. The field of bartending can help you produce much income that comes off a lot of enjoyment and partying. An experienced bartender can find work almost anywhere. Plus, many people enjoy the personal interaction inherent in the job. It is not surprising, then, that these positions are competitive. Here are the steps to becoming a bartender.
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Who is a Bartender?
A bartender is a person who serves Cocktails, mocktails, alcoholic beverages, sodas, etc. standing behind a bar. The other names for bartenders are Bar Wench, Master Mixologist, Barman, Barkeep, Tapster, or Barmaid. Bartenders can work in any place where there is a bar, such as hotels, restaurants, pubs, taverns, and bars.
What Job Role Do a Bartender Play?
Becoming a bartender does sound like fun. You get to interact and serve different kinds of exciting people. If you serve your customers well, attend them their way – they might even tip you a considerable amount. Sounds great. Yes, it does, but it is not always the same every day.
Besides, you must realize that being a bartender requires a lot of hard work too. As a bartender, you have to bother and manage the other wait staff who will ask you to make a specific drink for a certain table.
You always have to keep a check if you never run out of liquor. Plus, make sure the glasses are clean and cater to every person’s request at the bar within a specific time limit. Keep a tab if you are not serving liquor to an underage kid. And finally, you have always to be happy and smiling while serving or listening to your customers or else you’re sure not to get any tip for your efforts.
But becoming a bartender and serving the role not only make you tired but can stress you out mentally as well. But, there are few fun moments too but make sure you do not begin to idealize bartending or else you are bound to get disappointed with the outcome. Also, the same people whom you might have found interesting before a few drinks might turn out to be rude as several drinks go down them.
Best Tips on How to Become a Bartender
Little did I imagine that many jobs in this world are so fancy that they make every day a party. From preparing drinks, to serving them in your unique style, and keeping the soul of the party alive, bartending had always been an eye-catchy career. Besides, the way they dress-up all like a gentleman, with a white shirt, black-trouser, and a bow on, makes the audience delighted. Here are some tips that you can follow to become a bartender and grab your dream job.
Tip 1 Get the Educational Qualifications
To become a bartender you do not need any specific education, but there are some bartending courses you can take to polish your skills. These bartending programs include instruction on state and local laws and regulations. These might include the sale of alcohol and teaching cocktail recipes. Plus, you get a fair knowledge of your attire and conduct to follow as a bartender. The duration of each program varies, but most courses last a few weeks.
Remember, the majority of states in the U.S allow you to be a bartender if you are 21 years old and very few states agree on being 18. So check with your state what the age limit has to be to become a bartender. So check with your state about licensing and set forth with your career.
Tip 2 Know Your Duties
To know how to become a successful bartender, you must first understand their basic duties. Here are the job-roles that a bartender has to follow up till the party’s over. These duties include:-
- Being gentle while greeting and chatting with the customers
- Handing over the menu card
- Taking orders and serving drinks
- Cleaning the bar when enters and exits
- Maintaining the decorum by managing the crowd
Tip 3 Follow the Pros and Cons of Bartending
The best tip on how to become a bartender is by understanding the pros and cons, i.e., two –sides of the coin. These are a few measures to follow on the same. There are:-
- Get mental stability
- Being strong and active
- Having the capacity to stay awake and work all night long
- Accepting the job profile as it comes
Tip 4 Adapt the Culture and the Trend
The next up in becoming a bartender is to adapt to the culture and follow the latest trends. That is, your foremost task should not only be to serve but to become part of the party surroundings. Bring in new ways that your clients resonate with- the more they enjoy, the more likely they’re to revisit your bar. That’s how you hook the old clients and engage the newer ones with the popularity of your bar.
Tip 5 Familiarize with the Bartending Lingo
The pro tip on becoming a bartender is to know the parts and parcel of your job role. So, you must be familiar with certain terms that form the part of the bartending lingo. Do you have an idea of what these terms are? Let’s know some!
Back: Small glass, served with a drink
Chaser: A drink sipped after a shooter
Dash: A drop in the main drink
Dirty: When a martini has a mix of olive juice
Does that make you wonder whether to go to a bartending school to learn the trade? Since it is a go with the flow kind of profession, you need to join one to know how to become a bartender. Work as an intern in a bar near you.
If your passion has a high-spirit for getting famous in the trade and gathering a lot of money, you can know “How to become rich and famous” from us.
Steps to Become a Bartender in US
Now, if you want to break through the profession and become a bartender someday, here are all the steps to follow.
Step 1: Network with People in the Industry
The key to becoming a bartender is earning the trust of a hiring manager, to the point where the manager is comfortable offering a position. To do this, forge connections with people in the restaurant business. Take a sincere interest in how other people learned how to become a bartender, and spread the word that you would like to do the same. A simple introduction from another bartender can make all the difference.
Step 2: Target an Appropriate Establishment
No two bars are exactly alike. Fast, slow, trendy, old-school, loud, quiet – the variety is endless. What type of place fits your style? When it comes to finding work as a bartender, the answer to this question is crucial. Customers like to buy drinks from people with whom they can relate, and bar managers know this. From the manager’s perspective, finding a bartender means more than finding someone qualified. It means finding someone who will fit in. When looking at how to become a bartender, look for a bar to apply to that matches your style.
Step 3: Get an Interview
Do not expect to land an interview by emailing a resume or making a phone call. While you are waiting to hear back, someone more assertive will get the job. Have the application paperwork ready to go, and then walk into the bar during a shift when business is slow, and the manager is working. Late morning is usually a good time. Introduce yourself to the manager, hand over the application, and ask if there is a time you can come in to interview for the position.
Step 4: Make an Impression
The point of a bartending interview is for the hiring manager to observe the candidate’s personality – this cannot be an overstatement. Understanding how to become a bartender means understanding how to put your personality on display for others to see. During the interview, the manager will want to see what the customers will see. So dress, but more than anything, show the manager that you are the type of person that customers will like.
Step 5: Treat Bartending as a Career
Becoming a bartender is a process, not an event. Securing the first job is only the beginning. To become successful and reach your true earning potential, become a student of the profession, and never stop learning. Take a course and become certified. Ask for guidance from other bartenders and feedback from supervisors. Practice mixing drinks at home for friends and family. Have fun, but consider these activities for what they are – career development.
Summing Up the Bartender Career-Guide
To become a bartender is not difficult; it is how you market yourself when you are looking for an opportunity to be given a chance to be a bartender. Remember this; you need three things to be a bartender:
- Flexibility: You must work any part of the day and must listen and take whatever your customer gives (mental torture or a tip) you with a smile.
- Know your drinks at the back of your hand. Have a knowledge of how to mix it with the right concoctions. Since your customers are paying huge sums to have their favorite drinks as they expect it, you got to pay back a good one.
- Personality: A happy bartender will make his customers happy, and they will tip you with a happy heart. This way, a bartender will earn more tips than a salary.
Bartending can be a great career you can walk in to (figuratively of course) unless you have what it takes. Bartending is not about how good you make your drinks but how you serve it. Many people notice that bartenders make lots of money, and think to themselves: is this something I can do, and if so, how? To become a bartender, realize that the process requires a friendly disposition, a proactive attitude, and a lot of hard work.