bar tending
David Artsmith - Bartending is a fun and challenging career, that allows you to work in an exciting atmosphere, making friends and acquaintances, and joining people during their most celebrated and joyous occasions. However the path to becoming a bartender can be daunting, with hidden challenges lurking in the shadows, and difficulties arising at every turn. However all you need is diligence, skill, and perseverance, and you can attain a profitable and enlightening career serving drinks to appreciative patrons.
It is a common misconception that you have to go to Bartending School and get certified to become a bartender. This is a common misconception. Most bartenders have no formal training at all, and many were simply promoted from lower level jobs such as waiter or bus boy.
However Bartending School and certification can help you on this career path in a variety of ways. First, it will give you some training in mixed drinks, and will help to familiarize yourself with the working of a bar. Second, the certification that you receive, while not worth that much on the job market, will at least show a potential employer that you are knowledgeable and have some basic knowledge of how the profession works, and the various recipes that are requested.
The most important thing that Bartending School can afford you is if they offer some sort of job placement. Many bartending schools will work with restaurants and bars, to help place successful students in entry level positions upon successful completion of the course. This can be a major boost, helping you to break the ice and get that all important first job.
However as stated earlier, it is not at all necessary to get training to become a bartender. The most common path to this goal is to get promoted. That means that you have to get a job working in a restaurant, or a bar. Preferably this job should be somehow related to the bar, or serving beverages. This can include being a bar back, or a bartenders assistant.
Once you have a position that is somehow related to the bar, you should work hard to prove yourself to your employers. Be diligent, work hard, and fill in any gaps that other employees may leave open. Help keep the bar clean, pass out drink coasters to patrons, do whatever you can to help. Try to become useful to the bartenders and the staff, help them out when it gets busy, fill in gaps, and try to learn anything that you can.
If you are looking for a new position as a bartender, one way to find a job is to do “the walk”. This is a common experience for wait staff and restaurant employees. It involves walking up and down the street, in the neighborhood where you live, and popping into every establishment, and simply asking if they need help. You should bring a resume that has any pertinent experience that you may have typed up neatly. Even if the place doesn't need help right away, they can file your resume, and if a position opens up, they may call you.
Another version of “the walk” has you opening up the yellow pages, and cold calling every restaurant or bar listed asking for help. Always be polite, and respectful. When you call, try to speak to the owner or manager, as they are the ones who will make the ultimate decision about your employment possibilities.
Bartending can be a rewarding and lucrative position, allowing you to earn a good living doing something in a fun and active environment. However you have to be diligent, and willing to work your way up, in order to get a good position that will ultimately fulfill your goals.
Tags: bar tending, Bartending, coasters, drinks, napkins, serving, serving drinks, spirits
Filed under Wine-Spirts by JamesJay
David Artsmith - Being a bartender is a lot harder than most people realize. It is rather simi9lar to being a cook, you have a variety of elements that you can mix and match, all in the pusuit of something surprising and refreshing to the majority of your customers. All of this is performed live, in front of the customer, as they wait patient or not to be served. Based on your performance under this high pressure situation, you will be tipped, or not, depending on the patrons whims.
However bartending is about so much more than just serving up drinks. It is a social profession, where you will be judged more by popularity than by skill, although the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive. The following are a couple of important tips that anyone seeking to join this profession should know.
First of all, you have to understand the art of conversation. You want to make friends with everyone that enters the establishment. However these are not buddies that you can just say whatever you like to. There are certain topics of conversation that should be expressly forbidden. These include politics, religion, and personal conditions. Instead you should seek to ensure that everyone feels comfortable and engaged in an unthreatening environment.
Another important aspect of bartending is keeping the environment itself clean. Every drink should be served with a beverage coaster, and you should make sure to wipe down the bar after every serving.
One overlooked aspect of this profession is the actual serving. When handing a glass to someone, most people pick it up by the rim and slog it over. However as a bartender you have to be aware that people might not want to put their lips somewhere where your hand just was. Instead you should hold the glass by its base or stem, and slide it gently to the customer.
Bartending is a challenging profession. You have to worry about more than just the drinks, as a bartender it is your responsibility to attend to the ambiance of the entire bar, ensuring that it is cleana nd comfortable for your patrons. It takes some practice to get used to the various roles a bartender must play, but if you are up to the challenge it can be an exciting and rewarding profession.
Filed under Wine-Spirts by JamesJay
