March 7, 2010

How To Earn Extra Money By Becoming A Bartender

The great thing about bartending is that it brings in extra cash, which all of us need from time to time. Many people are lured into bartending jobs by the promise of being in the limelight of every party and the central focus of everyone who wants to have a great time. Yet, you also have to take into consideration the negative aspects of this job that you may not enjoy quite so much. Bartenders do have to do unpopular things sometimes, such as working the late nights while others are partying and cutting off drinkers who have had too much.

There can be a lot of stress with a bartending job. You have to strike a balance between making demanding, expectant customers happy on the spot and satisfying a boss who believes raking in the money is of the utmost importance. You have to be able to service your customers quickly while still communicating in a manner that makes them want to tip you. Throw in dealing with those who have had too much but still want more, and you have a stressful job that needs to be thought about seriously before taking.

You will have to remember what everyone wants, how to make it and the prices for everything. You also have to be on the lookout for underage drinkers because if anything happens to them, you will be responsible for their actions. You will need to handle your job with style and remember you’ll be working for tips. Sometimes, this can be a good thing while others it may not be. Often, it isn’t enough. Depending on where you work, the tips can be horrid.

While mixing drinks doesn’t seem like a demanding job, it does require a lot of skills. You will need excellent communication skills to deal with customers and math skills to add up the tab for each customer and quickly hand back the proper amount of change. You will also have to work with others behind the bar, especially when there is a large crowd around the bar area. Finally, your personality has to be considered. A great bartender is someone who can remain calm under any amount of pressure and who can keep a smile on their face no matter how they may be feeling inside.

If you are still interested in earning some extra cash with bartending, make sure to find a good school to prepare you ahead of time. Look for a short term school that will teach you how to mix a wide variety of drinks in a very short period of time. You should be able to take seven hour classes for a week or two and get all the skills you need to begin working.

Those who don’t attend a good bartending school tend to have a more difficult time finding jobs, since employers are looking for people who already know how to mix their drinks, which tools should be used, and who understand that different drinks require different types of glasses.

So, what if you can’t afford school? You could always start your career as a barback, which is an assistant to the bartender. This position allows you to learn all of the necessary skills so you can eventually become a bartender yourself. Waitressing in an establishment that serves drinks could also be an entrance position.

On a final note, whether you attend school or not you will have to get a license if your state requires it. Go online and check your state’s guidelines. If you do need it, the test can often be taken online.

Brian has been in the bartending business for over 12 years. In that time he has developed a system to get bartending jobs with no experience. Sign up for his free newsletter is you want to learn how to become a bartender