So you want to know: Is it possible to be a bartender without going to bartending school?

I became a bartender without going to bartender school (it’s possible). However, it could take you a significant amount of time.

For a better explanation read on…

My story…I was a waiter (food server) for many years, and as many food servers I aspired to be a bartender. I liked the idea of being behind the bar, meeting new people, and mixing & creating new drinks (it seemed like a lot of fun). I would watch closely at how the bartenders went about their job, noticing how they interacted with customers, made drinks, and did their tasks. I purchased a bartender’s dictionary, a book which gives you the details about how almost every drink is made (liquors, proportions, etc). I made flash cards for the most common drinks people would order. I practiced with my flash cards for months. I also had bottles at home with pour spouts filled with water and would practice pouring with those. I did everything I could outside the bar to prepare myself as best possible for when I would get a chance to get behind the bar.

I let the bartenders at my job know I aspired to get behind the bar. Occasionally they would let me behind the bar when they needed a break. I would pour some drinks, and serve a few customers. Over time, I got more experience through this method. Eventually, I was trusted enough to take a slow day shift for a bartender that wasn’t able to make it to work. Eventually I worked my way into the bar schedule, and the rest is history, as they say.

I basically learned from doing, on the job experience. However, this may not be a feasible model for everyone, because before I was a waiter, I was a bus boy (I worked my way up), and this took many years.

Another common route to working your way up the ladder, would be to start as a barback. A barback is someone who assists the bartender by performing various tasks behind the bar, other than making drinks for customers (washing glasses, replacing empty bottles of liquor, cleaning off the bar, etc). Many people don’t have a year or more to work their way up the ladder.

This is where bartending school can get you on the fast track to getting a job behind the bar. When I was a bartender I knew many people who had gone to bartender’s school to get experience.

After attending bartending school you may not land the best shifts at the hottest nightclub, casino, or resort. However, you will have enough training from school to get a job, and get some experience under your belt. Once you get some experience, you can move jobs, or take shifts at different bars. Eventually with enough experience, and networking you can end up at that bar that you initially inspired to be working at.

Author Bio: For more information about bartenders school, bartending schools, bartending classes, or about becoming a bartender, and tips for success as a bartender, visit my website.

Category: Career
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