Bartending jobs are one of those interesting jobs that many people think about at various stages in their life. From young to old there is a fascination with this job where it seems like the bartender is always smiling. It must be fun.
In our experience there are two established ways to master the skills of bartending and land a job in the industry On-the-job training and bartending schools. Both work. Both have merits. Both have drawbacks. It is up to each interested individual to pursue the course that is most appropriate for him or her.
We have run bartending schools for thirty-seven years. Some of us learned bartending on-the-job. Others learned through a school. Both methods have merit and have worked for tens of thousands of bartenders over this span of time. The one method that doesn't seem to work at all is to learn through a book, on-line, a video, or similar method. Since this methodology has gained popularity through the web we see lots of disappointed people come to our school to learn in a hands-on environment.
Learning to bartend on-the-job is the traditional way bartenders learned their skill. It was the only way before the 1960's when bartending schools started to spring up across the US. Most new bartenders started as barbacks, working for the bartenders or as wait staff. Barbacks would keep the ice stocked, collect used glassware for cleaning, restock the bar from storage, cut garnishes, keep the bar clean, etc. As bartending shifts became available either barbacks or waiters or waitresses would be thrust into these positions.
Learning on-the-job depends on the existing bartenders or management who will train and the types of drinks normally served at any bar/restaurant club. It's astonishing but in a majority of establishments most bartenders regularly serve only about 20-40 types of drinks and variations of these cocktails. Learning on-the-job means that you will learn those drinks and a few others. Of course one of the best benefits is that you will be paid while training. You will be very good at what is popular in that establishment but may stumble if you go to an entirely different type of bar.
To understand this phenomenon read this article from the Washington Post that gained some nationwide fame in June 2004:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59896-2004Jun22_2.html . At the end of the article it references a bartender with 30 years experience who couldn't remember the last time a customer ordered a kamikaze shooter. Yet in some of the bars that our grads work, kamikaze shooters are so popular the bartenders premix them before the evening crowd so they can work faster.
Bartending schools provide hands-on training in a simulated bar. All of the equipment is real with sinks, soda guns, etc. provided by restaurant equipment distributors. Alcohol and garnishes are simulated so they can be reused again and again. Well known top shelf bottles should all have original labels on them so students can learn what is popular.
In a bartending school students will typically learn between 100-150 different drinks. This should cover the full gamut from current hot shooters to classic cocktails. Students essentially should learn industry standard ways of behaving appropriate for all types of establishments from high end and elegant to high speed and trendy. In this way students are prepared for all types of establishments.
Ultimately the true test of a school is its ability to assist with job placement assistance leads. Most students and potential students are ultimately interested in finding work wherein the school will more than pay for itself.
In our schools in the Washington DC area, The Professional Bartending School, and in Pittsburgh, The Bartender School of Pittsburgh we consistently advertise to thousands of restaurants, bars, clubs, hotels, pubs, sports bars, country clubs, and caterers. We let them know that our placement service is free to the establishments. Once positions are filled we remove these listings. As a result we have a steady stream of real job leads from a great variety of establishments. We're proud to say we have seen graduates work at some of the regions most elegant dining centers and some work at the very opposite extreme. Significantly the regional clubs have hired our grads for years. They have found the training to be excellent and "clean" providing them with bartenders who can both work fast and have not yet developed industry "bad habits".
Bartending schools cannot guarantee jobs. No one should enroll in a school thinking a job is automatic. Ultimately it depends on the individuals to land the positions. Recently we had management from local TGIFriday's at the school for preliminary interviews with 13 grads. Five were preliminarily asked for callbacks and had training and 3 were ultimately hired.
Possibly the best news is that bartending jobs continue to grow along with the economy and the population. Whether in good times or bad, customers love to spend time at the bar with the smiling bartender.
Tommy Hanavan has been in the bartending business for over twenty-five years. He started as a bartender and became a manager at a variety of popular bars in upstate New York. For the last twelve years he has run the Professional Bartending School in Arlington, Virginia both teaching and managing the school.
http://www.bartending-school.com http://www.bartendingschoolpittsburgh.com
