Bartending Jobs: 3 Key Steps To Getting Hired

“How do I find bartending jobs in my town?”

“What if I don’t have any experience, will they still hire me?”

“Do I need to go to bartending school or get a bartending license?”

These are just a few of the questions that come to mind when you’re thinking about bartending as a potential new job or career. If you’ve come here looking for those answers and more, then you’ve definitely come to the right place.

This article is about the three main keys to getting a bartending job with little to no experience.

First, we’ll assume that you know your sh*t. Meaning, you know your drinks, you know about the bar area itself, all your bartender tools, you know about the alcohols, customer service, upselling, how you get tipped out, dealing with drunks, dealing with your boss, how the register and computer work, etc, etc. (If not start with the basics here), and poke around this site a little as all of that information is available.

Ok, so assuming that your knowledge is handled…lets get rollin’

First off, when looking for a bartending job, one thing you cannot do is to fall prey to the trap of someone else (*cough* bartending schools) telling you they have the “inside connection” on all the bars that are hiring in town.

Remember this and alway keep it in the back of your mind when talking to anyone about finding a job: the only person who knows who is hiring ANYWHERE, is the manager at that specific establishment.

So if someone (*cough, bartending schools) tells you they keep in touch with all the managers in town or they know exactly which bars are hiring; if they aren’t a manager at that bar…as Flava-Flav would say…“don’t believe the hype!”

I call BS, and so should you.

Why?

Because here’s the way it works in the real world with bartending jobs…most bars, especially the good ones, have people that literally come in and apply EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. On top of that, bar owners and managers are so busy running their business that they don’t have time to keep in contact with an outside “school” to make sure they are thoroughly stocked with back-up bartenders to call upon at a moments notice. Remember, they have prospects that walk in the front door 10 times a day.

Think about it, why would they need to talk to anyone about finding new hires? Applications come in on a daily basis!

And even before they hire anyone new, realize that most bars will prefer to promote from within, because that’s just good business practice and great way to keep your employees loyal and motivated.

But even if they can’t promote from within, if they want to hire someone all they have to do is go…“ok, we need to hire someone…let’s see who comes in today!”

So if you can’t count on schools or anyone else to find you the bartending jobs in your town, where and how do you find them?

Ah, the million dollar question.

The most effective way of getting hired at a bar boils down to one basic concept. MAKING FRIENDS.

Making friends?

Yep, this whole finding-a-bartending-job thing is basically about you slappin’ high-fives and making friends with as many bar managers and employees as possible.

Let me ask you a question, if you had the ability to pick who got hired at your job, who would you hire? Random people you don’t know, or your friends? Usually you would hire your friends right? Exactly, and bar managers think the same way.

Actually, several parts of your success in bartending boils down to making friends. Because after you get that job you so desperately want, next you’ll be making friends with all your customers so they keep coming back, then with shift managers so you can get favors done for you when you need, and on and on. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here…

Ok, so how do we make friends with the bar managers?

Well, there are a few ways to do this but they all revolve around the three main keys…

1. Consistency. Consistently make yourself a presence in their establishment. Maybe you already do this? Great! Even if you are the local bar-fly, the point is they know you, and they feel that you know their establishment, which is huge. When I was hired at my current bar, the owners and managers were really concerned that I understood their bar, their customers types, and the flow of business…aka, it can get super busy all the time. They had hired bartenders in the past who had said “yeah, of course I’ve been here, I can handle it, no problem!” only to have them work their first busy shift on a Friday or Saturday night and have an absolute melt down behind the bar. So if you can get to know the managers, they will feel like you understand THEIR BUSINESS, which always remember, to them, is the only thing that matters.
2. Follow up. Once you’ve gone out there and done the initial leg work of actually shaking the hiring managers hand, face-to-face, don’t let it be for nothing. Meaning, FOLLOW UP! Even if you follow up just one time you will stand out MILES from your competition. Why will you stand out? Because hardly anyone ever follows up.
3. Persistence. You MUST be persistent in your actions of going out there, following up, pounding the pavement, knocking on doors and MAKING FRIENDS. Its highly unlikely that the first bar, or two, or thirty you apply to will be hiring. You could get hired at the first place you walk into, it’s all about timing. But you might have to hit a few places and you will most likely need to be persistent in your follow up to each of them several times.

Remember how I said that most bars have people coming in every day to apply? Well if you’re persistent, they will remember you…if you’re not persistent, what do you think your chances are of them remembering you in a month from now when they actually are hiring and they’ve had 200 other applicants since yours? Exactly, slim to none.

So it is now your job to make sure they don’t forget you.

The next thing you can do to find a bartending job is to use job listing services like craigslist.org (this is usually the only site that actual bar managers use, IF they list their jobs at all) or the local newspaper. Now, what you DON’T want to do is sit at home on your couch just looking at craigslist.

Because this is what every other lazy-wanna-be-bartender in the world does. When you just sit at home and look online for jobs what you’re doing is minimizing your options (because 95% of most bars don’t advertise when they are hiring), and you’re maximizing your competition (because every other couch jockey out there will be applying to the few places who do).

Now don’t get me wrong, you still DO want to use craigslist.org or newspapers to find out which bars are definitely hiring. (**Here’s a little inside secret, if they have an open application day listed in the ad, go in and apply one business day BEFORE the date listed to beat the crowds. If you do this, and if they ask you, make sure to tell them you did NOT see their ad because you would effectively be telling them that you can’t follow directions…just tell them you heard it through the grapevine…like “Oh really? No, I didn’t see that ad actually, I heard from my buddy Craig that you guys were hiring”. 😉

Then of course, hit as many places as possible. Think outside the box…there are tons of places you can apply to bartend that most people never think of. Places like…

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• Hotels
• Bowling Alleys
• Airports
• Cruiseships
• Resorts (think Club Med)
• Restaurants
• Catering Companies
• Casino’s
• Night Clubs
• Dive Bars
• Golf Courses
• Sports Venues (Pro Sports Stadiums, etc)
• Music Venues

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Just to name a few. The key is to be creative, consistently approach new places, and be persistent in your follow up. And if you can do all that, you will eliminate 99.9% of your competition in the real world. Ok! There you have it. Now that you know how to find the bartending jobs in your town, get out there and kick some butt!