Some people are lucky and just land the job straight away. There are a number of different ways people break into bartending. It took 3 years before I finally broke into the industry as a waiter and then another year and a half before I became a bartender. So I applied for a few jobs but never got past the interview stage. Every year or so, I decided that it was time to start my teenage dream of becoming a bartender. After a few unsuccessful applications, you conclude that it’s not possible and give up on the job hunt!įor 3 years, that’s exactly what I did. Your’e told you need experience to get an interview, let alone a trial.

However, you quickly find that it’s a lot more difficult than you thought. You either jump online or print off your resume/CV and hand it in directly to bars, pubs & restaurants. Usually, it goes something like this: You want to become a bartender so you start looking for jobs. It’s a problem every aspiring bartender has to face and it prevents so many people ever getting started. Yet, virtually every bartending job that’s advertised requires the applicant to have a minimum of 2 years experience… So the question is, how on earth do you become a bartender when you’re just starting out? If I could go back in time, the only thing I’d do differently would be to get into bartending sooner.īecoming a bartender can be extremely difficult especially if you don’t have any experience. Not only do you learn about people and the fascinating world of food & beverage, but you learn life skills that most other jobs won’t teach you. There’s a lot more to bartending (and the hospitality industry for that matter) than meets the eye. Like crafting cocktails, recommending wine, and working a job that gives me the freedom and flexibility to travel the world. But what I didn’t realize, was how much I’d enjoy the other aspects of bartending. Now, with 5 years of experience behind me, I know what it feels like to be that guy and it’s just as fun as it looked. I wanted to be able to regale customers with entertaining stories and confidently flirt. Was it because I wanted to look cool and chat up attractive women? Probably… All I knew was that I wanted to be that guy. To an insecure 15-yr-old going through puberty, it looked fantastic! The customers laughed, the waitresses giggled, and he was absolutely loving it. While he was making drinks & polishing glasses, he was chatting with the customers or flirting with the waitresses. It was what came with the job that made it so memorable.

All he did was make a few cocktails, polish some glasses, and pour glasses of wine. And in particular, the bartender working that night. I don’t remember much about the dinner, but I do remember the bar. I was around 15 years old and my parents had taken me out for dinner. I even remember the first time that thought came into my head. Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve thought about becoming a bartender.

Bartender 2 dream