I had my hours cut at work by 50%. So instead of making a comfortable living, I am making a quite uncomfortable living. I need to come up with an extra 1,000 bucks a month.

I have heard bartenders make pretty good money. How does one become a bartender, and are there any places in Raleigh that are hiring? If you get me a job bar tending, I will be happy to kick back a little bit of my earnings your way mafia style for a while.

6/2/2009 11:07:59 AM

1,000 bucks... i can make that in like 5 seconds, gosh

6/2/2009 11:08:51 AM

SO TUFF

6/2/2009 11:11:13 AM

I would suggest starting serving (waiting tables) at a restaurant that you'd like to bartend at.
Or try and find a barbacking position somewhere.
It's nearly impossible to get a job bartending without having restaurant experience (or knowing someone.)

6/2/2009 11:12:08 AM

you start by working the door
then you bar back
then you become a server
then you become a bartender


good luck with working hard, i doubt ud have it in you


besides, do you not think everyone that received a cut in hours is taking this route? you late in the game man, you gonna have to start real low and real slow its going to be uncomfortable for you for awhile

[Edited on June 2, 2009 at 11:36 AM. Reason : f]

6/2/2009 11:28:38 AM

i'll take dick answers for 1000, alex

6/2/2009 11:39:44 AM

how are any of these dick answers

its life

6/2/2009 12:03:14 PM

Wow, BigHitSunday, glad to see you know me so well. You don't sound pompous or bitter at all. Stay out of my thread...if I need to know where to get some purple drank or can't find the swimmin' hole, then I'll come to you, k?

[Edited on June 2, 2009 at 12:40 PM. Reason : nagger.]

6/2/2009 12:37:37 PM

^ sounds like you are the asshole

6/2/2009 12:43:31 PM

^^

i don't know why i am posting here but i will TRY to give my .02. so it depends on the type of place you want to work. it also depends on whether or not you have restaurant experience. but if you are working at a less expensive not as nice place (ie: not fine dining) then you MAY have a chance getting a bartending job w/o serving first, IF they are hiring/looking for help. you probably won't bartend right away, you'll probably do the bar back type work and train to be a bartender.

but in all likelihood you will have to serve first. again, if you go the non fine dining route, you can probably serve without bussing tables or doing back wait stuff first. but if you want to work at a fancy schmancy place, you're going to have to start at the very bottom and work up.

have you ever worked in a restaurant before? this is probably step one.

oh and if you are looking at a corporate chain type place (an outback or something) you definitely have to work up because there's all kinds of rules and a hierarchy that must be followed.



[Edited on June 2, 2009 at 12:47 PM. Reason : .]

6/2/2009 12:44:09 PM

He's actually 100% correct. Just because you don't like the answer isn't a reason to be a racist asshole

6/2/2009 12:44:17 PM

Pretty much impossible to jump into a decent bartending gig unless you got a great set of tits and ass or you know somebody who is stupid enough to put you behind the bar without any bartending experience. The responses already listed are pretty much spot on.

And the jobs that you do have a small of chance of getting without any experience, probably won't make you any money.

In this economy, a good bartending gig is highly coveted. You might want to start looking in other areas...mowing yards or something.

6/2/2009 1:26:52 PM

I agree with nearly all of what has been said in this thread. Right now (down economy and summertime), bar gigs are few and far between. If I were you and looking to become a bartender, id go to every bar that I could find and ask about barback jobs (and i mean any bar). If you find one hiring and get the job, bust your ass, ask questions when its slow, and pay attention to what the bartenders are doing. You could also help yourself by learning all of the drinks and how to pour before you even think about jumping to bartender. With so much interest, shitty bartenders and slow learners won't be around very long. Bartending isn't an inherently difficult job, its just not for everyone and it takes a certain type of person to be really good at it (skill, personality, etc).

6/2/2009 2:17:56 PM

Whatever you do, ABSOLUTELY DO NOT go to Raleigh Bartending School.

Applications with that garbage get thrown away real quick.

6/2/2009 2:29:04 PM

A friend of mine took a bartending class to get "certified" He said it was basically memorzing how to make 800 different drinks.


Do you know how to make a Red Death of the top of your head?

6/2/2009 2:30:54 PM

My mom owned a bar and I can tell you something right now... One of the hardest things is trying to work a day job and bartend. Also, yes it's quick and easy money, but it's addicting. Finally, don't expect to jump into it right away. Like others said, you normally have to work your way up - especially if you have little to no experience.

Oh and one more thing... be prepared to work long hours.

6/2/2009 2:54:14 PM

Are you able to draw any unemployment with the cut in hours?

6/2/2009 2:59:38 PM

What type of work do you do? Have you considered free-lance work in your field or consulting for extra paper?

6/2/2009 3:05:55 PM

i love all the advice towards success

HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THINKING POSITIVE?

/cynic

6/2/2009 3:17:13 PM

better yet, HAVE YOU CONSIDERED SUICIDE?

6/2/2009 5:45:00 PM

6/2/2009 5:45:02 PM

You've got much bigger problems than having your hours cut if you need to make a thread on TWW to ask how someone becomes a bartender.

6/2/2009 6:13:45 PM

hasn't this thread been done before???

6/2/2009 6:29:26 PM

yeah except that the last thread was about all these douches not wanting to tip, now all of them
need those tips

6/3/2009 5:32:21 AM

LOL too funny. I remember back when I worked in restaurants and you told me how lowly that type of job was and how you made sooo much money doing whatever you were doing. You talked down about people who worked in restaurants and bars and acted like you were better than everyone. You got what was coming to you...LOL

6/3/2009 11:26:15 AM

^hahah


awesome

anyways, i was just givin you solid advice, i work the door at a bistro in durham, but some of my boys are at server level after havin worked there a year (and i mean actually puttin in work, not just showin up and collectin a check...they started at the door). They have ambitions to work behind the bar, and the bistro can definitely wouldnt mind the help, but it aint gonna help them if a dude that knows too little to be taught is back there fuckin up and creating a risk for the bar with respect to customer satsfaction and the ALE.

so you can be smarmy and a smart ass all you want, we just tryna put you up on game cuz you asked, you wanna be a dick than fuck you go collect an unemployment check.


and for the record, i dont want to be anything other than a doorman, barbacking hours are all day all night, i respect what these guys do man they work from brunch to last call. you gotta want it and you gotta want it for a couple years if you wanna make it to bartender status

[Edited on June 3, 2009 at 12:25 PM. Reason : e]

6/3/2009 12:17:49 PM

Quote :

"Pretty much impossible to jump into a decent bartending gig unless you got a great set of tits and ass or you know somebody who is stupid enough to put you behind the bar without any bartending experience. The responses already listed are pretty much spot on."

yep


and you're not gonna want to put in the time it takes to work your way to bar

go a different route my man

6/3/2009 3:52:00 PM

It's been said before but bears repeating: no place you'd ever want to work will hire to train you as a bartender.

Right now very few places are hiring anyway, and on the available jobs are so far down the hierarchy that you'd have to work long hours for low pay and slowly work up to a bartending position. We're talking years.

Not a career path with much to recommend it at this point, IMHO.

6/3/2009 4:25:13 PM

Quote :

"you start by working the door then you bar back then you become a server then you become a bartender"

Ok so that's the hard way, and probably the most common way of becoming a bartender.

The worst thing you could do is try and take some class or school, they don't teach you shit and it's a demerit on your resume from most restaurant hiring manager's views.

There's the less then reputable way of lying and saying you've had some experience to try and get hired, which might be your best bet. Search the internet for 20 most popular drinks and memorize that if you're worried about knowledge. But really, damn near every bar is gonna have a book behind the bar so if you don't know what the drink is just look it up, it really is not a big deal.

The actual action of pouring drinks is trivial. Anyone can count to two, count to four, fill a glass with ice, and ring up a drink. That's not what makes you your money. It's your personality. Your flair. How you fill up the drink and how you make the guest feel before and after the drink is what earns you money more then $1 at a time.

Also getting hired as a bartender doesn't mean shit. You're gonna get put on Sundays through Wednesdays to learn and figure out if you have it in you to be a bartender. Then maybe after a few months of not stealing, not drinking, and making shitty money you'll get a good shift, and then you can begin thinking of maybe clearing $1000+.

Also it's summertime. This is not a good time to be in the service industry, I estimate you make at least 20% less from July to September then you do the rest of the year.

Also what's your drinking experience? Also what's your bullshitting experience? Any restaurant experience at all?

6/3/2009 7:30:53 PM

^ He also needs to remember if they are an anal boss, they're going to care how much you're pouring into each drink. And with the book, I think a lot of owners/managers would rather you know it because time is money and it takes longer to look up a drink rather than just make it right then and there.. : \

6/3/2009 7:38:25 PM

Quote :

"It's your personality. Your flair. How you fill up the drink and how you make the guest feel before and after the drink is what earns you money more then $1 at a time."

DING DING DING holy crap is this true.
i got my bartending job without any experience in the service industry. at all (unless you count grocery stores). i started the night after i turned 21. seriously.

but im pretty sure a lot of it had to do with my personality (dont get me wrong-honestly being a girl was an advantage too). im usually pretty chipper and can make conversation with a fire hydrant if i wanted to.
if your having a bad day, don't feel good, whatever get over it-quick. your money will all come from tips. ive gotten many a paycheck that says "VOID" in the dollar box.
bad mood-no moolah.

most people can't do this.



[Edited on June 4, 2009 at 2:27 PM. Reason : bjhb]

6/4/2009 2:25:10 PM

^ you seem convinced it's your personality that got you the job moreso then your rack - being a girl with a boob job i would have thought you'd be more realistic

6/4/2009 2:27:23 PM

i met my (future) boss wearing a huge t shirt and gym shorts.

i was suggested by WillemJoel after he met me at my 20th b-day party.

trust me- i wasnt displaying those babies at all. and i had no desire to bartend, i just really needed a job.

looks will NOT just get you the job. trust me-we've not hired many a bitch even though she was smoking hott.

while i am not discrediting the fact that i am girl did help....i could have easily not gotten it had i been recluse, bitchy whatever. very easily.



[Edited on June 4, 2009 at 2:34 PM. Reason : dvfcdv]

6/4/2009 2:30:07 PM

^^ You ever actually talked with Joie? She has an outgoing personality and is quite friendly. She doesn't flaunt her boobs around like a sorostitute.

6/4/2009 3:09:10 PM

HAI I'M HERE FOR THE STEREOTYPE PARTY!!1!

6/4/2009 3:31:54 PM

pardon my ignorance as i dont really know any bartenders

but if its such an "elite" group and you have to spend years, as some have said, to get to that "status" -- what is it all for? how much can you really make per month on average?

the good hours are nights and weekends, doesn't that take away from your social life? i'm just curious, i dont see how being a bartender is a glamorous job. i mean, dont get me wrong, its a hell of a skill to have on hand and it can make you some extra money on the side but is it worth all the hassle? honestly?

6/4/2009 3:45:13 PM

you can make a lot of money, whether or not you have a social life depends on your quality of life and how you make use of your time. some would argue that aside from long hours, a bartenders social life is pretty good considering the setting

i figured youd be able to figure this out, you seem smart

6/4/2009 4:24:56 PM

^Depends on the gig you get. I've bartended in just about every type of bar you can imagine and made an easy $1,000 a week in the best places only working 3 or 4 nights a week...and that's straight cash (bartenders I know claim very small amounts of their tips). I've got a couple friends working full time that make 6 figures.

Social life?? Every night you work is almost like going out. I know more people in my town than the mayor because of bartending. I get treated better at restaurants and bars than the high-rollers because of who I've met bartending. As far as going out on the weekends...I'd rather go out on a quiet Monday or Tuesday night than fight the crowds on the weekends. And you can always find someone to pick up a shift if there's a show you have to go to or a wedding to attend.

Definitely not something you want to do for the rest of your life, but it has its advantages.

6/4/2009 4:34:48 PM

when i worked at a bar i made lots of connections. and surprisingly, it is the first thing people ask about on my resume.

6/4/2009 4:38:31 PM

you're in law school and you still put bartender on your resume?

6/4/2009 4:42:12 PM

well i would like people to know that i worked through college. so yes.

(what else would i put on it?)

[Edited on June 4, 2009 at 4:48 PM. Reason : .]

6/4/2009 4:48:14 PM

12k+ posts on tww, for starters.

6/4/2009 5:01:17 PM

^^^why wouldn't you?

6/4/2009 7:46:47 PM

^5 thanks jbrick, thats the kind of answer i was looking for.

Quote :

"i figured youd be able to figure this out, you seem smart"

lol, wut? is this some sort of carry over hate from another twwer? relax yo.

6/4/2009 7:49:15 PM

^5 are you a moderator or a fucking troll? jesus.

i think it's all about who you know in the service industry. especially tending bar. and i see nothing wrong with putting that job on your resume/law school application. it shows you can manage time well if you can work all hours of the night and your grades didn't suffer. also, if you've had the job for a while that's always a plus. it also shows you have great people skills. you could easily lose your job if people don't enjoy coming to your bar.

6/4/2009 7:52:58 PM

I also forgot to mention the responsibility involved.

Bartenders have incredible amounts of liability for your drunk asses

[Edited on June 4, 2009 at 7:59 PM. Reason : wree]

6/4/2009 7:58:38 PM

Quote :

"It's nearly impossible to get a job bartending without having restaurant experience (or knowing someone.)"

and going to bartending school is a great way of insuring that you dont get hired

6/4/2009 8:28:36 PM

Quote :

"Social life?? Every night you work is almost like going out. I know more people in my town than the mayor because of bartending. I get treated better at restaurants and bars than the high-rollers because of who I've met bartending. As far as going out on the weekends...I'd rather go out on a quiet Monday or Tuesday night than fight the crowds on the weekends. And you can always find someone to pick up a shift if there's a show you have to go to or a wedding to attend. "

very well said

6/4/2009 9:14:13 PM

Quote :

"are you a moderator or a fucking troll? jesus."

They seem to be synonymous on tww.

6/4/2009 9:48:31 PM

Quote :

"lol, wut? is this some sort of carry over hate from another twwer? relax yo."

ha no man i was giving you credit actually you chill the fuck out

6/5/2009 12:22:04 AM