How to Become a Bartender - Timing Can Be Everything

Do you want to know the type of establishmentyou are excited to work there and hope he/she
that often hires first time bartenders, trains youwill look over your resume. Include your phone
in fantastic customer relation skills, and once oncontact information.
your resume will help you get a job just aboutStep 3: If you have heard back, awesome. If not,
any place in town? Learn how to become acall the F&B Director the next day. DO NOT
bartender and get bartending jobs in the fastestcall during a busy time. Try to call between 2:00
way possible and with absolutely no bartendingand 4:00. This is a slow time. When you do get in
experience.touch with the F&B explain that you sent a
The Placeresume and are following up hoping for an
The answer to the above question is Countryinterview. Be Persistent. Things get hectic at a
Clubs. The 1990's and the early years of thisCountry Club, especially when there isn't a full
decade saw an explosive growth in the privatestaff yet. Call once a day for a couple of days if
club industry - especially Golf and Country Clubs.you have to. Re-send the e-mail if necessary. If
There are good ones in almost every moderatelyyou want to learn how to become a bartender
sized American city. This means there areyou will have to be a little persistent.
probably some near you. Country Clubs careStep 4: Ace the interview. Remember that
more about an employee's attitude andCountry Clubs put a lot of stock in personality and
personality then they do about bartendingattitude. Present your self as mature, reliable,
experience. So if you want to know how tolikeable, friendly, out-going, and customer service
become a bartender without any experience at all,oriented. Bring your A game and you will get your
you're answer is Country Clubs.. You can learnfirst bartending job.
how to become a bartender on the job and getThe Pros and Cons
paid while you learn.Country Clubs have both pros and cons. I'd like to
Country Clubs, depending on the location (but alsotell you a little about both so you know what you
in general), have two busy seasons. The longare getting into.
busyseason is the summer and if you time yourPros
application to come in around mid April to midGreat place for your first bartending job
May, you are almost guaranteed a job - especiallyWill learn both regular and banquet bartending skills
when you use the tactics discussed in this article.Training can be phenomenal (especially on
The other busy season is Thanksgiving to Newcustomer service)- Learn how to become a
Years because Country Clubs do lots of banquets.bartender on the job and get paid while doing it.
Hint : If you apply about 1 week before Mother'sYou interact and meet the most influential people
Day (the busiest brunch of the year) or in latein your community (great if you're in school and
August/early September; you will have annot looking for a bartending career b/c members
additional advantage. Country Clubs often rely onown businesses and often offer jobs to those
the labor of college students. This makes thethey know who graduate from school. Even if
beginning and end of the summer busy seasonthey don't have something for you they know
difficult because most college students are still inpeople who do!)
school.Can be lots of fun
These are not the only times to apply, just theSome places allow uses of their facilities (DO NOT
ones that will give you the greatest leverage andask about this in the interview)
increase your chances of getting your firstGood Money
bartending job and learning how to become aCons
bartender.Tips are often pooled - This means that all the
The Stepschecks have a gratuity on them and this service
Step 1: Get the names and e-mail addresses ofcharge gets pooled amongst all the staff. This
the Food and Beverage Director at 5 Countrymeans it isn't a traditional bartending job where
Clubs in your area. If you can't find the e-mailyou can expect to take home $100+ cash a shift.
address on their website (some country clubsChances are you will earn some cash, but most
have terrible sites) just call and ask for it. Explainof your earnings will be in your paycheck. The
that you want to send in a resume and mostbright side is that this is why you will be able to
places will give it out easily. Just make sure youget the job with no experience. Experienced
get it for the Food and Beverage Directorbartenders want cash immediately. If you are
(Manager).willing to make $13-$18 an hour, while you learn
Step 2: Write a cover letter with a customerhow to become a bartender, with some
service story. Conflict resolution and sales storiessupplemental cash - country clubs are perfect.
work great in bartending cover letters but atMay include early morning shifts. This is unusual
Country Clubs, Service is King. Stress that youfor bartending jobs but a fact of life at Country
understand what it is like to have repeat business,Clubs. Morning shifts pop up from time to time. If
give impeccable customer service, and go aboveyou are an aspiring bartender looking to get
and beyond customer expectations. E-mail yourstarted those are really the only cons I can think
cover letter and resume (as attachments) to theof.
F&B Director. In the e-mail body explain that