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Bartending?
I really want to change jobs and I've heard conflicting stories.
So, should I go to bartending school? Or just hunt a job and hope some nice person is willing to teach me.
I know a little but not Nearly enough, I also know that tenders have to be ABC certified.
Advice? Suggestions?
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Re: Bartending?
hah.. i just made a post in the lounge about bartendng...
In california you dont need a license... im going to apply for a job tonite i guess...
This particular bar wants someone with no training so they can train them to do things 'their way' so I guess it all depends...
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Re: Bartending?
I bartended my way through college and think that bartending "schools" are the biggest waste of money. You simply start at a smaller scale place and move up to a higher end one as you get better . You'll learn as you go and there is no need to spend money to have someone teach you.
Edit to post : Just clicked your link. You won't have a hard time getting hired ( even if you can barely make drinks yet ).
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Re: Bartending?
I went to the National Bartending School (NBS). My instructor was awesome and I learned so much. The course was 2 weeks long, but the policy at NBS was that we had to pass the speed test as well as the written one. I didn't pass the speed one the first 2 times. I really didn't mind because it just meant I got to practice on my speed for another week. My instructor, was very tough on the speed test, using the latest drinks and the lingo. He did this so we would be comfortable in a fast paced setting.
It took me 4 weeks to graduate, but I was very confident that I could take on any bartending job. Bartending in L.A. is extremely competitive, so I had to rig up a resume and had the references to back me up. I got a job at a nightclub that was just opening up, so speed was not crucial at that point, but the managers never knew I hadn't really bartended before. Within a year is was able to bartend at one of the hot, high volume nightclubs. It's been the most fun job I've had.
I don't know what your choices are for bartending schools, but make sure it's very realistic. We had real bottles, full of colored water of course, so we were able to learn the labels and all that. We used real ice, we blended, cleaned up, burned the ice etc. At NBS we are allowed to take the full course again as many times as we want as a refresher. It's very important that the instructor is a good one because it makes all the difference in the world. I had taken the course the first time in the early 90s, but wasn't comfortable with my skills when I graduated. That's when I started dancing instead. Years later I decided to give it a shot again so I took the course again with a different instructor. He really made all the difference in the world. NBS also has job leads, and you can use them years later again if you pass the refresher course.
Good Luck
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Re: Bartending?