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Thread: Becoming a bartender, no work experience

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    Default Becoming a bartender, no work experience

    The only work experience I have is in retail/restaurant at 4 different places. One place, I quit after 2 days because they were shady, the other I walked out on after 2 months of dealing with some bitch who tried to tell me the job was more important than my family (I had family coming down and wasn't working until close, when my shift said until 7), one I left after 2 days, first job and they were a crappy place to work that never kept people. The fourth one, I stayed at for a little over 2 months. Loved the job but had to go back to school, over an hour away.

    The last vanilla job I had was in 2008. I plan to go to a bartending school and they say that they offer job placement (I'm hoping to work in a club or strip club), but I'm wondering is this job placement with a standard resume, or could I get a job just based off of having bartending training?

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    Default Re: Becoming a bartender, no work experience

    I'd be wary of somewhere that promises job placement after you've paid to take their course, honestly. A lot of places don't value bartending school very highly, they'd rather just train you themselves. Maybe apply for waitressing jobs in the kind of places you'd like to bartend at, and when it's quiet ask if you can help behind the bar, or learn some cocktails from the bartender. Most places would be happy to have someone keen to learn and work their way up.


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    Default Re: Becoming a bartender, no work experience

    Do not go to bartender school. It's a scam. Get a job as a cocktail waitress and let management know you would like to be trained to be a bartender after you have worked there for a few months and proven yourself.

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    Default Re: Becoming a bartender, no work experience

    After posting this, I did some Googling and found the same responses that you two posted (that they are a waste).

    Are most strip clubs open to hiring girls for waitressing positions who don't have experience? What are the tips like? I think that waitressing at a strip club would also be a good way to transition into becoming a dancer.

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    Default Re: Becoming a bartender, no work experience

    Are you young and hot? Because in my experience that is the #1 quality strip clubs are looking for when hiring cocktail servers.

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    Default Re: Becoming a bartender, no work experience

    What they probably mean by "job placement" is that they have a website where they list bartending jobs in the area for you to look at. Many of those probably won't even consider bartending school relevant experience. That's how my bartending school was. It was a fun experience, but not something I'd recommend to anyone who wants to do it for the #1 purpose of getting hired as a bartender.

    As others have said, you'll have to start as a cocktail waitress and work your way up. This could be a long process, keep in mind. Bartending is a fiercely coveted position everywhere you go. They will probably already have all their bartending positions and shifts filled - the people who are already bartenders will not want to give up any of them, and there will probably be servers ahead of you who have been there longer, waiting to move up. If you do manage to make it, you will probably only get a shift or two of bartending a week while still primarily being a server. This has been my experience, and what I've witnessed, everywhere I've gone where I started as a server and was told I could "work up" to bartender. Most bartenders I know worked where they were as servers for a year or 2 before being promoted, and they're pretty protective/catty of their status and position. Not to discourage your dreams of bartending - just wanted to make sure you knew that it could be a long road, and if you're thinking of becoming a dancer there anyway, you may want to just do that.
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    Default Re: Becoming a bartender, no work experience

    I think strip club waitresses have a better and easier job and I'm also pretty sure they get more tips/ the opportunity for tips is better. Personally, I've been both but I'd prefer being a waitress. And prefer being a stripper over both. Ever wonder why all (most) bartenders and waitresses at strip clubs are bitches? Cause their job sucks!

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    Default Re: Becoming a bartender, no work experience

    Get training for free! My friend got a job working in a bar and offered to work for less money as long as she could learn. It wasn't mean to be a long term thing and she gained experience.

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    Default Re: Becoming a bartender, no work experience

    Im going to be totally contradictory here Its very true that the bartending schools are a scam, and one thing Ive heard over and again, is if you walk into a place with that on your resume, they will laugh you out. Its just not worth the money to do so... Now, that being said Im taking a bartending class But...the difference is that they are classes run by a restaurant service union, its not a privately own school, and they work closely with bars, hotels and restaurants on south beach, and actually do have jobs lined up. So, only cause of that, I would suggest maybe finding your local union, and getting in touch with them to see if they offer anything.

    With a lot of places, they hire bartenders from within...guys can get in by starting work as a barback, but most times they wont hire women for those positions. Another way in is to get a job as a cocktail hostess or server, depending on the type of place, and showing interest in bartending. Now, if its just a place where all youre doing is pouring beer or making basic drinks then it'll be easy to get in, but if they have a huge specialties drink menu and youll be doing mixology, free pours, etc, then it'll be a bit harder.

    Another thing...its not honest but its how a lot of people get thier start, is to lie..just make sure you start with one of those places where youre mostly pouring beers, but you can say you have experience and then learn as you go. Worst case scenario, is they'll think youre a bit daft and horrible at your job, but a lot of "experienced" bartenders are daft and horrible at their job...just learn as much as you can while youre there.
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    Default Re: Becoming a bartender, no work experience

    Quote Originally Posted by crystalize View Post
    I think strip club waitresses have a better and easier job and I'm also pretty sure they get more tips/ the opportunity for tips is better. Personally, I've been both but I'd prefer being a waitress. And prefer being a stripper over both. Ever wonder why all (most) bartenders and waitresses at strip clubs are bitches? Cause their job sucks!
    Idk, if I was trying to get out of the industry I wouldn't want to do that at all. And it's just a weird comparison with the other girls, I hear the waitresses be all like YAY I made 100 dollars today, and thye have to do a lot more physical dirty work than us dancers, and they can't leave early, and I would just rather be a cocktail waitress in a normal bar.

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    Default Re: Becoming a bartender, no work experience

    ^It sounds like no one suggests bartending school....Yea the waitresses at my clubs have to work such long shifts for very little money. They r generally less attractive than the dancers or older so truthfully i feel bad for many of them. And the ones that r attractive dont make any money really in my Scs sp they dont last..bc its the dancers and bartenders who make more. But like someone earlier said its fiercely competitive in the bartending world..Its alot easier as a dancer bc their r many of us and only one or two bartenders per night. I have a friend who went to a bartending school and who got a few diff positions offered to her after completing the school so idk that its totally a scam.

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