I do not have any experience which means I do not have any bad habits. You can train me any way you want.
Here, come close. I’m going to tell you a secret. That little line right there? That was my foot in the door. I was told by my original boss, a cocktail inclined black belt with a penchant for large breasted women that I would not have been given an audience otherwise. That little line changed my life.
Historically, community bar positions were shrouded in nepotism and endorsement, creating an ersatz Goodfellas replete with vouching and confirmation. In the world of community drinking there was no other way around it, you had to know someone who knew someone. And restaurant positions [shudder] were different in their own right, but carried a rite of passage all their own. For decades, those roles were relinquished to executive table jockeys with proven performance in the face of whipped topping and flair. But belts have been tightened and expectations lengthened so much so that bars and taverns are gasping for fresh air, expanding their fraternity to anybody that can push new syrup through their soda guns. So here are some tips that might help you land a gig in this, a new economy.
Experience remains a blessing and a curse. If a bar owner is able to build you from the ground-up, she can create you in her own image. But if she needs to teach you the most basic of drink combinations, your training won’t be worth the investment. A basic knowledge of drink construction, usually obtained from a year or two on the other side of the bar, combined with a large dose of common sense, will suffice.
Wait a minute. What’s that you say? You attended a nationally accredited bartending school? Get out of town! No really, get out. While an OSHA-approved safety certification (required in some states) or a Techniques in Alcohol Management training course will provide the owner some peace of mind, a bartending school degree will show that, well, you’ve got gusto or something. The cost of the school and the quality of the education is easily learned in the first day on the job, so forgo the enrollment and spend the $500 “studying” at your local.
Don’t let the social atmosphere fool you. Blue collar establishments are looking for every bit as much professionalism as their corporate counterparts. Dropping off a resume (not an application) during a rush will not win you any friends, nor will meeting the owner when you are half in the bag with your softball team. Complete a seasoned resume that focuses on hospitality and drop it off with the bar manager or owner between the hours of 2:00 and 4:00 pm. And if you are looking to tend bar as a second source of income, emphasize the point that one position will not affect the other. Your job, for them, will be their income.
Last but not least, be you. Tavern spotlights shine brightest on the imposters, be it clientele, staff or otherwise. Don’t lie, don’t cheat, and most of all, don’t steal. 95% of your job will provide fuel for a well-maintained fire. Expect 5% of that fire to be unpredictable. The way you handle yourself, your patrons and your bar will determine the extent of the damage. So in interviews, training or try-outs, if something doesn’t seem right, go with your gut.
One thing this country has always enjoyed is a good drink. Whether it was rum on the Atlantic, bourbon at the races or that Bloody Mary at Sunday Brunch, alcohol is the American Drink.
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