Should i go to bartending school?

Question

should i spend $500 on a 2 week course at midwest bartending school? if not why? it seems like it would fun and they have job placement assistance

Answer 1

Many years ago I attended a one-week bartending school.  I learned enough during the course to be confident that I could handle a bartending job from day 1.  I was able to find a job almost immediately, and the manager who hired me told me the bartending course was the reason (along with the overall impression I projected) he offered me the job, since I did not have experience.  

All in all, it was a good experience, and I would recommend it, but I would hope you could find a course where the price is less than $500.  It's true that I took the course back in the dinosaur age (actually, 1976) when I was young, and we all know things have changed since then, but I paid $155 for a one-week course.  I felt it was worth it.  And there was one extra "bonus" that sort of fell into my lap. On the last day of class, a very attractive woman that all the guys were after like wolves all week, handed me a piece of paper with her phone number and said "I want you to call me".  Now you tell me, was bartending school a worthwhile experience?

Answer 2

Don't go to bartending school (i.e. don't waste the money) unless the job you are applying to requires such an endevour (usually only hotels and casinos ask for that kind of stuff)

Also, most states don't require a license either. Depending on what state you live in you need ot make sure of the age requirements (most states require that you are 21 years old and that's it, some want you to get a state license...etc...) Just check the laws for your state (go here: http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/StateAn...

The most important thing that you should do is pick up the Bartender's Black Book (you can usually find it at a local package store, if not order it from Amazon). It has thousands of recipes, Plus all the basics, terms, and measurements you need to memorize immediately. Learning your pour count, knowing how to make a Long Island, a Martini, a Cosmo, how to tap a keg, etc...

Other than knowing how to pour drinks and serve drinks quickly, the main thing a bartender has to do is listen/talk to people. Make sure you are a people person. You have to love to listen too, especially to drunks. You also want to be up to date on local stuff (where the best entertainment spots are, the nearest hotel, the cab's number, etc...) You also need to have at least two jokes you can pull from memory. One dirty, and one you could tell your mother. Both have to be funny. Also be up to date on all sports scores, especially on local teams. Know who is playing who and at what time (make sure to have it on the TV too).

When starting out, it may be tough to get a job. The best thing to do is to apply to all the places that cycle through bartenders/barbacks a lot (like restaurants, hotel bars, etc...) Then find bars that you like personally and become somewhat of a regular at those places. Get to know the other bartenders, owners, managers, and then in a few months drop the line that you would be willing to work for them. Start out as a barback and work your way up. Most small bars are run like families anyway. You will have to know your fellow employees well. That is how I got my first two bartending jobs and eventually made it to bar manager.

Bartending is an extremely fun job. You will meet tons of people and hear lots of interesting stories. Plus you will know alcohol better than the back of your hand. I find it to be quite rewarding when it comes to the bank account too.

Have Fun and Good Luck.

Answer 3

Hi there,

I went through the same question last week, cuz i too was deciding on whether or not i should just attend a bartending school. So here are the pros and cons that i have seen and read about before i made my decision:

The cons where that its a waste of $$ and that i should just get a recipe book, also that most establishments like to hire bartenders from with in (which would mean you would have to start off as a waiter/waitress before being promoted to bartender). Another con i heard was that some bar owners require you to have expirience instead of bartending classes and also that you dont really need to be certified to become a bartender.

Even after those cons i still decided to do the bartending class (which is the same as yours a 2 week 40 hour course) and it is AWESOME......it is loads of fun and you learn A LOT. you learn different things like how to open and close up your bar each day, lots of drink recipes, the legal side of being a bartender (like how u could get arrested for giving a minor alcohol even if the BOUNCER was the one who checked his ID and let him in) you also learn about tips, Customer service, and my school has a lesson about doing private parties. So in the long run i believe it is a GREAT HANDS on expirience, because yeah sure you CAN go and buy a recipe book, but what good does that do you? I learn best doing hands on things and at the school you constantly practice making the drinks so many times that you get the flow of things. The classes are also so much fun, and im so sad that ill be graduating friday :( Plus the school is set up like a REAL bar, so they have a bar, soda guns, real liquor bottles (with water and food coloring in it though lol) etc. so you use real equiptment.

So the choice is your, but i honestly say got for it. The only thing though is that i think your getting over charged mines was UNDER $400 so look around, and also most schools would allow you to take a free class to go check out their school, which i did once i narrowed it down to two schools, and the visit was definately worth it. that way you get a sense of the school and if you like it.

Answer 4

Before you go there you must find a cheaper place unless you are desperate to go to that school and you have a lot of money. If that's what you really want, than you should go there.

Answer 5

Hi

I did a bartending course & it was really fun. I also met some really cool people!!

I dont so much work in pubs/clubs anymore as I just personally cannot tolerate dealing with drunk & ignorant people.

If you get in that industry most of the people that I've worked with just drink... always... they dont do anything else.

when i did work in the hospitatily industry aswell I could only work at a job for about 3 - 4 months at a time because of some of the customers that you have to deal with.

Answer 6

NO!  Don't go!  It is a huge waste of money!  Bartending schools do not teach you anything that you can't learn from a good drink dictionary.  You can pick one up from a used bookstore for about $1.

Bars and restaurants will not hire bartenders without experience.  They will, however, promote from within.  Get a job as server or barback.  When they have an opening for a bartender, apply for the job.

Bar owners and managers could care less if someone went to bartending school.  What they look for is experience, a positive attitude, great customer service skills, the ability to multi-task and the ability to work well under pressure.

The job placement assistance sounds like a crock of s@$#!  The best way to become a bartender is to gain experience and work your way up.