Bartender Job Description: Duties, Education, Training and Certification Requirements, Job Outlook and Salary
Submitted by: Gypsy Santiago
Job Overview: Bartenders are responsible for preparing and serving drinks to customers in restaurants, bars and hotels. They are highly skilled in mixing standard drinks, creating new drink recipes, and entertaining customers at the bar by pouring beer or wine refills. In large establishments, he/she may also be responsible for using machines to create drinks. Most bars require bartenders to take orders directly from customers, but some places designate these tasks to waiters or waitresses.
Education, Training and Knowledge Requirements: Although some vocational schools provide bartending courses, bartending is a profession that is learned on the job. Some employers require formal education on cocktail recipes, stocking a bar, conduct and attire, but most only require knowledge in local laws and regulations concerning alcohol consumption. Those interested in this job must be at least 21 years old and have at least 1 year experience in a restaurant, hotel or bar setting. Some states require one to have a license or state health certificate.
Skills & Abilities: Bartenders must possess effective communication skills, proven interpersonal skills, basic mathematics, marketing and sales skills, knowledge of laws, rules and other legalities concerning alcohol consumption and the ability to remember orders, numbers and procedures accurately, multi-task between two or more activities without confusion and observe customers’ behavior should they need assistance.
Duties:
Tasks involved in bartending include mixing ingredients to prepare drinks, creating new recipes; washing utensils and glassware after each use; pouring wine or beer for refills; collecting payment and operating the cash register; serving food to customers seated at the bar; checking identification of customers to ensure they meet age requirements for drinking alcohol; cleaning up after customers; and maintaining bar supplies. Bartending also requires excellent multi-tasking and observation skills, since they are responsible for stopping orders if a customer has had too much alcohol, ordering taxis or other transportation for intoxicated customers or calling the patron’s “emergency person” to pick the customer up at the bar.
Earnings & Job Outlook: The employment growth is expected to increase through 2014, but since drinking alcohol at home is becoming a trend, this may affect the job outlook of bartenders. Opportunities are best for those with extensive experience and training. Salary is around $8 per hour, but tips may vary largely and usually is larger than their daily earnings. In some bars or restaurants, workers place all their tips in a tip pool, which is then distributed among the staff at the end of the shift or day.
Gypsy Santiago is a professional resume writer and career search strategy/career branding coach with years of experience in assisting job seekers prepare for the job market. She helps create career-targeted resumes, provides useful tips about career transition, offers future career ideas and guide jobseekers about effective job search techniques.
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