bartending jobs

[magicmario]

i was wondering if anyone knows anything about becoming a bartender. I have been looking online and i notice that there are bartending courses in calgary, but i was wondering if you actually needed these courses to get a job at like a restaurant, lounge, bar or club. If anyone has any insight it would be appreciated.

[kdwebber]

go work as a ba for the bar you think you want to bartend at the most

if you are good enough you will eventually bartend there

I wouldn't waste your time and money with those courses

[sexualbanana]

Originally posted by kdwebber
go work as a ba for the bar you think you want to bartend at the most

if you are good enough you will eventually bartend there

I wouldn't waste your time and money with those courses

I think it depends entirely on where you want to bartend. If you want to bartend at a busy nightclub like Tantra, Vinyl, etc. Then working as a barback and stuff would probably be a good way to go. But I think (working purely off my own observations), if you want to work at a more classy place like a Joey Tomatoes or an upscale restaurant, then I think those courses might help because there's considerably more knowledge you need to know like wines and stuff.

Casual dining places, I don't know.

[JAYMEZ]

A course will not get you anywhere..

Clubs - As a guy , you will have to work a very very long time to become a Bartender. You would have to be a Glassy , then a BA ... Could take forever.. If you had nice tits and blonde hair... probably take you a day.

Joeys - Expo/Server First , then if a spot opens up and you are good with the manager , you might become a bartender , but probably not.

[wintonyk]

i found the big thing in my bartending experience was the responsible beverage service is more important than a course

and basically you have to work your way up. I worked security for a while then the barback was sick so i covered for him. 6 months later i had the odd shift behind bar.

[colinxx235]

Yah I worked at joeys for almost 3 years, all the guys you see bartending except for one, put in many months as a shift leader ontop of serving/expo to get behind the bar... typically it takes a lot of time at joeys/earls unless you go to some place and get lucky

[ReflexFX]

Originally posted by colinxx235
Yah I worked at joeys for almost 3 years, all the guys you see bartending except for one, put in many months as a shift leader ontop of serving/expo to get behind the bar... typically it takes a lot of time at joeys/earls unless you go to some place and get lucky

I've worked at joeys for over 2 years now and occasionally i see people, after a few months of serving, getting a bartending job. I guess it all depends on the demand for them. Of course at nightclubs lots of people are going to be after a job, but if its a short-staffed restaurant, im sure they'd be more leniant to what background bartending experience you have.

[mdeluxe]

I bartend as well in a restaurant.

You have to put time in first to get that position. If you want to work in a restaurant more-less of the time you dont need to go to that course just kinda pick it up as you go. If you want to go to a pub/night club I think you might need to unless you know people that work there.

But my suggestion is work in a reataurant as a server or something and work your way in.

[magicmario]

after reading everyones reponses it seems like a waste to take these bartending courses and i would have better luck just starting out in a restaurant. Now i just have to find one thats hiring in the sw haha