The sphere of rest is given quite a lot of attention these days. Almost every city has a wide variety of recreation facilities, ranging from billiards and cafes to bars. And in most of these places there is always a desk behind which there is an employee who carries out customer orders. For many people, such a job becomes a dream thanks to the image and charm of workers in this field. But not everyone knows that in reality everything is much more complicated than it seems at first glance.
Features and description of the profession of a bartender
According to the majority, the main functions of the bartender are the artistic serving of drinks and providing customers with information of interest to them. In fact, the applicant for this position must be able to accurately select the right dishes for each drink, as well as know the ingredients of all the cocktails that are included in the menu. The employee is obliged by his actions to attract the public to the counter, to interest visitors and to provoke them to buy drinks.
In the work of the bartender, sociability is very important, thanks to which the employee will be able to create a comfortable atmosphere for each visitor and support any conversation. It is important to have a good memory, because in bars often there are regular customers for whom the phrase: "Do you like?" will be a call to visit this institution next time. After all, it is precisely such visitors that bring institutions the most profit. This work has its own complexity, the employee is constantly on his feet, while he may be surrounded by noisy surroundings and, if smoked in the institution, also the constant smell of smoke. Some employers require knowledge of a foreign language if the bar level allows you to accept foreign customers.
History of the bartender profession
For the first time, this profession was in demand during the "gold rush" in America. Small settlements were founded where gold seekers were located, and outlets with various types of goods, including alcoholic beverages, appeared there. Over time, stores began to set up barriers to separate places for recreation and pastime from the trading floors. It was in such places that workers were needed who would pour and mix the booze, entertaining the assembled audience.
But the first print publication, containing the rules for making cocktails and a code of work for the bartender, appeared in 1862, the author of this book was an employee of this field with many years of experience named Jerry Thomas. Until now, this profession has remained relevant and spread throughout the world. Bartenders are needed not only in bars, but also in restaurants, clubs and other similar entertainment venues.
Pros of work
The first advantage of working as a bartender in the club is the schedule, mainly drinking establishments work in the evening and there is no need to get up early for work. This attracts many extraordinary personalities. Training in this work does not require money and time costs, and sometimes a person can be accepted for a position without any work experience, the main thing is that he possesses the basic qualities necessary to carry out his duties.
Since such a position is directly related to communication with people, there is a great chance to make new acquaintances and even useful contacts. Well, of course, it is worth noting salary. Like the profession of a waiter, a bartender can get a good tip, in addition to his main income.
Cons of the profession
The first and most important minus of such work follows from its first plus - it is an irregular working day, especially when it comes to establishments that work until the last client leaves. A professional must have great willpower and not drink in the workplace, despite the fact that he is constantly dealing with alcohol. It doesn’t matter if the bartender is in a bad mood or the client is drunk and disrespectful, the employee should always be polite with his visitors.
In addition, you need to constantly remember not only how a particular drink is prepared, but also how much it costs. Working conditions are not always good, it is constant noise, din, cigarette smoke and other delights of drinking establishments. In addition, the employee is liable not only for drinks, but also for dishes, and customers of such establishments beat it much more often than in ordinary cafes and restaurants.
Training
At the moment, there are no institutions where a person would receive a qualification. Naturally, there are specialized courses, after which you can get a job as a bartender without experience, but their duration usually does not exceed two weeks and they can not be called full evidence of education.
In most cases, those who want to get into this position simply get assistants or interns to more experienced professionals. Naturally, at first you will need to wash the rack and dishes, pour only the simplest drinks, but such an experience will bring all these actions to automaticity.
Career
Usually people get jobs for this job to earn extra money. Many students choose to work as a bartender without experience, since a flexible schedule allows you to combine it with study. But over time, for many people, temporary earnings become permanent.
If an employee will hone their professional skills, they can invite him to a more prestigious institution. In addition, a free schedule allows you to receive additional education, constant communication with people affects personal growth. This may affect the promotion to the restaurant administrator. It often happens that, having studied all the intricacies of the profession, the bartender decides to open his own bar.
Employee qualities
An employee who wants to get a job at the bar must have special personal qualities. The applicant for this position should be stress-resistant, and also work calmly even in extreme conditions, where there is a lot of noise, smoke and drunken customers. This employee must constantly stand and provide customers with ordered drinks, that is, good health and physical endurance are needed. The attendance of the institution very often depends on the wit and sociable qualities of the bartender, so he should have an excellent sense of humor and the ability to support any topic suggested by the visitor.
It may seem to many that this profession is very exciting and interesting, and also does not require much stress. But if we seriously evaluate all the pros and cons of the bartender’s profession, we can safely say that without any special skills, creative approach and the ability to find a common language with different people, there is no positive in such work. Employers appreciate benevolent applicants who are able to not only talk, but also listen, energetic people who accurately perform their work. When applying for a job, it is assessed how polite, educated, obligatory and patient the person is. The applicant for the position must be able to quickly find a solution to problems, be clean, have impeccable manners and a presentable appearance.
Salary
Despite the fact that bartenders belong to the service staff, their earnings are quite attractive. Although in many respects it depends both on the prestige of the institution and the type of clients who visit it, and on the personal qualities of the specialist himself. Work experience as a bartender can be gained quickly by completing courses and learning recipes as an assistant professional. But income doesn’t depend on the ability to mix cocktails correctly.
The bartender should be a pleasant host of his rack, able to quickly respond to any desire of the visitor. Its main mission is to serve high-quality drinks, but, in addition, it should help a person relax, forget about pressing problems and stresses. Any professional bartender must combine his knowledge of chemistry, psychology, acting and be a real comedian. Only an employee who has innate qualities can communicate with clients, and the tip of such a specialist directly depends on his ability to find an approach to different clients.
Responsibilities
At first glance, the responsibilities of this employee are not so complicated. But in reality, the employee must have certain knowledge and be able to put it into practice. The employee is required to know the recipes of various cocktails and the ability to prepare them quickly and efficiently. Serving a drink is also not such a simple matter, there are many nuances regarding dishes, decoration and other things that not everyone can do. That is why work as a bartender without experience is offered only in not very expensive and presentable establishments.
In addition, the employee must have sufficient knowledge to advise the visitor of a particular drink, analyzing his preferences. Workers who can juggle, show pyrotechnic tricks and other skills that can entertain and interest the audience are very appreciated. The employee is obliged not only to listen to his clients, but also to maintain spiritual conversations with them. If the bartender is able to create a mood for his visitors, this is the key to success and the likelihood that a person will become a regular customer of the institution.
Medical contraindications
This position is not recommended for people with chronic respiratory and hearing diseases, skin diseases. Work is contraindicated for people with movement disorders, nervous disorders and cardiovascular diseases. As the bartenders have a busy schedule, work requiring tremendous expenditures of physical and mental strength is best arranged for people with excellent health. In other words, the work of the bartender is not suitable for everyone.
Conclusion
Many people are attracted to this profession because of its charm, atmosphere and mystery. But in reality things are quite different, this is a serious work requiring physical endurance and psychological stamina. Shifts may not be standardized, and you will have to sit and wait until the last client leaves, you constantly need to be on your feet and fulfill the wishes of customers. In this work, it is important not only to mix and serve the cocktail correctly, but also to attract the client.
Of course, the salary immediately causes interest, but it very much depends on the personal qualities of the employee, his ability to attract as many visitors as possible and the prestige of the institution. The employee should not only learn and be able to quickly and efficiently prepare drinks, as well as serve them beautifully, but also constantly improve his psychology skills, learn new jokes and be a good comedian. Only a person with a presentable appearance, clean, sociable and energetic can get into this position.
He needs to be patient, politely respond even to unpleasant people and be able to quickly and sensibly find a way out of their current situations. Since the employee is responsible for the dishes, he must keep track of which of the visitors broke the glass, otherwise the amount of damaged dishes will be deducted from his salary. And, of course, the working conditions are not the best, so bartenders often refuse to visit noisy companies with friends after work.