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Topic: bartending
| Author | Message |
| heyuptowngirl | Posted – 3/17/2008 12:34:59 PM | show profile Hi everyone, I'm graduating soon and will move to the city to begin searching for a magazine journalism career. I am thinking about bartending when I first move to NYC to earn some money. The city where I live offers a two-week bartending certification course. Is this worth doing? I don't have any bartending or waitressing experience so I thought being trained might help me land a job, but one of my friends told me bars are more interested in experience than certification. How hard is it to get a bartending job in NYC? Will this certification help me? Thanks. |
| Unemployed-gal | Posted – 3/17/2008 1:09:42 PM | show profile Why would you want to bartend in New York? Personally, bartending isn't the "for now" job path I would take, but that's just me. I wouldn't want to work in a place where I had drunk frat boys hitting on me every night, but again, that's just me. Rather, try temping as a way to make money. 1) you can get "full-time" temp work and 2) you also get office experience, which looks better on a resume if you really want to go into magazine publishing. Temping also allows you to network--even if the company you're placed at isn't what you want to go into, or doesn't have any available jobs, you still might run into someone who might say, "oh, you want to work in publishing? I have a friend who works at..." and you might get informational meetings from that one contact. And in terms of paying the bills, if you get a "fulltime" temp job, you can end up making a lot more than my simply bartending. If you really want to bartend, then go ahead and do the course. But there are better and less demeaning ways to make money here. |
| jkdscribe | Posted – 3/17/2008 1:31:54 PM | show profile Bartending fine...don't take the course I've worked in bars since I was in college as a bouncer, barback, waiter and bartender. First off, do NOT take the course. I've seem a lot of these advertised and even fell for one early on which sent me a video and a certificate in the mail. It's a joke most times and a waste of money. However, I do not see anything demeaning about the work and though I'm sure the last poster's message had good intentions, bartending is a way to make (good) money while looking for a job and/or freelancing. And I've known several people who made a hard-wokring and honest living by doing it, so don't let judgemental people talk you out of a way to make some good money in order to pursue what you want. The hours are bad, being at night, but without working night hours I would not be able to freelance since a "normal" job would take up the time when I would do interviews. That said, most places won't let you just start bartending. You'll probably end up waiting tables first, but that is good money also. Just walk in confident and dressed for the part, like any other job. Best of luck. |
| pholiday | Posted – 3/17/2008 2:04:43 PM | show profile Bartending is a great way to make money. I live in NY for years and it made me tons of money (enough to live comfortably on UES.) I am now a freelancer and still work behind the bar a few nights a week because who doesn't want an extra grand for 10-20 hours of work? However, here are a few words words of advice. NYC is really competitive in the bar/restaurant scene because money is phenomenal and you have a lot of creative-types (actors, artists, writers) who do the same thing. NY bars usually want NYC experience before they hire you. I had nearly 10 years in the business and finding that first gig took some finesse and I did not start out behind the bar, I was on the floor as a waitress. Don't go get that certification, it is worthless. And as for the poster who says drunk frat guys etc ... apparently you have never worked behind the bar at any respectable joint. There are PLENTY of places in NY that cater to upscale crowd - these are usually the best places to work because volume is slower than a early 20s kind of club so it gets you used to the hectic pace. And many of the places close early, by at least midnight. Try Mustangs on the Upper East Side. They usually hire servers with less experience and the money used to be really good. It is worth a shot. Good Luck! |
| inblue | Posted – 3/17/2008 2:40:11 PM | show profile Bartending to make money while you begin your job search is a great idea. You can make a ton of money working just a couple of nights a week and it won't cut into your interview time and you can always temp somewhere related to your field during the day. NYC is extremely expensive and expecting to survive financially on a $10 an hour job during the day is silly if you have the motivation and energy to bartend. That said, finding a bartending job can be tough because most places will only hire people with NYC experience but you never know. I wouldn't waste your money on the course, most bars will train you. Obviously there are so many different types of bars and restaurants you can apply to only those that you'd feel comfortable working in. Bartending is not demeaning. It's hard work and the experience you get from dealing the public will probably help you more in your journalism career than you would imagine. Good luck! |
| jkdscribe | Posted – 3/17/2008 3:09:24 PM | show profile "Bartending is not demeaning. It's hard work and the experience you get from dealing the public will probably help you more in your journalism career than you would imagine." Good point inblue. If nothing else, what better place is there than a pub to observe people? It can also lead to story ideas as you listen to what people have to say about life, where they live, etc. |
| Janetblueyes | Posted – 3/17/2008 3:16:51 PM | show profile I bartended for a number of years and I've yet to find a job where I make as much money as I did tending bar. Don't do the course. It is a waste of time. Instead, I suggest reading a few good mixology books. Mr. Boston's comes to mind. Study the ingredients and practice on your friends. A nice surprise is that many drinks have their ingredients in their name : rum and coke, vodka tonic, etc. Cosmos and other drinks take a little practice. For me, martinis were tough. Adding the right amount of vermouth proved tricky on occasion. Another tip is to watch bartenders in action at various places. As journalists, we are great observers! You'll pick up a lot from watching. I had no bartending experience when I started but lied and said that I worked catering jobs where I was a drink server. And always, always, stay sober behind the bar. |
| heyuptowngirl | Posted – 3/18/2008 1:02:20 PM | show profile Thanks for the advice. I'll keep it in mind when I'm moving to the city and thinking of ways to make ends meet before landing a career-job and not just a job-job. |
| wineaux | Posted – 3/18/2008 2:41:27 PM | show profile Everyone here really summed it up. Waitressing or bartending is good work with low hours, and you just have to take a good, hard look at the place before you apply. I put myself through journalism school as a bartener/waitress at upscale restaurants, and made fantastic money. Mind you, this was ten years ago, and I pulled in a couple thousand a month, and in the summers and the holiday season I was catering server and often pulled in several hundred dollars or more a night. It was enough to cover rent, my car, and my student loan payments. And, I got fed very well every day I worked for free. It's an honest living that has a lot of perks. I learned more as a server than I did in J. School. I've used those tools my entire life and it has served me well. |
| Ms. Write | Posted – 3/18/2008 6:16:53 PM | show profile I took a bartending course when I lived in Chicago, and found it well worth it. That being said, I know NYC is a different environment. Does the course offer job placement? If so, that might make it worth considering. Also, do you know drinks? The course may be worth the $$$ to pick up that knowledge in a hurry and possibly skip having to be a waitress first. The more you know, the more versatile you'll be. You don't want to be stumped by an order and have to run to look it up. |
| MissPub | Posted – 3/18/2008 7:59:08 PM | show profile | email poster bartending I agree with most posters, do not waste money on the course. Just hit the pavement and pop into bars to see if there's a manager to speak with about job openings. If he/she is around and you have a nice conversation that might lead to a job. As for it being a dead-end path for an office/publishing job, I beg to differ. You never know who you will meet, as I found out as a freshly graduated college girl. I ended up landing my first assistant job at publishing giant Meredith Corporation. As someone said earlier, avoid the early-20s crowded frat bars, and try more upscale establishments that draw a more professional crowd. And the money can be incredible. Don't dismiss being a waitress either. Good luck! |
| wineaux | Posted – 3/18/2008 11:43:53 PM | show profile I also got a great writing internship at a huge corporation by waiting on a divisional president. And, when I started freelancing after my first son was born, they let me work as a telecommuting consultant, writing inter-corporate materials and articles for trade pubs and their philanthropical donations. I had some great clips after that, which sent me on my way. No way would I have gotten that job if I'd just sent them my resume. And, I learned a great deal about the wine business, which I later used when I wrote for the wine industry. You get better tips when you tell them you are a student, and want to be the next His Girl Friday. I think NYC would be a fantastic place to meet the right people while working at a restaurant. |
| heyuptowngirl | Posted – 3/19/2008 6:07:56 PM | show profile Thanks for the advice, guys. You saved me the money that I would have wasted on the course. I'll probably graduate and let craigslist direct my job-search while using my networking to land me a career. Oh boy. :) |
