Bartenders: Job Responsibilities, Qualification & Bartending Job Outlook

You must have seen bartenders busy serving alcoholic drinks at restaurants, cocktail lounges and other similar places. But have you ever considered becoming a bartender? The hospitality industry offers a number of career options. Bartending is one of them. The bartender should have knowledge about standard alcoholic drinks. They should have the capability to accurately mix drinks and serve the patrons of a restaurant. Below, we discuss more about the bartending profession, job duties and how you can get trained to make a career in this field.

Job Responsibilities
At restaurants, bartenders have the responsibility to take drink orders from customers, server drink and collect the money for the same. They also serve diners with the ordered alcoholic drinks. Depending on where they work, they may need to perform some additional duties. They may also get the table ready by arranging bottles and barware. In addition, they are responsible for taking away empty bottles and left-overs after the diners or customers have gone and rearrange the table for the next serving.

While working in large bars, bartenders are assisted by bartender helpers. Helpers may assist bartenders in removing the trash from the table. Bartenders do not only bring liquor bottles and serve drinks, but they also keep an eye on the bar supplies in the storeroom. Those who have gained a few years of experience may also be given the responsibility of ordering bar supplies.

Like many other hospitality careers, bartending jobs have diverse career possibilities. They do not only work in restaurants, but they also employed in hotels, private clubs, ships and hotels. While serving alcoholic drinks, bartenders also see to it that the customer meets the minimum age requirement. Most of the restaurants where bartenders are employed possess a liquor license. Many bartenders also run their own bars.

At most of the places, bartenders may have direct contact with the public while at service bars where they have the duty of only fulfilling the drink orders placed by waiters. There are many service bars where bar tenders serve the drinks with the help of automatic drinking machines. Sine all this work needs to be done with hands, they need to be very quick in handling the alcoholic drink orders.

Educational Qualification & Training
Though there are no specific qualifications required to become a bartender, candidates need to fulfill some essential eligibility criteria. To find a bartender job, you need to at least 21 years of age and a high school graduate. There are multiple vocational and technical schools and colleges as well offering short term training programs into bartending. It is interesting to note that most of the employees in this field are either in their teens or in their early twenties. Many college and high school students also take up this job to earn money quickly. If you want to get employed in large hotels and restaurant, you should carry a few years of experience working as a bartender.

Bartender's Skills
A good memory is essential to have a successful career in this occupation. The bartender needs to memorize the customer orders and serve drinks to the right people. They may need to handle multiple drink orders at a time and serve them all efficiently. Other essential skills required include well groomed appearance, pleasing personality, excellent people skills, strong caliber and the ability to keep calm under the most stressful conditions.

Job Outlook
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts an employment growth in this field as fast as the average of all other occupations. In the year 2002, bartenders occupied over 463,000 jobs in the U.S. The occupation has an extremely high turnover rate, leading to vast job opportunities for candidates. You will face keen competition finding jobs in popular restaurant chains and superior standard dining establishments. Large metropolitan areas offer abundant job opportunities.

Income
The average hourly income of bartenders is around $7.21, which also includes tips. In most of the cases the amount received as tips is higher than the hourly wage these professionals receive. With a few years of working experience under the belt, they can earn an hourly rate of $11.96 or more.