How to Ace a Bartending Interview - an Ace Bartender's Tips
80Bartending Interviews - A Step-by-Step Guide
This is the third 3rd installment in a 3 part series on how to ace a bartending interview and how to write great cover letters and resumes. Your bartending cover letter convinced them to look at your resume. Your bartending resume got you the interview. Now it is time to get the bartending job.
Step 1
Introduce yourself with confidence, look the person in the eye while administering a firm handshake. Thank them for their time and the opportunity to speak to them about a job.
During the interview try relax as much as you can and be yourself. You do not want to pretend to be someone you are not because both the interviewer and you will be disappointed after you get the job. Be yourself but accentuate your positive traits and skills. If you have done your homework you should have no problem relating your past experiences to the new job you are seeking.
Step 2
Be prepared to put your personality and knowledge on display. Bartenders are expected to have personality and you must show yours during the interview. Be prepared to toot your own horn and explain why you would be an asset, not just another employee, to their establishment. The goal of the interview is to show the interviewer that you are a great employee. Great employees are hard to find and managers will find a job for you when they perceive you this way.
Never give one word answers to questions. Be ready with stories, jokes and especially questions. Not every job interview will lend itself to telling a story or a joke. If you included a story in your cover letter be ready to expand upon it and add new details. Remember to come off friendly, inviting and professional. Put that positive personality on display.
Step 3
Always have questions ready for your interviewer. Sometimes an interviewer will ask you if you have any questions a few times during the interview, so be prepared to ask questions about the topic they have been talking about. Most interviewers will wait until the end of the interview to ask you if you have any questions. When this happens it is perfectly acceptable to have questions prepared and written out beforehand. If you can memorize the questions you want to ask, I recommend that approach. If you can’t, however, do not worry. Just write them down and refer to them during your chance to ask questions.
Here are some questions that you should ask during your interviews. Not all jobs are the same so these questions may need to be paraphrased and please feel free to come up with more. Not every question will be appropriate for all establishments so use common sense when deciding if you should ask a certain question. The following questions will make you appear professional and knowledgeable and will be an important asset in your getting the job you want. Use questions to bring up facts that have not already come up during the interview.
Do you have a lot of repeat customers?
What, if any, is your buyback policy?
How long has the establishment been in business?
Is there a lot of staff turnover?
What is your typical customer like?
What shifts are you looking to hire for?
Are they set shifts or do they change weekly?
What can I expect during training?
Do you have a house recipe book or should I make drinks the way I learned them?
All of the above questions will help you to stand out from the crowd. They will help you present yourself as knowledgeable and professional. Remember that you are interviewing the establishment also and ask these questions to get answers not just to appear smart. You will discover places that want to hire you but for whom you do not want to work. That’s o.k.
Always be polite when turning down a job and be honest if asked why. If a place is looking to hire for Saturday, Sunday and Monday night and you are unavailable on Sundays, let them know. If you really impress them they may be able to juggle a few shifts to accommodate you.
Step 4
After you have asked your questions be ready for a courteous good-bye. Always thank your interviewer for their time and express your desire to hear back from them. Ask the interviewer when a decision will be made about the job. If you haven’t heard back by then, call the interviewer to inquire about progress. Restaurants and bars are busy places that get very hectic. No two days are the same and often owners/managers will get distracted and attempt to get by shorthanded. BE PERSISTENT. Do not be annoying. Always be courteous and aware of their time.
We have now gone over the Bartending Cover Letter, the Bartending Resume, and the Bartending Interview. These are 3 essential elements in getting any bartending job.
Job Search Resources
- Bartending Cover Letter
First Part in the 3 Part Series - Bartending Resume
Second Part in the 3 Part Series - How to Become a Bartender
Sign up for the free newsletter loaded with job search tips and techniques. Check out the proven step by step system guaranteed to get you a job in 30 days. - How to Become a Bartender - A Case Study
Learn how one aspiring bartender with no experience doubled his "regular job" income in just 6 weeks. - Bartending Jobs - Which Type is for You?
Check out the different types of bartending jobs available and figure out which type best fits your personality and needs.
CommentsLoading...
It's very much helpful.
Great series on Bar interviews. In an interview, you can never be too prepared. It's crucial to practise your introduction, questions and responses, dress appropriately, and your outro. Meanwhile staying calm and confident. That's no easy task! Good luck to anyone who is enthusiastically trying to break into the exciting industry of bartending.
Thanks these are great tips! I have an interview tomorrow and I'm a little nervous.
very good tips..... i have performed these steps everytime ive gone in for an interview and never been turned down ..... good chance its just e though ;)
This is amazing. Thanks alot !
Bartending for Beginners
- Follow this advice to get a bartending job
How to Get a Bartending Job from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit Bartending positions are highly desirable and equally hard to get. The job itself is fairly simple, but getting one's foot in the door is not. Here's some tips to help you score one of these fun, lucrative jobs. Steps Develop a plan. No matter which steps you decide to implement below, everything is easier with a plan. Getting a bartending job is no different. Write down 5 places you want to work. Get the contact info for the people who are doing the hiring at these five places. Implement the steps below with these five people in mind. There are a lot of myths out there regarding getting a bartending job, like you have to have experience and you have to start as a barback or server. To learn more and read about how to kick start your bartending job search check out this article.How to Become a Bartender Meet the right people. It's all about who you know. If you have a favorite watering hole, find out who the owner is and start talking him/her up. Befriend the bartenders, barbacks, and cocktail waitresses, and let them know you're looking for a bartending job. Tip well, go often, and generally be a happy, useful presence at the bar. Observe bartenders in action. There are little tricks to pouring a good beer, mixing drinks, and saving time behind the bar. Watch how your mixer handles drink orders. Most of it is not rocket science; the most commonly ordered drinks are liquor plus a mixer. Buy drink manuals to learn about the more complex drinks and practice at home. Consider whether you want to go to bartending school. Some say this is a waste of time and money, saying that it costs about $500 and you learn by mixing colored water, not actual alcohol. They teach you outdated drinks like "grasshoppers" that no one orders anymore, and most will claim to help you find a job. These "job leads" are generally terrible dives you wouldn't want to work at anyway. Most real bars will laugh at someone with a bartending school diploma and no actual work experience. Dress the part. If you want a gig at a fancy restaurant, dress professionally. If you want a job at a hip club, dress edgy. If a dive bar gig is fine by you, dress tough. Most bars are going for a certain look or image, whether they tell you that or not. Look for charity guest bartending gigs. Many big cities are now offering this option. You pick a charity, promote the event, and bring your friends in. In exchange, you and a couple friends get trained for the evening and get to mix drinks all night. It's a great way to get some experience and make contacts. If you impress the bar owner, it could lead to a job. Write a great cover letter and resume. Oftentimes a great cover letter and resume is enough to overcome a lack of experience. Some establishments prefer to hire bartenders with no experience because they won't have any bad habits to break. Experienced or not, the cover letter and resume need to be exciting and pop with personality. A great personality and attitude will elevate you above the competition every time. Prepare for your interview properly. Many bartending job applicants go into their job interviews unprepared. If you look at bartending as a quick fix or so easy to do that you don't need to prepare you will not get the job. The best way to prepare for your interview is to write a great cover letter and resume. You will have them to bring to your interview and the process of writing them will better prepare you for the interview. Tips Come up with a plan and take action. Like anything in life getting a bartending job requires some effort. The more you put in the more you will get out. Decide on the type of place you would like to work, build a list of 7 of these establishments. Write a great cover letter and resume and go to these establishments. Call ahead first so you will be speaking to the right person. Have anecdotes and stories ready and entertain when you get there. Good employees are very hard to find. If you can show that you will be a great employee, they will hire you or find someone who will. Do not b.s. as suggested in other areas - tailor your experience to present yourself as a great employee but never lie about it. More real advice like this is available in a "How to Get a Bartending Job" newsletter Catering companies are a good place to start. They are easier jobs to get, if you can b.s. a little bit, and you will learn a lot by doing basic drinks and pouring wine and beer. Become a barback first. Work your way up the ladder. Bussers have a good opportunity to barback, in some bar&grill joints you must become a busser before they consider you for barback. If you plan on going to a bartending school check their Better Business Bureau profile, be sure they guarantee job placement and that they give you a minimum expected pay rate, never pay for an orientation meeting, ever. Related wikiHows How to Get a Job After You've Been Fired How to Be Confident and Outgoing in a Job Interview When You Are Blind or Visually Impaired How to Get a Job How to Find a Job if You Are Disabled How to "Build" a Bar Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Get a Bartending Job. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
- He Doubled His Income by Bartending 2 Nights!
If you are new to bartending or looking for a way to break in the this article is for you.... Please realize that you can do this - Believe in yourself, get off the internet... and go do it! Here's the article: I have been in the restaurant and bar business for over 12 years. The question I am asked the most, by a landslide, is "how do I become a bartender?" I have been asked this question by people already in the restaurant business and people with no experience just looking to make some extra money. I give them all the same answer, "Decide that you want to become a bartender and resolve yourself to doing it."Becoming a bartender is just ......... Read the full article here
- How to Get a Bartending Job with Little or No Experience.
Lots of people want to get a bartending job but don't know how to go about doing it. This article will expose some of the myths of bartending jobs and show you the steps to getting your first bartending job.The first step in getting a bartending job is getting an interview..... Read full Article Here
- Cool Martini Recipes
This is a great resource. I have been getting quite a few requests for specific, hip and cool martini recipes. I thought you would like to check out this recipe list from the folks at Swank Martini. Swank Martini Recipe List Swank sells stuff like martini shakers, glasses and all kinds of bar related stuff. They even have olives! I have a few of their modern martini glasses and they are great at parties but I don't want to get into that. I'm writing to tell you about their Martini Recipe List. They continually update it and its got to have more than 200 recipes on it right now. So if you're having a party anytime soon or want to feature some killer new martinis at your bar then check out Swanks Martini Recipes at: Swank Martini Recipe List I hope you enjoy;) Let me know which ones you like best.
- Persitence is more imprtant than bartending experience
I thought you might like to hear one of my all-time favorite quotes: Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; un-rewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'press on' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. - Calvin Coolidge Whenever I start to feel defeated I read that quote. Thinking back, persistence is how I produced the Seven Secrets Program. Persistence is how I went from busboy to Food and Beverage Director. Persistence is how I convinced my wife to marry me. Everything that I have ever gained that is of value to me; I gained through persistence. So, if times are getting tough or you just need a little inspiration just remember those words from our 30th president. Thank you for reading and Good Luck, Brian Williams getabartendingjob.com









akshay lagad 2 years ago
THIS TIPS ARE REALLY GOOD TO BEING INTERVIEW