What is the best way to get your first bartending job?

What to know to get my first bartending job?

• My birthday is next week and I'll be turning 18. I'm looking for a new job and a friend of my mother, who manages the local country club, said she would most likely hire me as a bartender if I applied there. It's something I'm very interested in, but not very familiar with. What are the bare minimums I should know (mixed drinks, etiquette, etc.) to get the job and not embarrass myself starting out?

• Answer:

  Well, since this will be a country club job and the manager is willing to hire an 18 year old kid with no experience then you don't need to know anything. If this is a true, members only, country club then there will not be a cash register or any money or credit cards to handle. There will be a detailed system of keeping the members' tabs, a tab is a running bill. Typically you will only have to have the member sign a copy of the bill when they are leaving, and at the end of the month the club will bill the member for that month's tab.Each club has a different system and learning this should be a part of your training. Other than that, the club will train you on their specialty drinks, acceptable behavior, etc. To learn the basics just Google the following drinks; martini, margarita, cosmopolitan, white russian, gin rickey, seabreeze, cape cod, and long island iced tea. Those are the classic drinks that still get ordered, so if you know those you will be all right. That being said, country clubs are WORK not fun. You will be given an automatic tip, generally 15-17.5%, so it's not about developing a relationship with good tippers but slinging drinks as quick as you can. Without the advantage of a good tipping clientel a slow night equals no money for you, other than $2.65 an hour minimum wage.The environment at a country club is that of the workers actually not being equal on a human level to the members. They matter, you don't. If you piss one of them off you could lose your job thru no fault of your own. Taking that into account, country clubs are where bartenders and waitresses end up after they have spent years learning the fine art of kissing *** and perfecting a low key way of doing their job. For an 18 year old a country club would be one of the most miserable places to bartend, in my opinion. I hope I wasn't too negative for you and good luck if you get the job.