ftnssn

Here's a question I'm hoping someone can help me out with. I just got out of the navy after five years and am going to school. I want to get a part time job and the most flexible best matching hours are in the food service industry. I don't want to be a waiter or a host so that leaves bartender. So here's my question, is anyone here ever been or are they now a bartender and if so how did you get your first job? did you have to go to school or did you just walk in and get hired?

Thanks in advance.

PwrWRX

A couple years ago a friend of mine went to bartender school and they did job placement after finishing the school, even was able to have the G.I bill to pay for it.

funkdrmr

I have a good friend that used to bartend as a second job (day job instructing at NSTPAC). He did the class, and they hooked him up with a job. After that, he got in with a job on a dinner cruise boat over by the Porche dealership. After being there for a few weeks or so, he was offered First Mate position, due to his experience of going out to sea; that's the equivalent of being an XO on a Navy sub, but without all the money. He ended up quitting due to some drama or whatever, and went back to school.

One thing to realize, is that you won't go straight from school into serving drinks. He always told me it was just like the boat, where you gotta do your time as a "nub". "Barbacking" is what he called it....basically washing the dishes and doing the bartender's dirty work. Once you prove yourself doing that, the recommendations come for bartending jobs, and you're "in".