A career in food services is the kind of work where you get to interact with a wide and varied swathe of people, and enjoy a job where you get to actually be part of the festivities. If you have skills, agility, and a way with words, you might even find yourself behind a bar, serving up exotic cocktails to an eager clientele.

Becoming a bartender is usually more of a process than an application. You can go out in search of bartending work, but in general, the best way to get a gig is to know someone. If you have a favorite pub or tavern where you spend a lot of time, you might want to consider asking the owner or the manager if there is any work available filling in for the other employees.

You should do your best to be as open as you possibly can during this process. Be willing to work strange hours on off days. Let them know they can call you when one of the regulars calls in sick. Just make yourself as available as possible.

Then, don’t pester them. Leave it alone for a few weeks, and in that time you should make certain that you are friendly, outgoing, and charming whenever around them. Social skills are probably the most important part of the job, and so showing them off is another way to ensure that you can find work.

Try to use friends, family, and acquaintances to help expand your chances of finding a career in this field. The more people you get involved, the more likely someone will notice the right opportunity for you. It will also show that you have social skills, and can motivate crowds, both qualities that tavern owners are looking for in their employees.

You should also be willing to work your way up. Start out as a barback or a waiter, and then just wait for an opportunity to arise.

Finding work as a bartender is about more than serving drinks. It involves being a social, outgoing person, who can utilize networks of people to accomplish a goal. By doing this you will not only increase your chances of finding work, but you will also be training for the most important aspect of that work.

David Artsmith  -  Bartending is a fun and exciting profession, but it takes skill with both drinks and people. The following tips are fairly common sense guidelines that anyone interested in the profession should know and follow.

1. Stay away from political matters or religious topics. All it will do is lead to a fight or make people uncomfortable

2. Make sure that the bar stays neat, clean, and tidy. Wipe it down after you serve every drink, and keep the entire environment neat and tidy. Use drink coasters to ensure that the space maintains its luster.

3. Know the trendy drinks. While you don’t have to have the entire drink recipe guide memorized, it helps to be familiar with the more trendy beverages of the day.

4. Learn about sports. People in bars will often be watching or talking about local sports events. If you understand what they are talking about, you can participate as well.

5. Make sure to say hello to anyone who comes in. Pay attention to people as they come in, especially if they are new to the bar; welcome them with a warm greeting and a smiling face.

6. Serve drinks by the base, not by the stem. Nobody wants to put their lips to a place where your hand just was. As you serve drinks, make sure you hold the glass by the bottom, away from where drinking will actually occur.

7. Maintaining strict personal hygiene is very important in this profession. Make sure that you look neat and sharp, and that you don’t smell bad. You are part of the ambiance of the bar and so your appearance and personal attributes matter.

8. Pay extra attention to regulars and big tippers. While you should strive to treat everyone equally, someone who is a constant in the tavern, or who is willing to pay extra for extra service, should receive extra special attention from you.

9. Keep your eyes open. In any establishment where drinking occurs, violence can erupt. You should stay alert, watching for trouble so that you can nip it in the bud. If you can diffuse a fight with a few words it’s a lot easier than having to call the bouncer over.

10. You should also do your best to have fun with it. Bartending is a social position. If you look like you are having fun, other people will have more fun as well. Try to relax into the job, and enjoy meeting the people who enter the bar. Be friendly, light, and humorous, and your job will be a lot easier.