<p>Of the many dreams I have in life, one of them is to become a Bartender.There's a local Bartending School that I want to do during the summer, and I'm wondering if that would be worth it. I'm not sure if that's the proper way to learn. Some Bartenders (I think most) actually learned on the job, but that's very dependent on where you live and work, since some places do the simple stuff and some are out there. </p>
<p>Does anyone know the best way to actually become a Bartender? It wouldn't be my main career goal in life, since I still want to go to college and do that, but I do still want to do, perhaps as a night job.</p>
<p>When I was working at various restaurants in undergrad, the places I worked were very anti-bartending school. At most places, bartenders are the top of the totem pole as far as serving staff is concerned, and thus only the best servers, with enough seniority, get picked for the job. </p>
<p>If you think about it, this makes sense, as a bartending school isn't going to get you the experience of actually working with customers and being able to handle crowds. Restaurants want to know that you can handle the pressure.</p>
<p>If you want to work at an actual bar, this is even more true. Most bars will have you start as a doorman, then spend some time as a bar-back (restocking supplies, washing glasses, etc), and if you do well enough, then start training you to be a bartender. Even then, you'll start on the slow nights/afternoons before getting the weekend nights.</p>
<p>Not to sound superficial, but the reality is this: to make good money bartending, you have to be good looking, especially if you're a girl. Otherwise you'll end up working at a dive bar or a diner type spot with bad tips. </p>
<p>The girls who work at the nightclubs here make a fortune, and they deserve it. They have to work out like crazy during the day, get fake boobs, and then multitask under incredible stress at night.</p>
<p>Most students find the idea of being a bartender as cool, or a great job making lots of money and working at the party. While its true bar tending can be one of the most profitable jobs while attending college, it can be one of the most demanding as well. Many students who become bartenders give up their social life at college because they are working Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. </p>
<p>The money can be good depending on where you work and how often you work, but remember while attending college your main focus should be on your studies. If your grades start slipping because of your job, you should ask for more flexible hours or quit.</p>
<p>Try to find other students that are currently bartenders and ask how they feel about their job and the positives and negatives about being a bartender in college. </p>
<p>If you don't mind giving up your weekend nights to make money, and you have the ability to work in high stress environments, being a bartender may be the right job for you.</p>