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If you’ve never done it, bartending might seem like the ideal way to make a living: all you have to do is hang out in a fun place with cool music, flirt and chat with people as you pour drinks. But the bartender’s life is a lot harder than that. In fact, the job can be quite demanding.

If you have never bartended before and want to give it a shot you might want to consider starting at a smaller watering hole, or a place that is not very busy, so you can hone your skills and learn how to make multiple drinks quickly. Eventually you’ll want to graduate to a busier bar, where the hours you’re spending there will be worth your while for the tips you make. 

Bartenders are paid very low wages, often below standard minimum wage for other professions, so the bulk of your income will come from your tips. A skilled bartender knows how to maximize tips by “working” the customers while keeping the pace up. He or she has a keen sense of the psychological needs of the customers: who requires a little extra attention, and who wants to get their drink quickly and be done with it. Invariably, a bartender will benefit from being a little flirtatious with customers, it’s important not to lay it on too thick or come across as pushy.

Bartending can be hazardous to your health! For one thing, the night-time lifestyle doesn’t work for everyone. The pace can be highly demanding, and you are often coping with drunk and unruly customers. Bartending is no office job. You will be standing all night, and if it’s a busy one you won’t get a break until after last call. When customers are waiting, you won’t have the time to go for a half-hour dinner break! Many people find the stress of the job is just not worth the tip money, while others have the personality to thrive in the bar world. Consider whether you are temperamentally suited for this type of work before you decide to take training courses or take a job in a bar.

And don’t forget—a bar’s money is mostly made on the weekend. If making time to go out with your friends on a Friday night is part of your routine, bartending might not be the best career choice for you. A lot of bartenders are frustrated at losing touch with all their friends with “normal” jobs, not to mention working all night and getting to sleep near dawn.

Bartenders require strong memory skills: you may get an order from one customer for several different drinks at a time. A manager might test a job applicant by having them make about five drinks in rapid succession—gin and tonic, Jack and Coke, vodka soda, rye and ginger, vodka tonic, for example. If they can’t remember the the rapid-fire drink order accurately, they probably won’t get the job.

Bartending truly requires the ability to multi-task. Not only must you remember the customers’ drink orders, you have to keep track of whether your bar is properly stocked, clean, and so on. Crucial sales can be lost if you run out of, say soda water or cranberry juice 15 minutes before last call and have to get more from storage.

A bartender must have well-developed social skills, and be willing to deal with a variety of people, not all of whom may be to your liking. A good bartender knows how to find just the right balance between being friendly and professional. You need to know when to engage in small talk with your customers, and to make them feel special and valued without slowing your pace. Remember, every minute you spend chatting with a customer on a busy night is a minute you lose getting the next person’s order. Not only will that irritate the other patrons who are waiting, it will potentially reduce the total number of drinks you make thus lowering your night’s tips.

One final important thing to remember, is that you have important professional and even legal obligations when serving alcohol. You will be required to have some form of certification. So now you can clearly see that bartending isn’t all fun and games. If you still think you’ve got what it takes, then go for it and find yourself a good bartending job!