When a person decides to go into bartending, the first thing that comes to their mind is on-the-job training.  Although many good bartenders began that way, it is much more difficult to secure employment.  Also, training this way can create bad habits and ultimately, the bartender will have to relearn much of what he was taught.

If you decide to go to a bartending school, which by the way is an excellent decision, you should do research to find out what is taught, how much the bartending school charges and how long the courses last.  One important factor when investigating which bartending school to attend is who is teaching the course?  Because new drinks are always on the horizon, making sure that the instructor is either a working bartender or someone who stays current in the world of mixology is imperative.

Another factor that is important when searching for a good bartending school is to make sure that students work at their own wells with real liquor bottles to assimilate the exact surroundings that they will be working.   Of course, there isn’t real alcohol in the bottles, but using the exact bottles which are used when working in a real bar, is important.

Working with bartending tools such as shaker sets, store and pour containers, muddlers, soda guns and real bar glassware is also very important for the future bartender.  Sometimes after the student becomes very familiar working behind the “mock bar” some schools offer students to “guest bartend”.  Certain bars agree to this arrangement because it helps them and the students.   This is a great aspect to bartending school because the apprentice bartender serves real customers with real liquor and gains experience that is not available in a classroom.  Another advantage to this type of training in an actual bar situation is that the experience can be used on your resume.

When doing research for a good bartending school, it’s an advantage to find one that offers job placement services.  Of course, most of them will not guarantee that they can place you into a bartending position, but they will maintain a job database that graduating students can peruse and apply for the positions offered.  Many establishments appreciate a new bartender coming right out of school that did not have a chance to develop bad habits and are aware of the newest drink trends.

Finally, personality goes a long way after you graduate from the bartending school of your choice.  Any good school will train you to be a fine bartender, but only you can add the personable touch that will secure you a good position as a professional in this career choice.

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