Bartender School too needs you to have previous experience. If you are looking for a well paying, relatively stress free job that allows for a great deal of flexibility, then bartending is something that you should most definitely consider. However, just like every other job out there today. This is where a school comes in. One platform for all details about professional course as well.
For those who do not know, you can attend a school anywhere within the country. All you need to do is show some aptitude for it and be able to pay the fees. With that being said, today we will be discussing all of this, along with answering questions like school cost. There will be a number of other aspects as well, but cost of the school is often the most important one.
Apart from all of this, we will also be addressing another, often overlooked aspect of a the school. These schools have shot to prominence over the last few years and with the current tilt towards online education, it comes as little to no surprise that the demand for them has drastically increased. So, with all of this being said, let us get cracking.
Bartender School- Enrollment
Bartending requires a lot of practical skills that one simply can’t pick up overnight. These skills need to be practiced and refined over a period of time. However, how are you supposed to pick up these skills without any prior experience? But in case you don’t have any experience, how are you supposed to get hired and hone these skills?
This is the conundrum that led to the creation of the school. Here, you are taught a number of essential skills that you will be required to call upon more often than not. Plus, a bartender’s job is ever evolving. You can quickly go from being a simple bartender to a well paid bar manager. So, there are a number of skills that you can pick up on which will serve you down the line.
Bartending Course
Most Bartender school have different curriculums. However, there are some common threads running along most of them. Here is a quick rundown of the curriculum that is mostly common amongst different bartending course across the country –
- Bar setup for front and back bars
- Bar equipment maintenance
- Bar equipment operation
- Liquor types
- Liquor history
- Liquor usage
- Beer keg sizes
- Beer keg types
- Customer psychology
- Industry legalities
- Professional etiquette
- Physical techniques
- Simulation and practice
- Upselling drinks
- Maximising sales and gratuities
- Glassware
- Bar cleaning
- Bar maintenance
- Money handling
- Mixology
- Cocktail creation
Apart from all of this, there is quite a lot of variation amongst different Bartender schools. So much so that a number of schools even offer faux bars for students to create and maintain along with a number of other audio-visual cues. The main objective behind this whole exercise is to provide the student with the complete information about the Bartending course. One may also visit what kind of education do you need to be a graphic designer
Bartending School
Pros of attending Bartending school
With all of this being said, let us now touch upon the pros of attending a bartending school in today’s day and age. There are a number of pros but for the sake of convenience and keeping this list as short as possible, let us take a look at the condensed version of the list –
- Complete bartending experience
- Opportunities to network with other bartenders for jobs, etc.
- Immense scope for growth
- Flexible working hours
- Relatively relaxed work atmosphere
- Support for getting jobs and other paid gigs
Now that we have addressed this, let us now take a minute and realize that for every upside, there is a downside as well. And so, let us now take a look at them. You can also explore what kind of education is required to be an interior designer
Cons of attending Bartending school
Like pros, there are a number of cons to attending a Bartender school as well. However, once again, for the sake of convenience, we will be condensing it down to a manageable list and take a look at only the most prominent ones. So, with that being said, let us take a look at them –
- Attending a Bartender school is not necessary
- Takes time despite not being necessary
- Costs money despite not being necessary
So, as you can see, these schools are simply not necessary for any bartending purposes. In case you want to make it on your own, you can do so quite easily on your own. The main purpose of these schools is to let you experience the job in a controlled and stress free environment, in order to get in stride for the actual gig.
Plus, the whole networking aspect of things can’t be quantified in simple terms. However, despite that, it is seen as a net positive because of the long term impact it seemingly has. With that being said, it still stands to reason that one simply doesn’t need to enrol in a Bartender school for the superfluous tips and tricks being taught there. It simply isn’t a good investment. what kind of education do you need to be an architect
Cost of Bartender School
Now that we have talked about the pros and cons of bartending schools, let us talk about the most important aspect of it. The money. An average Bartender school cost is of about 40 hours of in person training amongst other things. This is usually spread across a few weeks and the classes mostly take place during the evenings.
Such a course can cost you anywhere between 400 USD to 800 USD as course fees alone. Additional costs such as administrative fees, etc. are not accounted for in this total. Plus, there is the whole aspect of travelling costs, etc. So, with all of this in mind and the information that the certificates obtained from these courses are simply not necessary, the cost of these schools seem a bit high.
Online Bartender School
But let’s say that despite all of this, you still want to gain some experience and network with other people without actually paying these over the top amounts or spending so much time. What do you do then? Well, this is where online Bartender schools come in. These schools are pretty much similar to their more traditional variants. However, there are a few key differences.
The most important difference between the two is that of actual physical learning. The instructions and study material is still pretty much the same. However, while in a traditional school, you will need to actually perform and show these tasks, here, you will need to practice on your own with little to no actual guidance.
Apart from this, most of the online schools still require the same 40 hour prerequisite. The difference in cost is quite staggering though. An average online bartender school will cost you anywhere between 50 USD to 200 USD. This, we believe, is a much better value for money considering that the course is not necessary for the job one is applying for.
With that being said, the certificates carry the same weight and prestige. All you do need is a certificate from the local and relevant authorities for serving alcohol and other things. Once you have that, you are pretty much good to go. And once again, you don’t need to enroll in a course to clear these exams. You can do so by yourself also.
Career scope
Now that we have talked about the education aspect of things, let us take a look at the career aspects of the whole bartending gig. As we all know, right now there are hardly any bars open due to the whole lockdown situation. So the demand for bartenders is quite low and those who are still managing to find work are being paid a fraction of what they used to earn.
So, if you are looking to enter this stream for long term job security and financial gains, then you should look elsewhere. The market, especially the current one, is an exceptionally volatile one. So, any hopes of long term security are next to 0. You are essentially one market crash away from unemployment or seeking a new job, depending on your circumstances.
Plus, most bars are private enterprises. So, the owners can hire and fire anyone they might please. So, with all of this in mind, bartender school comes as little to no surprise that the market is not especially kind for bartenders. Plus, when you couple all of this with other things such as the long working hours and the stressful work conditions, it doesn’t remain the appealing prospect it once was.
However, with all of this being said, there is a lot that is going for it as well. For starters, hours are mostly flexible even if they are wrong. You can work by the clock rather than working the long mandatory hours if you so please. Plus, days can be long or short depending on the number of customers you encounter each day.
And if we are to consider this job under the present economic and sociological climate, bartender school hours will be quite short when compared to the money being made by the person. Speaking of the money, there is the whole aspect of tips which will be like a mini bonus on top of your pay check. The best part about these tips is that they are non-taxable for the most part.
So, you can be earning a sizable income from these tips alone. Plus, bartender school is the whole element of luck as well. Who knows when you might get lucky and be tending for a particularly rich patron. So all in all, despite the currently cloudy atmosphere over the whole restaurant and bar industry, there is still quite the economic incentive to be a part of it. You may also checkout small business courses online
Apart from all of this, there is the whole aspect of upward mobility and networking to consider as well. A bartender’s job is usually the starting point of one’s career. No matter what, if you are simply competent enough, you will be able to climb up the ladder and find yourself earning relatively more with more job security in no time at all.
So, if you weigh in all the pros and cons we have just listed, a job as a bartender does seem to be quite appealing. However, once again, we would like to say that in order to make it as a bartender, you need not have any formal education, etc. All you need to have is the relevant license to be selling alcohol, tending bars, etc.
Bartender School Salaries as Per States
Bartender salaries can vary by quite a lot. If we were to break them down by years of experience, they would look something like this –
- Less than year – 9 USD per hour on average
- 1 to 2 years – 10.63 USD per hour on average
- 3 to 5 years – 12.11 USD per hour on average
- 6 to 9 years – 12.78 USD per hour on average
- 10 Years or more – 13.23 USD per hour average
Keep in mind that this income is the one that an individual receives through their pay check. So, keeping that in mind, the national average salaries as per states comes out to be around 11.50 USD per hour on average. This seems quite low on paper. However, you are forgetting one important aspect of this whole equation, the tips.
Tips can vary by quite a lot and there is no consensus on how much one should tip if they ever go out. However, based on a number of different polls and surveys, the average tip around the country per day is about 150 USD. So, when you factor this in for a 6 day work week at 8 hours a day, you will be making roughly 250 USD per day.
So, if you extrapolate these numbers, you will be making around 5,000 USD per month or 60,000 USD per year. If you compare it with a number of other similar jobs out there, this is quite the lucrative deal, all things considered. However, do keep in mind that these numbers are based on averages and can vary by quite a lot.
Someone living in a booming metropolis like L.A. will make heaps more than someone working at a local bar in Ohio. So, do keep all of these things in mind before diving head first into anything. The earnings will vary by districts let alone state.
Final thoughts
With all of this being said, we believe that bartending is a viable career option. However, attending a Bartender school is not something we would recommend based on the requirements and the money involved. Rest, it is always your decision and in case you have any more queries, feel free to ask them down below! Kindly, visit our online school website and contact us.
