Bartending! There aren’t many jobs in the world that allow you to gain employments so easily and move up the ladder so quickly.
Bartending is certainly one of these. It might not be seen as a career choice and many consider it as a temporary opportunity. However everyone can use it to have fun, earn ‘good’ money quickly, establish lifelong friends. Importantly you’ll develop skills & knowledge that are globally recognised.
Wage increases
Bartending wages will start at the minimum wage but your experience, skills and persistence will earn you more. If you start at the bottom in an established busy cocktail bar and train to their standards, you can easily double your income. Contract bartenders who work at events can earn anything between £12-£30+ per hour. However only being able to pull pints simply won’t cut it. If you want to earn the big money, you’ll need to gain some basic knowledge and skills in spirits and cocktails.
Training
I thought I knew it all after working in my local bar for 4 years and Tenerife for 2 years. Returning to London I realised that I knew nothing about Professional Bartending and where the opportunities lay. I ended up relearning my skills and rebuilding my knowledge whilst on the job. From then onwards I have been fortunate to have worked in Singapore, Bangkok, Cannes, New York and Paris amongst others. 20 years later I’m working at Shaker Barschool. What we offer and teach to our students in 5 intensive days, probably took me 2-3 years to learn ‘on the job’. I just didn’t have the opportunity to taste, try, practise and hone my skills as quickly as these guys do now.
If you’re thinking of taking a Gap Year and fancy earning some money along the way, a bar tending course might just be the thing for you.
Stuart – Shaker UK
Shaker Barschool Course are globally recognised and are accredited by UKBG (UK Bartenders Guild), Quality Marked by the Hospitality Guild and are an Approved Program Provider for WSET.
