PROS/ CONS OF BARTENDING

PROS/ CONS OF BARTENDING

Recently I’ve had a few people ask me if I would recommend bartending as a job/career. Like any job, no one can really understand what it’s like to bartend unless they’ve done it. So I decided to make a list of the pros and cons of bartending. This list is not exhaustive, but will at least give you a general idea of the positives and negatives of bartending.

PROS

reliable job market: There will always be bars, restaurants, and nightclubs looking for bartenders.
solid money: Money can range from average to GREAT depending on where you work.
flexible work schedule: You can bartend full or part-time or even just once or twice a week
fun work atmosphere: You’re in a bar! (or nightclub/ restaurant) Bartending is often very fun.
relocation opportunity: If you are looking to move to a different city, rest assured there are bars/ restaurants/ nightclubs there.
learned ability to handle pressure: Bartending in a busy establishment absolutely teaches you how to multitask and to be calm under pressure.

CONS

loud music: If you work in a loud bar/ nightclub, the music can damage your ears. However, earplugs can definitely help
lack of job security: While bartenders are always in demand, losing a bartending job can happen quickly and without warning.
judgement: I never cared about what people thought about my job. But, some people think bartending isn’t a “real job”. This can be a con if things like this bother you.
inconsistent pay: While the money can be fantastic, it can quickly diminish if the establishment you work at becomes unpopular.
drunk customers: Bartending is one of the only jobs in which you are GUARANTEED to encounter inebriated people on every shift. These people can be unruly and difficult to deal with.

CONCLUSION

Would I recommend bartending? Absolutely. I think it is a great way to make money and can be utilized in many ways. When someone asks me if they should bartend, I tell them that they definitely should, but they should do it on their own terms.

If you think you’d be happy bartending as a career, by all means go and do just that. If you don’t want to make it a career, that’s great too. You can bartend on the side of another job, bartend for events, or even bartend for a couple years before doing something else. Get what you want from bartending! It’s up to you.

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