HOW DO I BECOME A CERTIFIED OR LICENSED BARTENDER?
While many people think that in order to bartend you need to hold some sort of license, it is not always the case.
Each and every state is different when it comes to its licensing and liquor liability laws, so it is important to check with your state regulations to make sure you are in compliance with the law.
Some states, like Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Nevada all require a form of permit or license to be obtained by the state in order to bartend. If you live in one of these states, check your local government website to learn more about the requirements needed.
STEP 1: GET TRAINED AS A BARTENDER
The best way to become a bartender is to start by taking a training course from a notable bartending school. Here at The Bar School, our bartender certification course (The Bartending Masterclass) will help you learn the foundations of bartending & functions of the job. The course will train you how to be a bartender, how to make drinks, and how to make more money doing the job. The best part, is the course is online, which means you can learn at your own pace, on your own time, for half the cost of an in-person bartending school.
STEP 2: GET T.I.PS CERTIFIED
Once you have taken a bartending course, you are going to need to take an additional alcohol awareness training. This training will dive into the specific alcohol serving laws within your state, and train you how to safely serve customers. We recommend using the company known as "TIPS" to get this training (visit: https://www.gettips.com). Getting a "TIPS Certification" is not required by law in most states, however we highly advise all our students to get it. Most employers will actually require bartenders and servers to be TIPS Certified in order to work at their business. The TIPS training will not only educate you on the specific alcohol laws within your state, it will make you a more qualified candidate for employers.
Make sure to check local and state laws to see if any permits or licenses are mandatory before applying for work.
STEP 3: APPLY FOR JOBS
Now that you have your training from The Bar School, as well as your TIPS Certification, you are ready to start applying for jobs. Before you start handing out your resumes to every bar in your area, it's important to do some research. Look at the various types of venues out there, and apply to ones that are aligned with your personality. Do you want to work at a high volume nightclub? Or would you rather work at an upscale restaurant with wine and spirits? Maybe you prefer a craft cocktail bar? Or maybe just a neighborhood sports pub? Whatever it might be that interests you, do some research and apply to the places you can see yourself thriving in. There is nothing worse than getting served by the bartender who hates where they work!