Bartending abroad: applying and working behind the bar

Which kind of bar is really hiring you?

A cocktail bar, a beach bar, a hotel lounge, a pub and a nightclub require different skills. In the first, technique and a fine knowledge of spirits are expected. In the last, speed, stamina and the ability to cope with noise count for more.

Read the advert to pick out the concept: a short or long drinks list, local or tourist customers, bar service or table service. If these details are missing, ask for them. Your application will work better if it shows experience close to that concept, rather than a general list of bars where you have worked.

A trial behind the bar is common. Ask whether it is paid, how long it lasts and which cocktails you will be asked to make. Revise the venue’s published menu if there is one, and turn up with your usual tools when custom allows: bar spoon, jigger, bar knife.

Highlighting technique without forgetting hospitality

Describe the recipes and techniques you know: classic cocktails, your own creations, infusions, homemade syrups, beer or wine service. Say whether you designed a menu or took part in a training course, and roughly how many drinks you made on a typical night.

A good bartender also knows how to welcome people, spot a guest who is waiting, handle a large round and keep the station clean during the rush. Prove these qualities with precise examples: a very busy night, a difficult customer, a conflict you defused or a till error you corrected.

• Cocktail types and techniques
• Drinks served on a typical night
• Menu design or training experience
• Handling awkward customers

Stock, till and control of consumption

An employer hands over a bar more readily to someone who understands costs. Explain how you tracked stock, carried out inventories, dealt with wastage and applied pouring specs. Mention the till software you have used and your routine for cashing up.

This part reassures about your reliability, especially if the job involves opening or closing the bar. If you have already held that kind of responsibility, say so plainly, including the number of people involved. If not, do not claim it, because a trial shift would quickly reveal the gap.

If a till test is part of the trial, revise the local payment methods, the rounding habits and the displayed sales tax rules, so that you do not hesitate with the very first customer.

Who does what: prep, service and cleaning

Ask who prepares the garnishes and syrups, who restocks the bar, who washes the glasses and who handles the closing clean. In some venues the bartender does everything. In others a dedicated team takes over part of the work.

This split has a direct effect on your tiredness, your real hours and your chances of getting home at a sensible time. Also ask whether there is a floor manager or head bartender and how disagreements between colleagues are handled.

Alcohol laws, training and personal liability

Laws on selling alcohol vary widely between countries: minimum age, selling hours, refusing service, licensing, compulsory training. In some countries the sale of alcohol is restricted or banned. Check this framework with the competent authority before you consider a job.

Ask the employer which training is required, who pays for it, and how far your personal responsibility goes if you serve someone who is too drunk or underage. This information should appear in your contract or in the written job instructions, not only in a spoken exchange.

• Any licence or certificate needed
• Responsible alcohol service training
• Rules on refusing service
• Staff liability

Late finishes, getting home and personal safety

Bar work ends late, often after the last public transport. Ask how you will get home, whether the venue offers a ride, nearby accommodation or a refund, and what is planned if an incident happens in the room or at closing time.

Check your days off, the extra pay for night hours and the rules on breaks as well. A rota that keeps changing with no notice makes life outside work hard. Write these points down before you compare two offers, because they weigh as much as the advertised pay.

Ask also whether the employer supplies a uniform, suitable shoes and a lockable locker. These details cost the venue little, but they show how much care it takes of its staff.

Tips and bonuses: insist on a clear calculation

Depending on the country, tips may be kept individually, pooled, shared by a points system or partly withheld by the employer. Whether a service charge is included or not also changes how much of your income is truly stable.

Ask how the split is worked out, how often it is paid and whether it shows on your payslip. Do not rely on gains mentioned verbally when you plan your budget or agree to a low base wage. Start from what the contract guarantees.

Seasonal work, contract and housing: read the offer to the end

Many bar jobs are seasonal: seaside resorts, mountain hotels, holiday clubs. Check the length of the contract, the end date, the chance of renewal and what is planned for your journey home. A short contract means planning your next step before you even arrive.

If housing is offered, ask where it is, how many people share it, what it costs and how it is deducted from your pay. The commute between the accommodation and the bar matters as much as the rent, especially for night hours with no public transport.