Message 8420 of 22774 in Behind the Bar

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> Personally, I do not think that the fact that you do not drink should 
> matter. I have worked with and know several bartenders that do not 
> drink, and they are good bartenders. Whether or not I drink has never 
> been a factor nor has it ever come up in a job interview for any of 
> the bartender positions I have had.

That's a relief to hear!  I had read a post here about how one of their 
interview questions was "what is your favorite drink?", so I figured it 
probably comes up like that often.  It would be a difficult thing to answer, 
since I don't really have one.  I wouldn't even know how to answer that one 
without ruffling any feathers or sounding incompetent.

> I also do not think that it would necessarily be an appropriate 
> question to be asked in an interview. However, if you are asked 
> whether or not you drink, you should answer honestly and 
> professionally, discuss why you do not drink and how you not drinking 
> can be an asset rather than a liability.

I can see your point here.  But I could also see how someone would assume I 
drink because drinks are my trade.  I'm like a chef who doesn't eat...except I 
"cook" beverages instead of food.  Any good chef would enjoy his own creations.

Though, when you look deeper (most people won't - especially during an 
interview), it's not about how well I can make a drink.  It's about my choice 
to not be drunk.  But I really don't want that to come up in an interview.  I 
don't see how I could be honest and not hurt my chances of getting a job when 
confronted directly on this issue.  I guess the easy answer would be to try a 
few things I think I might like the taste of and pick one and just say that's 
my favorite.  Or pick out something that's fairly popular and just lie and say 
that's my favorite.  shrug  I'm not one to lie, though.  On a question like 
this it probably doesn't matter in the end, but I'd know that I lied and it 
would bother me - at least for a few minutes.  ;)

> When discussing why you do not drink, you do not want to give the 
> impression that you think drinking is a negative thing. You do not 
> want the hiring manager to think that you think that drinking is a 
> negative thing and that you have a negative view of your potential 
> customers who choose to drink.

Exactly.  It's not that I don't drink because I think it's bad or wrong.  I am 
just not the type of person who likes to be under the influence.  I take 
comfort knowing that if something were to happen, I would have my faculties 
with me and could react appropriately.  I'm not sure how to word that to make 
it positive yet, but I really don't look down on drinking.  It's just not for 
me.

Sidenote:  I have a relative who is quite the drinker.  It's just one of the 
many drugs he enjoys, but he does it to excess often.  He drives under the 
influence and has a hard time keeping a job becuase he never shows up on time, 
if at all.  He's in a bad place and always being out of his mind doesn't help. 
 I don't want to take the chance of enjoying my alcohol enough to let it start 
affecting my ability to deal with the world in a responsible manner.  For me, 
it's better to avoid drugs altogether to keep any temptation at bay.

> I would not bring either of these points up in an interview. For one, 
> it is simply unprofessional for anyone to be drinking on the job and 
> should not be a concern for management. (Yes, it does happen and in 
> some places it may not matter, while in others it can cost someone 
> their job.) Second, in an interview you want to talk about your 
> assets, strengths, and abilities to perform the job rather than any 
> liabilities you may have. You want to tell them why they want to hire 
> you, not why they do not want to hire you.

I completely agree.  I just need to be prepared with some good answers in case 
I do get asked a direct question about what I drink.

> Best of luck in finding a bartending position!

Thanks!  I'm sure I can use all the help I can get.