> Hmm... is there some prequalifing criteria for whether it is
> acceptable for someone to try to become a bartender? He went to a
> school, wants to find his own gigs - he's showing initiative... It
> seems strange not to be supportive on this forum, considering how
> everyone, at some point in their lives, didn't have experience to do
> whatever they wanted to do. Whether or not a person goes to bars, or
> even *drinks alcohol at all*, doesn't mean they can't be a good
> bartender... right? ;)
>
> In fact, there was one thread on this forum that suggested that
> working private events was a good way to get experience early on, so
> this guy is even headed in the right direction, though maybe not with
> the "BS" part.
>
> As a non-bartending drink enthusiast, I can understand where he's
> coming from - I enjoy making drinks for people at parties and at
> home... serving drinks professionally would likely be even more
> rewarding, or so it would seem after lurking on these forums for a
> while.
I think it was the attitude that got to me - the "I can BS my way through it"
bit that got me. I'm all for newcomers to the industry, but not with that
attitude - if it were so easy, everyone would be doing it and there wouldn't
be books, experts, websites, etc. devoted to this subject. It is a skilled
profession, and while it may not require the same amount of knowledge and
talent and dedication as, say, brain surgeon, it's still not something one can
simply jump in feet first and expect to excel at. If the post were asking
about how to get behind the bar by applying for other jobs, you wouldn't have
seen my post - it was the "I don't function at all in bars" and the "I can BS
it" that irked me.