I know my opinion differs from the majority here, but I still say the easiest
way to get behind the bar isn't through barbacking (although I wish it was,
since I think this is definitely the best way): start by being a server and
work your way up by being good. This is especially true for women, as many
places won't seriously consider you for a barback position if you're female
(again, unfortunately).
Problem with this route is that it can take a while and you have to pay your
dues. This doesn't just mean you have to work through one service job at the
place you want to tend bar -- if you're starting with no experience, you'll
probably have to go through several wait positions in as many restaurants
before you get a chance at being a bartender.
You said you've been applying for bar back/busser/wait staff positions and are
being asked for experience or just dismissed out of hand. My guess is you're
applying at the wrong type of place for someone who's never been in the
business before. If you're looking in downtown Chicago, that response doesn't
surprise me. My advice would be to start in the suburbs with a chain store
(Applebee's, Chili's, Friday's, pretty much anything with an apostrophe at the
end), and forget the barback angle -- chances are they either don't have them
or have already filled that position with a server's little brother.
Busser is a good bet, but if a place like that tells you they won't hire you
because you have no bussing experience you should probably look for something
else that may be wrong. Get a friend to check your interview answers,
appearance, availability, etc. I'd go right for server, though -- keep trying
different restaurants until you find a hiring manager that's willing to train
you with no experience (I do that all the time, and some of my best servers
had never waited tables before). Good places to start are restaurants that
don't have bars, as they tend to be more willing to work with new people
(breakfast places, lunch places, family restaurants) -- I know this may not be
what you have in mind, but as I said you may need to work your way through a
few different jobs until you end up in one that will lead to a bar position.
I wish there was an easier answer, but if there is I'm not aware of it.
You'll always hear about people who lucked into a bartending position after
only a few months or even weeks (heck, I was one of those people), but the
vast majority worked their way through the system from the ground up.
Hope this helps, and certainly search this forum for the million other great
posts on this topic with really excellent info and advice.
--
Anthony Caporale
http://www.artofthedrink.com