Not too long ago I had a bartender interview with this guy. His name is Brock (yep, not making that up), and this photograph was paper-clipped to the application he turned into me. I kid you not.
Brock was dressed for the interview not unlike the picture you see: in a pocket-tee, thin as a silk scarf and specifically chosen to accent his baseball-sized biceps and budding nipples. He was sort of a cross between a boy-band singer and a hooligan from Westside Story, and I think he believed his cool-ness would hypnotize me like a Harry Potter spell and I would simply hand him the reigns to our bar. I'm certain he institutes a similar strategy on the girls he meets in hopes that his steely gaze will cause them to suddenly, and without resistance, relinquish their panties.
Despite Brock's confidence and boldness he was totally unprepared for the questions I was throwing at him during the interview. He attempted to cover up his ignorance with off-handed humor and false bravado, but it only made things worse. He was sunk from the start.
When asked: "Why should I hire you over others interviewing for this position?" he looked down at his shoes from the chair he was sitting, took a few seconds to ponder the question, and then looked up and said, "Cause I look better than them and people will want to come in and see me."
People like Brock inspire me to construct a scrapbook titled: " I'd rather have Syphilis than hire these people" or " People to hire for the bar of my worst enemy ". I haven't decided yet. It's a work in progress.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not just picking on Brock here. I have empathy for those who come in to interview because it's a very nerve-wracking position to be in. I don't expect everyone to be perfect or have the perfect answers, but I expect them to be genuine, because if I sense sincerity in the person I'm interviewing, they get a free pass on being nervous.
In the end, I tried to be open-minded with Brock, but by the end of the interview, all I could think of was that with such a personality, the number of real friends he had probably equaled the same number of people who actually like Jazz. That and the fact that he turned in an application and was completely unprepared for the interview (which reminds me, for those who don't know me, I abhor applications; they're for people who want a job at Walmart or Taco Bell. Real applicants need to turn in a cover letter and resume to be seriously considered for hire. At the very least, you need the resume).
After Brock left, I glanced down at his application one last time and noticed what he wrote in the comments section at the bottom of the application: "I'm definitely down for making some wicked drinks and I will definitely bring in lots of hot ladies to the scene."
Two definitely's in one sentence? How could I possibly turn down such a definite promise?
HOW TO NAIL THE INTERVIEW
All of this is to say, you need a plan to get job interviews, and then you need to be prepared so that you can nail the interview once you get it.
The great news is, it's not as hard as you think! It just takes some action and planning on your part. If you do that, you will be 95% ahead of anyone else walking into the interview. Some people might have the advantage with experience over you, but with a great interview, you can level the playing field. Remember, you only have to succeed one time and you're in.
With that said, let's get to the top 5 most asked bartender interview questions. In the video below I not only give you the questions, but I provide you with the answers to those questions so you know exactly what to say. In addition, there are two bonus questions I cover in the video, and if you're really serious about becoming a bartender and being prepared, my online bartending course, TheRealBarCourse, has 33 more interview questions to help get you prepared.
Click here to view details for TheRealBarCourse and to see if registration is open A list of the questions we will cover in this video:- Tell me about yourself.
- What is your definition of great customer service?
- Bartending is a highly-sought after job...why should I give it to you?
- Why did you leave your last job?
- Is it ok to hook up regulars?
There are also two bonus questions in the video you'll want to check out.
Enjoy the video, and don't forget to subscribe to my Youtube channel to get more cool tips and secrets on how to become a bartender.
Knock 'em dead!
