An Introduction To Bartender Soft Skills

Q. Will this section help me get my first bartender job?

A. Without question. Being an inexperienced bartender, the interviewer is going to be taking a close look at your likeability, trustworthiness, and demeanor.

Q. Will I be asked about these “Soft Skills” in the interview?

A. Yes. Absolutely. You won’t be asked what a Soft Skill is – but you WILL be asked different questions that will reveal these skills – or lack of.

OK – just what are the “Soft Skills” that bartenders need – and Bar Mangers covet?

I can’t begin to tell you how important Bartender Soft Skills are. Most bartending courses really don’t go into this part of a bartender’s skill set. I do – extensively.

If you watched the short video above (coming soon), then you’re going to have a good idea of where I’m going with this. Please – DO NOT skip this section!

You need to have the basic Hard Skills. We covered that in the previous section. Every bartending course out there teaches those. That’s great, and you certainly need to know about bar set-ups, bar tools, glassware, pouring liquor, drink recipes, etc. However, remember that you are INEXPERIENCED!

What this means is that the interviewer is going to focus on asking you questions about your personality, demeanor, and problem-solving skills. Some of the “Soft Skills.” They are going to pass right over many of the questions they would normally ask an experienced bartender – and try to gauge how you will “behave” behind the bar.