Bar Work Experience in Galway...

Mshellster

Hey,

Not sure if this is the right place to post this query so apologies in advance if I've gone wrong there.

I'm looking to get bar work experience in Galway city but have had no luck so far in finding a place. I wasn't looking for a job or payment out of it, I just wanted to get a few weeks experience to learn how to do all the basics in order to have a better chance of maybe getting some bar work abroad in the future if I go travelling and what not. Would anyone happen to know of any places in the city that do this or is it a case that you would need to get a job waitressing or picking up glasses etc and then work your way into being trained in the bar? The problem with that is that there doesn't seem to be much chance of getting employment that way so I thought just looking for unpaid experience might be easier?

If anyone has any tips or advice on the best way to get in on bar work that would be great. Thanks all

Mr.Mister

Why not call into a bar and ask?

Eman Resu

Bar (no pun intended) legal reasons I can't see why any employer would refuse to allow anyone to work for nothing.

Mshellster

Ya I've called into a good few places with my c.v and said that I'm just looking for a few weeks unpaid bar work experience and some places have taken it and said they'd get back to me but that was quite a while ago at this stage and I haven't heard back from any as of yet. I was wondering if there are any bars that are maybe known for taking on people unpaid or for training unexperienced bar staff?

R28

Mshellster wrote: »

Ya I've called into a good few places with my c.v and said that I'm just looking for a few weeks unpaid bar work experience and some places have taken it and said they'd get back to me but that was quite a while ago at this stage and I haven't heard back from any as of yet. I was wondering if there are any bars that are maybe known for taking on people unpaid or for training unexperienced bar staff?

I've heard of people being taken on for Race Week. Are Lydon's the caterers for the races still? That might be an option for the short term.

Eman Resu

If you give your cv into a staff member they probably didnt pass it higher up the chain of command because who wants someone coming in willing to do your job for nothing? But race week is probably your best bet allright but try to talk to managers instead of staff for the reason I stated.

domrush

managers might be slightly hesitant due to insurance. If you're hurt in the bar aren't they liable whether they pay you or not?

Redhairedguy

The Skeff, The Cellar & McAlindens.

All three called me after I threw a CV in saying I'd work for free for experience. Got a paying job so refused them.

Main thing is to persist. Arrange a meeting with managers if you can. Just keep at it, you'll have a place take you on in no time.

Good luck!

Mrs OBumble

Radisson were advertising for staff for race week in last week's (?) Advertiser. Experience seemed to be optional.

Seaneh

The Cottage are looking for bar staff.

steel_spine

Getting a bar job in Galway is hard, hell, even the waiter/kitchen porter jobs here places demand 2years experience or more. I've 8+ years of bar work, including festivals, nightclubs, student unions & nightclubs. I've been a bar manager and I can run a cellar. Still no dice - took me weeks even to get a crap p/t job at CPs. (Your mileage may vary - as a female I found most of the bar jobs I interviewed for mysteriously turned into 'waitressing' as soon as I turned up :mad:)

I'd like to be more encouraging but tbh a lot of the places that will jump at the chance to take on inexperienced people for free work are going to be nasty holes and possibly not the best examples of how bars are run, unless you get one of the big bars in the city centre. But be aware some places might be wary that you'll say you'll work for free & then try to get something afterwards, or consider it to be a liability.
Your best bet would be trying to get a few days here and there at festivals, special events, things like race week as people have suggested - situations where they just want as many bodies as possible.

Mshellster

Thanks for all the feedback and advice everyone. Guess I'll just have to stick at it and hope something comes of it! I did try getting some bar work at the races because I thought they might be willing to take on even unexperienced people for bar work but when I went for interview (after having put down bar staff as my preferred position) it was an interview for waitressing I got! Ah well hopefully I'll find somewhere eventually!

_Whimsical_

Try the Radisson. I know they took on and paid inexperienced staff for race week and gave them 14 hr shifts last year.

They'd surely be delighted to get someone willing to muck in for free. See if they might pay you first though... You might get lucky.

Columc

Like people said here, noticed the Radisson and Cottage bar looking for bar staff. I know the cottage isnt looking just for race week, unlike Radisson.

When handing in CVs ask if the manager is about and hand in in straight to him. 90% of the time when you hand it to the staff they will glance at it, and just leave it somewere/through it out. Try some other places that aren't city center such as down Salthill.

Main thing is to ask for the bar manager on duty to hand in your CV and make it clear you want bar work and are willing to work for free.

steel_spine

Mshellster wrote: »

when I went for interview (after having put down bar staff as my preferred position) it was an interview for waitressing I got! Ah well hopefully I'll find somewhere eventually!

If you're female, this will happen A LOT in Galway. I can't speak for any other Irish city, but I'm not the only person I know to have this issue here.

Arnold Layne

Not to burst your bubble, but bars in some counties require you to complete a bar tending course in the perticular state. Its all good an' well being able to pull pints and get the vodka/bacardi & coke; but when some one asks for a Manhattan or a Whiskey Sour what can you do.

If you are going to the UK then the experience you get will be good, anywhere else it could be neglible.

Shanley

I'm a bar manager in Galway city and to be honest if someone came into me saying they will work for free I wouldnt trust them expecting them to pay themselves either with my stock or my point of sale.

Also training staff in at busy times is a disaster, they usually just get in the way. Try in the wintertime when its not as busy.

civis_liberalis

Shanley wrote: »

Also training staff in at busy times is a disaster, they usually just get in the way. Try in the wintertime when its not as busy.

Having trained-in staff in a couple of places, namely some restaurants and bars, trying to train people in while the place is open at all can be difficult at the best of times.

I remember years ago doing part-time in Superm a well known Irish fast food chain and being left to explain how things worked to 4 guys who had very little English in the middle of the busiest time of the week.

Back on topic...

I'd have to agree with Shanley about the trust issues. Put in the position of a bar manager/owner, I wouldn't be inclined to take you on. If the person was a relation or could be vouched for as trustworthy by someone close to me I wouldn't have a problem, but someone simply walking in off the street into a pub offering to work for free would set off alarm bells for most people (even though your intentions are genuine).

Mshellster

That's fair enough, thanks for the heads up I never considered it from that point of view that managers might be dubious about people working for free. I was just thinking that given there's not many jobs out there the only way I would be able to get a few weeks experience would be to do so for free.

I was wondering if anyone here would care to share how they got started in bar work? Is it a case that you should start by trying to get a job picking up glasses and that or waitressing and then work your way into the bar? Is that the normal way to go about it? Or do people just apply for bar staff positions even if they have no experience and hope to get started that way? Most of the advertisements I've seen for bar staff seem to stress previous experience as a requirement which is totally understandable but I just can't figure out how else to get directly into bar work!

civis_liberalis

Well done for having the initiative and trying to do something that will help you get back to work.

From what I see, most people that work in the bar trade would have collected glasses as a summer job or something to start off with.

steel_spine

Mshellster wrote: »

That's fair enough, thanks for the heads up I never considered it from that point of view that managers might be dubious about people working for free. I was just thinking that given there's not many jobs out there the only way I would be able to get a few weeks experience would be to do so for free.

I was wondering if anyone here would care to share how they got started in bar work? Is it a case that you should start by trying to get a job picking up glasses and that or waitressing and then work your way into the bar? Is that the normal way to go about it? Or do people just apply for bar staff positions even if they have no experience and hope to get started that way? Most of the advertisements I've seen for bar staff seem to stress previous experience as a requirement which is totally understandable but I just can't figure out how else to get directly into bar work!

Due to the larger numbers of staff, higher turnover and willingness to employ with least experience, nightclubs & student unions are often your best bet, though I appreciate in Galway this limits your options - a stewarding or glass collecting job may get you into the bar if you look keen for training when they need to replace someone.
Alternatively a waiting/waitressing job in a restuarant - you might be able to get the bar staff to show you a few things when you've been there a bit - I'm less sure about this route in Ireland, as all the waiting jobs seem to want about 5 years exp :pac:
I wish you luck though, it IS tough to get that initial experience if you don't have a relative who owns/works in a bar here.

Mrs OBumble

Make a list of ALL your relatives/friends, and where they work.

Try to figure out who might know someone who know's someone who might get you in somewhere.