In the modern digital age where everyone is judged on how many likes they get, followers they have, and luxuries they own, job titles have quickly become a status symbol.
Sadly, value is now applied through job titles, and asking someone “what do you do for work” is a quick and easy way for people to judge the amount of value you’re worth.
Lawyers, doctors, scientists, and farmers are among the most respected jobs in today’s society, whilst salespeople, mechanics, and journalists are classed as untrustworthy.
The bartending industry is no stranger to receiving criticism either, assumptions are made about the type of person that works behind a bar, and all too often those assumptions are completely wrong.
In this post, we’re going to look deeper into a question that people often wonder when considering bartending as their next role. “Are bartenders losers?”
No, bartenders are not losers. In fact, they’re usually the opposite. Most bartenders are intelligent, fun-loving people that can navigate complex social situations and have very active social lives.
Let’s take a closer look…
Are Bartenders Losers?
To understand this question, we need to first look at what a loser actually is. A loser is defined as a person or thing that has lost something, especially a game or contest.
In this context, a loser is someone that is essentially a deadbeat, someone who has “lost” at the game of life and doesn’t have much going for them.
Losers are people that make bad decisions over and over again, finding themselves in unfavorable situations that lead to them messing their lives up and the lives of others around them.
With that said, bartenders in general are NOT losers. In fact, they are some of the most socially intelligent people you’ll ever meet and have a vast array of experiences.
Most bartenders ooze with confidence and have excellent memory. They can memorize hundreds of cocktail recipes and keep track of which customers are waiting to be served through their situational awareness.
Do People Think Bartenders Are Losers?
The bartending industry is haunted by comments such as “why don’t you find a real job”, “what are you studying” and “only brainless losers work in bars.
All of which are completely unjust and inaccurate statements. The sad reality is that lots of people think bartenders are losers simply because of their job titles.
I believe a big reason for this is down to how the media portrays bartenders. From the outside looking in, it can look as though bartenders are all young party animals that stay up until 4am running on cheap food and caffeine.
It’s seen as a stop-gap job that people do for a couple of months until they find something better, or one that students work as whilst they are studying at college.
Whilst this is true for some people, bartending rarely gets an accurate representation of what the role entails, and the reality of bartending being a lifelong career is overshadowed by this.
It’s true that the barrier for entry to bartend is low, but that doesn’t mean anybody who works that job is a loser, and looking at people this way is simply ignorant and unfair.
The good news is that this perception is starting to disappear quickly with an increased number of people switching roles and turning to bartending roles for a better work-life balance.
The lifestyle, flexibility, and fun that bartending offers are becoming more appealing in post-pandemic times, and for good reason.
Why Bartending Is Not For Losers
Bartending is MUCH more than mixing a few drinks and pulling pints, and those that still have that perception of what a bartender does are completely wrong.
Let’s take a look at some of the reasons that shatter the misconception of bartending being for losers.
Skills needed
Bartending is not for everyone, and inexperienced newcomers can get a rude awakening when they find this out only a matter of weeks into the role.
Problem-solving, teamwork, customer service skills, and exceptional communication are all mandatory requirements of being a successful bartender.
Can’t speak to customers and connect with them? You’ll struggle to be a bartender.
A strong memory is a must for being able to memorize cocktail menus and you’ll need to work well under pressure.
Bartending can get hectic at times, especially on the weekends. Those that can’t handle the pressure don’t last very long in this industry.
Socal lifestyle
By definition, a “loser” is someone that doesn’t have very many friends, and the few friends they do have also happen to be losers, who would have guessed it?
Bartenders are social butterflies that usually have a VERY active social life. They meet new, exciting people every night of the week and quickly establish friendships and connections with customers.
These customers turn into regulars and over time true friendships can form.
Working in an environment that is socially lubricated by alcohol can have its perks, and meeting new friends and romantic lovers is certainly one of them.
It’s not very often that you’ll find a bartender that doesn’t have many friends or an active social life, and this by definition defies the belief that “bartenders are losers”.
Hard work
To be a successful bartender you need to be able to get your hands dirty when it matters. Changing barrels, cleaning duties and late nights are all part of the gig.
The amount of work required to run a successful bar is eye-opening at first and is a big reason why some people simply can not handle the role.
Bartenders often work evenings and weekends with shifts that are usually 10 – 12 hours long of non-stop communication and ensuring the bar runs smoothly.
To put it simply, it’s exhausting. Any loser that finds themself in a bartending role would quickly be dismissed if they couldn’t keep up with the bar’s pace.
Losers Are Losers
The reality is that losers are losers, no matter what profession they work in. Yes, some bartenders may not be as cool or outgoing as others, but it’s unfair to label the whole industry as losers.
There are plumbers, lawyers, doctors, salespeople, mechanics, and just about any role you can think of that are losers.
The definition of a loser varies from person to person, so what you perceive as a loser may be the coolest person in someone else’s eyes.
The truth is that bartending does have a low barrier for entry, but if the person is not cut out for the role of a bartender they will not last very long.
It’s very difficult to fly under the radar in a busy bar and often bar managers will suss out those that are not capable of doing the role.
>>Read more: why are bartenders so rude?
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this article has provided you with the answer to “are bartenders losers” and you now have a better understanding of why MOST bartenders are not losers.
It’s incredibly rude and unfair to label all bartenders as losers, and I guarantee those that do have never worked behind a bar in their lives.
If you are a bartender you should be proud of your role. Don’t stand for anyone labeling you as a loser because of your job role.
There are an enormous amount of hyper-intelligent bartenders that do this job out of passion and love for service.
Thanks for taking the time to read this post and I’ll see you in the next one.