What the job involves
- Serving drinks, from pints to cocktails
- Checking ID and refusing sales when you need to
- Changing barrels, restocking and keeping the bar clean
- Taking payments and running tabs
What employers look for
- Staying friendly and quick under pressure
- Knowing when and how to refuse a sale
- Cellar or cocktail experience for some roles
In England and Wales you don't need a personal licence to work behind a bar, but every alcohol sale must be authorised by a personal licence holder, usually the manager (GOV.UK: alcohol licensing). Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own licensing rules.
How to stand out
How to apply: use the job's Apply button to go to the employer's own application page. What the employer sees and how decisions are made.
In your application or screening conversation:
- Say which kinds of venue you have worked in
- Give an example of handling a difficult customer
- Mention any cellar, cocktail or licensing training