The Start of My New Career

After two weeks of searching and interviewing with little to show for it, I’ve decided to start guest bartending. I’m pretty much out of cash and am borrowing more money than I’m comfortable with. I hate borrowing money from people, but I’m desperate, so I don’t have much of a choice.

A friend hooked me up with someone she knows, and I e-mailed him this morning. After a brief exchange of messages I was booked for next Friday. This was a much welcomed turn of events since my grocery budget has been reduced to ramen noodles bought with a nearly maxed-out credit card. It also feels good to know that I’ll finally be getting behind a bar which is something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time.

It’s been almost a month since I graduated bartending school and I feel like I got my driver’s license but have no access to a car. Nothing makes me feel antsier than learning something that I can’t apply; especially when it’s something that I really want to do. I felt the same thing when I went to college. Not using what I learned drove me nuts for a very long time. I still fantasize that I may, someday, get a chance to use my degree, but I can’t get caught up with that right now – I have work to do.

Since I haven’t been using my bartending skills in the last four weeks, I decided to go back to the school and take them up on their policy of letting former students use the facilities. I arrived at the school and met up with my teacher outside. After a short cigarette break he informed me of a week long stint bartending for the PGA Tour. Rich and famous people with loads of cash – where do I sign?

I got the number and called. The office was closed, so I’ll have to call tomorrow.

I hope I get it because that could set me up for a little while and it would make my resume look much more promising to potential employers. As it stands, it looks like I may have to resort to the old beginning bartender trick of lying on my resume. I’d hate to do that since I’ve never lied to a potential employer before (which probably explains my lack of gainful employment); but it looks like most working bartenders did just that to get their start. I’ll thank my mom and the Catholic Church for my nagging conscience later, I suppose.

I practiced for a little while and went to the mall to buy some nifty bartending attire. New York City bartenders usually wear black. While I have black clothing, I don’t have many things that are entirely black. What kind of leftover from the metal/grunge scene am I? Anything I have wouldn’t cut in behind the rail in most NYC nightspots, I know that much.

Two black shirts and three pairs of black pants were purchased on the aforementioned, nearly-maxed-out credit card and I was off. If this bartending gig doesn’t work out, at least I can join up with Project Mayhem (any mildly hip film fans got that, I hope).