There’s an obvious appeal to the bartender. He or she is, at any given moment, a social director, a friendly ear, or simply the person who delivers your drinks with a smile. A great bartender is one of a bar’s greatest assets, often bringing in a consistent crowd of regulars who enjoy stopping in and adding to the bottom line.

Bartenders themselves have a unique advantage, all things being equal. In the right establishment, an effective bartender can earn full time wages working part time hours. It’s not unusual for these hardworking barkeeps to take home several hundred dollars per shift. As a result, the bartending profession is viewed with great respect and is a desired occupation for many.

Breaking In To The Bartending Profession

Very frankly, the best way to land a bartending job is to have direct experience as a bartender. Of course, this is a classic Catch 22. Most establishments strongly prefer to hire experienced bartenders since the bar business brings in the most profit. But much like any other profession, there is an educational alternative that might help certain individuals land their first bartending job, or even advance their career.

We are, of course, referring to bartending schools. These schools are located in most major cities, and function as a means to acquire practical experience without actually working on the job.

Bartending Schools 101

Here are some of the things you can expect to learn after you enroll in a bartending school:

- Understanding the bar culture and how to deal with customers.

- Exploring relationships between bartenders, servers, and bar support personnel.

- Education and certification for state requirements, such as alcohol awareness programs.

- Comprehensive mixology modules to learn how to mix drinks.

Typically, these and other course elements are completed in 6 to 8 weeks. Costs vary, although a student should expect to pay anywhere from a few hundred dollars up to a thousand dollars to complete the course.

Are Bartending Schools Worth The Time And Money?

Those who enroll in a bartending school and expect to land a six figure bartending job upon graduation will be sorely disappointed. It’s safe to say, though, that completing a program will help you land your first job. Bartending is a profession where personal characteristics and on the job performance mean everything. A diploma won’t help you when you’re behind a busy bar with demanding customers clamoring for drinks.

We do recommend reputable bartending schools as a means to get your first bartending job or as a refresher course for career changers. However, expectations should be limited. Personal characteristics and experience are key in the bar business. Use a bartending school to help you determine whether or not bartending is a career that matches your skill set.

The ability to obtain an online education degree has opened the educational doors for many students who cannot afford to attend school on campus as a full-time student. Distance learning courses definitely provide some advantages over the traditional college education. But, because of the methods of delivering and receiving the material, students must consider the 7 things necessary in approaching an online education successfully.

1. Choosing the best education online institution - Make sure the institute for higher education chosen has adequate resources and accreditation recognized by the proper authorities. Unless authenticity can be verified, find another school. Sadly, unscrupulous degree mills offer degrees with short-term or no real education. Thus, the diplomas are bogus and absolutely worthless. Find a school that provides solid education, ample student support, and the facilities necessary to succeed in your distance learning.

2. Analyze cost vs. benefit - Some students enroll in a distance learning program without considering the cost. Generally, the cost per credit hour is fairly expensive. However, decide whether the education will translate into better income opportunities down the road. Only after assessing the true benefits can students appreciate the rewards of obtaining an education online degree.

3. Provide degree verification to potential employers - Faced with the prevalence of bogus and worthless degrees, it is no wonder that prospective employers are a little wary to hire employees who have acquired a diploma through distance learning. Therefore, anticipate potential skepticism and bring along proof of accreditation from the college or university. By underscoring the recognition of the U.S. Department of Education and CHEA, it will immediately alleviate any degree misgivings.

4. Discipline, determination, and time - First time distance learning students are often surprised by the amount of discipline necessary to stay on task and complete the online assignment. It takes unfaltering determination to achieve an online education. In addition, without regularly scheduled classes, it is essential to exercise good time management skills. To keep focused, without the physical presence of educator and peers, it is important to establish communication with other students to have another push toward success in your education degree online

5. Take advantage of the facilities available - Online lectures and email correspondence are a great venue for facilitating communication with fellow students, tutors, and instructors. Take every opportunity to utilize these options as a means of progressing through the classes, staying motivated, and feeling connected with your accredited online college or university.

6. Make use of credit transfers - Many online education degree colleges allow students to transfer their credits from courses they took in previous colleges, whether online or traditional. By doing this, it means students don’t have to repeat courses they learnt before. For this to be effected, it’s important for a student who intends to pursue an education online to make sure they get transcripts and results from their previous universities or colleges and make them available to their accredited online college so they can be passed as transfer credits.

7. Using Educational technology is essential - The only way to facilitate an excellent online education degree is to take full advantage of all the educational technology available. Virtual libraries generally have all the information necessary to complete research projects and other assignments. The online materials have been factored into the cost of the course. The convenience is another reason for using this benefit to the fullest.

Interested in an MBA? An MBA, or “Masters of Business Administration” is a master’s degree that can help you master the various aspects of business, and very often will give you an advantage in getting any job search or job promotion. If an MBA interests you, the best thing is to learn what the degree can do for you, and which school is best to meet your objectives.

First off, an MBA degree can really get your career moving ahead, and an online MBA is a great way to do it inexpensively, conveniently, and quickly. It is convenient because you do everything from your home - no classes to attend apart from scheduled online presentations and teleconferences. How each online MBA school presents their material varies from school to school, yet the best ones give an experience that rivals the best class-based MBA program.

Another advantage of the online MBA is speed - you can usually complete the entire program in 2 years or less, and be fully equipped with all the business acumen you need once you graduate. Once you have your MBA credential, no one will know if its an online or offline MBA, a full-time or part-time, unless they ask you in an interview.

The most important thing about getting your MBA online is to make sure the school you accept is accredited, meaning they are recognized by government and businesses as a school that provides business training. If your school is not accredited, its worth will be diminished, and you will have no luck in getting any student loans or scholarships. Usually the school will have someone who you can talk to, who can help you with funding options, if you need any of these options.

An MBA can really propel your career ahead because it gives you solid business training. Some industries value the MBA higher than others, and this is especially true in these markets:

marketing

consulting, such as accounting and business reorganization

process re-engineering activities

A great many companies will view your MBA degree as a sign of a serious focused applicant who can make a significant impact.

Your MBA degree will also add income to your paycheck, since studies have consistently shown the MBA degree adds between $10,000 and $30,000 to the average MBA graduate’s annual income. The variance depends on which industry you work in, and where you work.

If you are looking for the next step up in your career, getting the MBA degree online might be the convenient, economical way to add those credentials to your resume. I might want to note one important fact before I sign off…almost 50% of all MBA graduates quit or are fired from their current job after they graduate. Quite simply, there is a lot of resentment at the office once you improve yourself so much, and often, and new MBA graduate has a vision that makes her current job seem a lot less interesting.