How to Turn your Bar Job into a Sustainable Career

8 Things you need to do turn your bar job into a sustainable career

Step 1: Build Transferable Skills

You probably know the classics, know how much salt to put on your Margaritas rim and know how to tell when a guest has had enough to drink for the night. These are skills that all bartenders pick up on eventually. But do you have enough of the transferable skills that make you stand out and allow you to fully understand and submerge yourself in the world of hospitality. These skills include but are in no way limited to:

• Menu development: Do you understand how flavours work together well enough to create new and exciting drinks on the fly?
• Costing and Inventory: Do you understand the business side of things?
• Staff Training: Can you confidently walk someone through how to do something while explaining yourself clearly and calmly?
• Spirit and Wine Knowledge: Do you know enough to hold a conversation with a patron who shares these interests.

Having a well-rounded view of how the bar world works will give you skills you need to turn your time behind the bar into a full bartending career open a number of hospitality career paths.

Step 2: Look After your Body and Mind

One of the biggest reasons people don’t last in this career is burnout, both mentally and physically. As a bartender, you work long days on your feet, during holidays and weekends, sacrificing your social life. It requires a strong mentality and an even stronger body. Remember to prioritise:

1. Good Sleep – Yes I know bartending and a goods night rest arn’t usually heard in the same sentence but the sooner you treat this like a regular job that you are well rested for the better.
2. Good Shoes – Standing up all day is not for the faint hearted. Malke sure you are looking after your legs and feet with comfortable non slip shoes, some good supportive insoles and maybe even some compression socks. You can also ask your manager for an exhuastion mat to help you stay on your feet all night long.
3. Stretch – There is not much to explain here. Back pain before your thirties does exist, it’s not fun, buy a yoga mat, thank me later.
4. Nourish your body – Drink water and eat actual meals. Keep you water bottle behind the bar, avoid red bulls and try to have 1-2 coffees a day max. Eat breakfast and avoid contantley snacking all day (even if the kitchen does really good fries).
5. Respect – This is a big one if you want to go far in this indusrty. Be respectful to your body and shifts will feels easier. Also be respectful of alcohol. We get a first hand look at what it does to people but sometimes when we are surronded by something we can forget its impact.

Remember the longer your body can move for the longer your hospitality career will be.

Step 3: Build a Portfolio or Income Stream

By this stage I’m assuming you’ve been bartending for a few years now. You know your way around a bar, you have some good connections, and you feel confident in what you can do. That means it’s time to break out of your comfort zone and throw something new into the ring by looking at other hospitality career paths. This is where you can get creative and use your bartending skills to actually forge a career you can enjoy for years to come.

Options for hospitality career paths:

1. Internal Promotion – If you love your venue, your team or just feel like you have already found your calling, look into moving up within your bar/hotel/restaurant. There is always more to learn and multiple roles to try to understand more about where you work. Look out for internal job adds or just ask your manager to consider you next time.
2. Event Bartending – Perfect for the bartenders who like control. Try working as a freelance bartender at weddings, brand events or private parties. If you have friends who are planning an event, ask if you can bartend for them. Create a couple of nice signature cocktails, gather some supplies and off you go.
3. Recipe Development – Perfect for the creatives. If you love learning about new spirits, understanding flavour and are in the process of refining your palate this is a great outlet. Start creating your own signature drinks and build your own portfolio of cocktails.
4. Writing / Content Creation – Perfect for people like me (just don’t steal my job!). I always wanted to be a writer, that’s where I thought my life would lead. It took me a while to figure it out but turns out my bartending career was the perfect set up to give me something to write about. Take this as a reminder to trust the process, you’re closer to being who you are meant to be then you think. You just need to make the leap.
5. Consulting – Perfect for those who want to help. If you are business savvy and are good at problem solving, a job in consulting could be perfect for you. People can hire your services, and you can help them whip their business strategies, staff or overall service into shape.
6. Masterclasses – Perfect for those who love knowledge. If you love to share your story and passion with others, masterclasses are a great way to do this. There are some overhead costs but once you get yourself set up you can run classes and events.

Remember to start small and avoid burnout. Bartending is still a full time job so just try to do one or two small a month until you start to feel more comfortable. There is no real time frame here and you can try as many avenues as you like until you find your fit.

Step 4: Choose workplaces that support you turning your bar job into a sustainable career

You can be the best bartender around, but if you are not happy where you’re working it’s time to leave. Nothing is going to kill the dream more than poor management, unhappy collogues and lack of opportunity for growth. Make sure you are working somewhere you are proud of. This will make coming to work more of a joy than a job and will protect your wellbeing. Look for jobs that:

• Staff properly: You’re not constantly drowning every shift.
• Offer real breaks: You’re allowed to eat and breathe.
• Have systems: Clear prep lists, closing procedures, and communication.
• Pay fairly: Transparent pay, tips, and expectations.
• Value training: Tastings, education, and feedback are part of the culture.
• Don’t glorify burnout: “No days off” isn’t treated like a badge of honor.

Bonus points if your venue is willing to help you nurture your preferred career. A strong foundation is a great headstart.

Step 5: Build a reputation, not just a résumé

Turning your bar job into a sustainable career comes from being known for something. You don’t just want to be ‘the bartender from that place on the corner’. Find what you love and double down on it. If you are really into wine and know lots about it then people should know that about you. If you love creating interesting, different and intricate drinks then make that your thing. The people around you are the ultimate steppingstone in forging a career. Make sure you are networking and getting your name out there (even very subtly is fine). Remember to reinforce a professional reputation as well. No one wants to work to with the guy who is always late or the girl that thinks she’s above taking orders from superiors. It’s along game but you gotta play it.

Ask yourself: What do I want to be known for?

Some options:

• Cocktail creation
• Bar managment and organisation
• Wine knowledge
• Creating a great customer experience
• Speed and cleanliness behind the well
• A great ability to pair wine with food
• Beer and spirit knowledge

If you are struggling to decide what route to go down just think about what you like. All the skills listed above are included in your everyday shift. You do them all already, but which is your favourite? What sparks that passion and keeps you coming back for more? This is how you forge out different hospitality career paths.

Step 6: Learn strategically, not chaotically

The best thing about a career in bartending and hospitality is that you will never know it all. There will always be new cocktails, wines, spirits, systems and roles to learn. I think it’s what makes choosing hospitality career paths so interesting. However, it can make it hard to know where to start when you want to expand your knowledge. There are endless courses, books, and certifications. You don’t need all of them to build your career.

Choose to focus on something that interests you and you want to learn completely. The rest will fall into place naturally and before you know it you’ll have a whole new set of skills under your belt.

• If you love spirits and wine: Consider getting your WSET level 2 and then moving up to level 3 or 4.
• If you love leadership: Check out management or business courses.
• If you love content creation: Try, video making, photography or writing courses

Don’t do too much too fast. Stay focused and prioritse tasks. Thats how to turn your bar job into a sustainable career.

Step 7: Protect your creativity and emotional energy

Working as a bartender is a full-on career. Days off aren’t always guaranteed and when you do get a day off bed rotting feels like the only achievable task. If you are looking to turn a career in hospitality into a sustainable one you need to learn how to rest properly. It’s not only your body that needs to recover but your mind as well.

To make one of these hospitality career paths sustainable, you need to refill the tank. Here are some Ways to protect your creativity:

• Take real days off: No “just popping in” to help. Actually rest.
• Have hobbies outside of hospitality: Art, movement, reading, anything that isn’t a bar to give your mind space to breath.
• Keep a flavor or ideas journal: Write down drink ideas, flavor combos, or guest moments. Having an idea bank that you can pick from will eliminate a creative block.
• Create for yourself: Experiment at home or during quiet prep times, without menu pressure. This will help you find the thing you love.

Make sure you give yourself at least one full rest day each week and do a fun activity. This will stop the days all blending into one and help you create awareness in your mind and body.

Step 8: Redefine what “bartender” means as you grow

A sustainable bartending career doesn’t mean slinging cocktails forever. It means your time behind the bar becomes the foundation for what comes next. By honing your skills, you ensure that aren’t wasting any time. Every shift, service and pack down leads you one step closer to where you need to be. People who don’t love the work don’t last very long in this industry. If you have made it even a year in and are enjoying yourself then you already have what it takes to be a great bartender and if you want to turn it into a career, then it’s time to like at the next steps.

Over time, bartenders often grow into:

• Beverage directors
• Consultants
• Educators and trainers
• Writers and content creators
• Brand ambassadors
• Bar owners or partners
• Experience designers and event specialists

You don’t have to know your final form yet. You just have to keep building skills that give you options.

Conclusion: turn your bar job into a sustainable career.

Bartending becomes sustainable when you stop treating it like a temporary hustle and start treating it like a craft, a business, and a long-term relationship with yourself. I will forever be grateful for my career in hospitality. Working as a bartender has given me lifelong friends, the best nights out and now it allows me to travel the world. It is funny how life works out sometimes.

Remember: You’re not “just working as a bartender.” You’re building a career that can travel with you, grow with you, and adapt as you change. Having a sustainable bartending career is in your hands.

Want to Know More About Bartending as a Career? Check Out:

• Is Bartending a Good Career? Yes, it is
• 6 ways you can be a more eco-friendly traveler
• 5 Essential Things You Need to Know to Be a Bartender
• How My Job in Hospitality Opened up a Whole World
• The Ins and Outs of Being a Traveling Bartender & How to Achieve it