It can sometimes be a struggle to combine all of your interests and passions in school. Research schools that offer custom majors or work with your advisor on picking relevant courses! 

Create your own major!

Find restaurants near you that are looking for help and apply in person. You'll probably be bussing tables or cleaning at first, but you'll get a look into what working in this industry is like. 

Apply for a restaurant job.

Look for a simple recipe that you can make on your own or with friends. Make a shopping list of ingredients and make sure you read the recipe a few times so you know what to expect before you start!

Try a new recipe!

Some people don't have a "career plan" and chose instead to pursue opportunities as they arise. Challenge yourself to take opportunities that interest you even if they don't fit in your "plan". 

Forget your "plan." 

Listen to author Richard Florida speak about the importance of creativity in career stability. How can being creative, no matter what industry or job you're doing, give you an advantage?

Learn about the importance of creativity in any career.

Bartenders

Mix and serve drinks to patrons, directly or through waitstaff.

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Bartender

Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Actively looking for ways to help people.

Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations

Food and Beverage Serving Workers

Clean glasses, utensils, and bar equipment.

Check identification of customers to verify age requirements for purchase of alcohol.

Attempt to limit problems and liability related to customers' excessive drinking by taking steps such as persuading customers to stop drinking, or ordering taxis or other transportation for intoxicated patrons.

Take beverage orders from serving staff or directly from patrons.

Plan, organize, and control the operations of a cocktail lounge or bar.

Stock bar with beer, wine, liquor, and related supplies such as ice, glassware, napkins, or straws.

Facebook

Focus point of sale POS software

Intuit QuickBooks Point of Sale

NCR NeighborhoodPOS

The General Store

Web browser software

AZZ CardFile

3-piece cocktail shakers

4-piece cocktail shakers

Pour spouts

Spirit measures

Draught foam control devices

Electronic beer line maintenance equipment

Refrigerated liquid recirculation systems

Soda dispensers

4-prong strainers

Cocktail strainers

Hawthorn strainers

Julep strainers

Fruit knives

Lime slicers

Olive stuffers

Ice chippers

Ice crushers

Ice flakers

Blenders

Mojito machines

Point of sale POS terminals

Point of service workstations

Glass washers

Upright glass washers

Lime squeezers

Professional juicers

Beverage machines

This summer, we're traveling cross-country in this RV, and basically just talking to people. >> And ask them, how do you find your own road? >> How did you like, not listen to pressure from others? >> What did this age mean to you? Like, what were you thinking when you was our age? >> But now I'm yearning for people to give me advice. I really need that. I need that right now. [MUSIC] >> We're in Oklahoma. In the middle of Oklahoma. We're almost in Texas. Texas is gonna be our seventh state that we crossed through. >> I'm looking forward to getting to Texas. I have no idea what Texas is gonna look like. So I never even dreamed of going. It just felt like something I could just kind of imagine in my head. But I would kind of picture a bit of music and some heats. But just the fact that I'm going is, it's really, really exciting. >> Proud home of President George Bush. >> Kinky Friedman is the running for governor of Texas. >> Kinky Friedman? >> He is bananas, no offense. >> Then he became a writer and wrote detective stories, and now he's running for governor. >> Oh my God. [LAUGH] Look at that trailer. That is funny. >> Kinky. I really want to get a t-shirt. >> This is the first time I feel a little bit nervous. >> I knew he was gonna be a character. And he definitely was. >> Leila? >> Yeah. >> How do you spell that? >> L-E-I-L-A. >> I had a girl friend named Leila, before you were born obviously. >> [LAUGH] >> In high school, yeah. >> Hey Alex. >> I like to say I'm a compassionate redneck. I'm 61 years old, which is too young for Medicare and too old for women to care, basically. And but I care about Texas very much and I love Texas and I hate to see what's happened to it. And I can't screw things up any worse than they already are. >> Oh, I know it's- >> I can't things up. >> [LAUGH] >> I can't screw things up. >> I can't screw things up. >> As a singer-songwriter, I've wrote about a lot of stuff that other people didn't write about. I wrote songs like they ain't making Jesus like Jesus Anymore and Proud To Be An Asshole From El Paso. But basically when I look back on it I think I was mostly a truth teller. My goal is to tell the truth. Let the chips fall where they may. As an author, the same thing. So running for governor is just an extension of that. Sailing against the wind Spartacus Complex. Pretty much. Everybody does one thing. You do something else. I think my folks probably had a lot to do with it. They were rather [NOISE]. That's totally biodegradable. >> You seem to be very attached to Texas. >> Yeah. >> You seem to have a very strong identity. But how would you define your own identity? How would you define yourself? >> A dreamer who never sleeps. Yeah. I mean a lot of people go to college and with the idea they're gonna learn all this. Talk to people and get all this wisdom. But they already know they're going to be a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills. Or they know they're gonna takeover their dad's business or work with you know, so that's a bunch of bullshit. Some people like me wander through the damn thing, we don't know what we're gonna do. It's just learning from life itself. That's the best classroom. >> If you had any more sort of a summary of what you could sort of tell people of our generation what would it be? >> I would just say hang on tight, spur hard, and let her buck. Then when the horse dies get off. Get on to something else. I've had to do that a number of times. I mean I've been very depressed with the whole music scene. It wasn't happening for me. That's why I got into writing. And when that wasn't happening for me, then I got into politics here, I guess, if you wanna call it that. I don't think it is, I think it's my really wanting to be a good shepherd for Texas, not a politician. >> If you know yourself and what your grounded in, what is important to you and what you believe in and who you are today. If you can figure that out, then everything's a hell of a lot easier. [MUSIC] And then we headed to New Orleans. [MUSIC] So we were pulling into New Orleans basically just to see the city, and weren't gonna meet anybody. And so because we had that extra time, we were like yeah, let's go out. Let's check out the music scene. We pulled into this little tiny bar, and the whole night there was this guy behind the bar, Charlie. So yeah we went up to him and we asked him if we could interview him. So we came back the next day to meet Charlie. He rolled up in a cab, opened the bar, poured himself a drink, lit a smoke. Told us he had just woken up. [MUSIC] >> I'm old, you gotta remember that. I'm 71, [LAUGH] I told you that. I've had four wives, and I have 11 grown children, and 16 grandchildren. You're young people and you're aggressive. But you don't understand yet because you're young. As you grow older you will understand more and more and more and more. It takes time, I told you. See, you don't learn wisdom. You grow it. >> So we can't come out of here, and know what you know. >> Right, right. >> I have to wait until it hits us. >> You have no way, you ain't lived long enough. There you go. You can't go to school and pick up a book that says wisdom on it. You've got to grow it. >> I wish he was in my hometown. I would totally go to that bar every Sunday night and just talk to Charlie. I may still well do, maybe I'll email him or something once in a while but for me he was really, really cool. He was that perfect balance of not overthinking things, but making things make sense. So when you were like 20. >> 20, when I was 20 years old I was a follower. Doing what everybody else does. >> And how did you stop being a follower? What happened? >> When I saw that it didn't work for me. It didn't work for me. You go this way for a while. >> Yeah. >> That ain't for me. You go this way for a while. That ain't for me. Never know what you're gonna do. You never know what you're gonna be. Just keep going, just like I told you. Keep [SOUND] charging. Until you seek happiness and contentment, it's what you look for in life. You know? Happiness and contentment. Where something that you are happy in doing and you're content. It's like you're not, you don't wanna explore no more. I don't wanna explore no more. Whatever you do to be successful, you gotta do it from the heart. Because you like it. Not because you have to, not because of nothing else. But you have to have it from the heart. >> Just seeing so many different people, and the way they say whatever they have to say. Has kind of taught me that I don't have to think about something in a way that'll make you happy or you happy. >> I think it all comes down to self-awareness, then decisions are so much easier. It's just a sacred thing. That's it in a nutshell, that's what it's all about. >> Hearing about all these experiences, it creates something in you that you can't define. >> Charlie, New Orleans. >> [LAUGH] >> There you go. >> Thank you. >> This life is a hell of a thing, let me tell you. But it's fun. It is good. I always say, if you're vertical you're doing all right. >> [LAUGH] >> But when you're horizontal, trouble. There it is [INAUDIBLE]. [MUSIC] >> Like the last couple of years, it's just been a continuation of me trying to fix myself. >> I mean you know that you're going to fail repeatedly. The big fear that I always had was that I was going to be one day an old man sitting on my porch, perfectly happy but really saying to myself, I didn't try. [MUSIC] 

In Austin, Texas, the Roadtrippers meet Kinky Friedman, a country singer-turned-politician. Kinky tells the team about his unabashed approach to life and his career, advising them to just "learn from life itself." Afterward, the team travels down to New Orleans, La., where they originally planned to check out the colorful city, but instead encountered an impromptu interview with Charlie Sims, owner of Donna's Bar and Grill, a longtime jazz club.

Austin - New Orleans

You're young people and you're aggressive, but you don't understand yet because you're young. As you grow older you will understand more and more and more and more. It takes time I told you. See, you don't learn wisdom. You grow it. >> So we can't come out of here and know what you know. We have to wait- >> No way! You ain't lived long enough. There you go. You can't go to school and pick up a book that says wisdom on it. You gotta grow it. 

Experience

You Don't Learn Wisdom

So, when you were 20? >> 20. When I was 20 years old, I was a follower. Doing what everybody else does. >> How did you- >> Yeah, what- >> Stop being a follower? What happened? >> When I saw that it didn't work for me. It didn't work for me. You go this way for awhile. >> Yeah. >> That ain't for me. You go this way for awhile, that ain't for me. You never know what you're gonna do. You never know what you're gonna be. You just keep going, it's like I told you, keep [SOUND] charging. Until you see you seek happiness and contentment. It's what you look for in life, you know? Happiness and contentment. Where something that you are happy in doing and you're content. It's like you don't wanna explore no more. I don't wanna explore no more. Whatever you do to be successful, you gotta do it from the heart. Because you like it, not because you have to. Not because of nothing else. But you have to have it from the heart. 

Exploration

Perseverance

Do It From The Heart

I'm old, you gotta remember that. I'm 71. [LAUGH] I told you that. I've had four wives, and I have 11 grown children. And 16 grandchildren. You're young people, and you're aggressive. But you don't understand yet because you're young. As you grow older, you will understand more, and more, and more, and more. It takes time I told you. See, you don't learn wisdom, you grow it. >> So, we can't come outta here and now what you know. >> Right. Right. >> We have to wait until it hits us- >> You have no way, you ain't live long enough. There you go. You can't go to school and pick up a book that says wisdom on it. You gotta grow it. >> I wish he was in my hometown, I would totally go to that bar every Sunday night and just talk to Charlie. I may still well do, maybe I'll email him or something once in a while, but for me he was really, really cool. He was that perfect balance of not over thinking things, but making things make sense. So when you were 20. >> 20, when I was 20 years old I was a follower, doing what everybody else does. >> How did you stop being a follower, what happened? >> When I saw that it didn't work for me. It didn't work for me. You know you go this way for awhile, that ain't for me. You go this way for awhile, that ain't for me. You never know what you're gonna do. You never know what you're gonna be, you just keep going, just like I told you. Keep charging. You see, you seek happiness and contentment. That's what you look for in life. Happiness and contentment, where something that you are happy in doing, and you're content. You're not, it's like, you don't want to explore no more. I don't want to explore no more. Whatever you do to be successful, you gotta do it from the heart, because you like it. Not because you have to, not because of nothing else, but you have to have it from the heart. 

Bartenders

Overview

Career

Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career

What Bartenders Do

Other Job Titles Bartenders May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Bartenders

Overview

Career

Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career

What Bartenders Do

Other Job Titles Bartenders May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Education

Level of Education Attained by Bartenders

Majors Related to Career

Related Careers

Related Leaders