There’s nothing we love more than our favorite campus bar, so when the chance to work there comes up, it feels like striking it rich.  Often though, many forget that it’s still a job. Before applying for a bar job, you should be prepare yourself for both the good and bad.

Pros:

Co-workers are family --coming from the Haus staff myself, I can only describe working there as another fraternity/sorority. They become the people you tell all your problems to, you go out with and you learn to absolutely love (and borderline obsess with).

You have pull --it could be getting out of cover, employee priced drinks/food (or free), skipping line, organizing discounts for your fraternity/sorority – it varies bar to bar but the perks are definitely felt.

Connections-- you will create a network of friends in different houses, clubs, and organizations. This opens up many doors, but more than anything you get to meet people you probably never would have, which is extremely rewarding (especially if you need something like a last minute impromptu date).

Bar Crawls/Nights out—going out with co workers means only one thing…debauchery. Probably one of the best parts of any job is the nights when you all get to go out and go absolutely bananas. At minimum you may expect to see your manager twerking, or proposals between door guys and servers. Work bar crawls are truly in a league of their own, and the nights out will leave you speechless.

Cons: 

Your friends’ party without you --as Mike Green, a ’16 Phi Delt and doorman at The Clybourne aptly said, “there’s nothing worse than seeing all your friends partying around you while you’re cleaning up their mess”. It can be heart breaking to say the least.

You will have to work weekends – and holidays, and sometimes over break. Just because class is out doesn’t mean you’re excused from your job. You may be expected to work on major holidays such New Years or St Patrick Day (or Unofficial).

Started from the bottom – and you could stay there. You may think that because you got hired to move ice buckets means that one day you’ll be pouring bottles. Promotions are at the complete discretion of the manager so you might be mopping the floor at the end of the night for a lot longer than you thought.

Salaries are inconsistent --This goes especially for door guys. The salary of a bar job relies heavily on tips. Slow night? No money. For servers at bars such as Joe’s and Firehaus, you can expect to make less than min wage before taxes. If you aren’t working a weekend shift, there’s a good chance that you could go to work for 6 hours, and make less than 20 dollars.

In short, a bar job can be a rewarding experience if you are willing to make some sacrifices. Working weekends and dealing with rowdy customers can be a lot to handle, but if you are willing to put up with that in exchange for some great memories go grab a pen and fill out an application.