Bartending is an occupation that many consider to be a temporary career choice until something better comes along. While there are some bartenders who do, indeed, make it a lifelong career, there are others who moonlight, and some who use it as a stepping-stone. The skills associated with bartending tend to be underestimated, misunderstood, and not perceived as popular or necessary. Fortunately, they are much more purposeful than can be imagined. Many of the skills can be used in various industries. However, if you are looking at transitioning from bartending to the medical field, you will soon learn just how transferrable the skills are.
Customer Service
Being able to serve diverse customers with different preferences, experiences, and cultures is one skill bartenders are constantly using. In the medical field, this is one of the most important attributes needed to be successful at the job. Nurses, like bartenders, have to be able to resolve problems quickly and satisfactorily.
Processing Information
Bartenders have to have a knack for getting an order right the first time and processing the information they are given in orders, oftentimes without being able to write them down. They have to commit them to memory. Furthermore, they often have to operate on a time constraint. The medical field is no different, especially nursing where it’s necessary to work quickly to save a life while processing information.
Communication Skills
Verbal, written, and nonverbal (such as body language) communication skills are necessary in every profession there is. The medical field is not excluded. Bartenders typically work in loud environments, forcing them to use their listening skills more. Nurses and others in the medical field must listen intently, speak and write clearly, and give correct and detailed information to their coworkers and supervisors.
The skills listed above are the most important when it comes to the medical field. However, the list is not exhaustive. Coordination, multitasking, and working independently are major skills that both the bartending and medical fields desire. Therefore, bartending should not be seen as a waste of time. It should be seen as a way to enhance skills.