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Saturday, May 24, 2008
Think I’m joking come find out for yourself.
I am still unemployed. No I didn't get the job. I really hope my references didn't have anything to do with it. lol. Jesus! I know it took Daylan 2 years to get on the strip, but seriously, I can't wait that long. I have applied everywhere. My day consist of "please call....please call..." If this continues I will be flat broke. If all else fails I guess I will have to apply somewhere off the strip. I cannot wait until I have a car. So that I am not secluded away from everything. You don't think I'm having a hard time? The places I want to work at are apparently like applying for Harvard or Princeton in the casino world. Come find out for yourself but read this first. I'll try not to give up guys.

Moving To Vegas... Gonna Get A Casino Job When I Get There

The In's and Out's of Landing a Job in Vegas

by Edward B Toupin

Don't get your hopes up! You might be working as a bartender or hostess in a local pub near your home and think you have what it takes. Maybe you do, but its not as easy to get a casino job in Las Vegas as you might think.

But...I heard it was easy!

The casinos are booming and they are always looking for new faces to take on new roles. One problem I've seen so far for newcomers is that many casino employees have worked in the same position for more than five years. They really do love their jobs and they make a considerable amount of money.

Another problem is that of qualifications. As I said, you might be a good bartender, but the bartenders I spoke with say that it is very different from working in a regular bar. It requires experience in a high-volume environment as well as the ability to manage the gaming positions that surround most of the bars. Of course, some places like Bally's and the Imperial Palace will sometimes take on entry-level people. But, that only happens when they need new people to fill an immediate need.

Finally, Nevada and Las Vegas have set up some stringent requirements surrounding work in the gaming industry. You not only have to be qualified, but you also have to get your work cards. Work cards are special IDs that tell employers and the various commissions that you are able to work in the Las Vegas gaming industry. You have to go through interviews as well as a set of classes to familiarize yourself with the commissions' expectations.

Reading, Writing, and Rum & Coke
To be qualified for most casinos, you have to have some amount of experience in the hospitality industry. This means high-volume hospitality environments, not a mom-and-pop restaurant that dishes out a few drinks here and there. We're talking thousands of customers per shift. If not, your best bet is to take a class in bartending or dealing when you get here. Don't bother taking a bartending class before you head out as Las Vegas bartending requires a unique set of skills for serving the clientele. Some of the places I found while scouring the streets are:

ABC Bartending
PCI Dealers School
Las Vegas School of Dealing
Dealers Training Center
These schools say that they will teach you "Las Vegas Style Bartending" in a week or two and they will provide a qualification class to help you obtain your Alcohol Awareness Card. Of course, prepare yourself to have to put out the money up front and find a place to stay while going to class and job hunting. However, most of the schools in the area provide placement counseling to help you find a job when you graduate.

The Chicken or the Egg?
The work cards are the most important part of the entire process. If you've applied at any casinos so far, you probably heard "we'll call you in two weeks." Actually, some human resource personnel told me that this is a sweet way of saying "since you have no work cards, you're useless, and we're tossing your application in the garbage." Get your cards before you apply. But, here's a twist: you have to be sponsored by a gaming establishment to get a gaming card.

Somehow, somewhere, you have to weasel yourself into a situation such that a gaming establishment will hire you and sponsor you. But, if you don't have the cards, how can you get hired to obtain a sponsor? The best way to work around this is to go to one of the off-Strip video-poker bars and see if they will work with you. In some cases, you can finagle some obscure job for a while so you can get your sponsorship. In other cases, good networking helps to move you forward and get a sponsor. Here is the secret: one of the most impressive and amazing things about Las Vegas is that people are usually open to helping you if you ask.

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6:45 PM2 Comments4 Kudos Translate Powered by


Marnica Lindsey....Don't you dare give up!!!!!!!!! OK, SO, you didn't get the first job you interviewed for?????

GET Another interview?????? I know you can get another interview?

OK, I believe you, it's hard to get work on the strip, WELL then work off the strip, or say Fuck the Casinos all together, and find A JOB, doing something, until you can network enough to get a proper Casino Job, and knowing you that will probably take less than a month or two....... If you are living with the Daylan Green I remember, you have a built in networking machine. He probably can't get you a job, but he can introduce you to people that might, and you can do the rest.

I don't mean to sound angry with you, I'm not, I promise, but I've been so proud of you the last few months, that if you give up and come back to the STL, because you didn't get your first interview on the Strip, I'll be a little disappointed in you.

NOW, if you really want to come back here, I won't be mad, I'll understand even. Hell, I'd be glad to see you, but I don't think that's what you are looking for, and I think you deserve better.

I hope you are safe, and if you could, punch Daylan in his face for me......


Love ya


corey

Posted by corey on Sunday, May 25, 2008 - 6:25 AM
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Nicholas


Your friend's right. Just get a part-time job that will keep you afloat until you can network your way into a job. In Vegas it almost seems like who you know is way more important than what you know, so try to meet influential people. Also, get those qualifications out of the way! "We'll call you in two weeks" is definitely a polite way of saying you're not qualified. GET those certifications and sponsorships, etc! In the meantime, you can definitely find a restaurant or bar that is hiring. Good luck!

Posted by Nicholas on Monday, June 02, 2008 - 7:17 PM
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