9 Tips to Becoming a Las Vegas Nightclub Cocktail Waitress

Hi, my name is Cindy Niensiri. I am the creator, and host of my YouTube Channel, Bottle Girl Diaries. This channel maximizes, and dives into the lives of cocktail waitresses in Las Vegas issues. Throughout the series you will hear tips, tricks, advice, funny stories, and relatable real life issues that can help you in your journey to becoming a Las Vegas cocktail waitress.

What does it take to get a cocktail waitress job in a Las Vegas nightclub?

First, have an open mind about this industry, all the opportunities and money are there to be made. I would say, stay up to date on all the open auditions which take place between January and March of each year.

Make sure to check hospitality sites such as this one, Instagram profiles for hotels, pool parties, nightclubs and lounges will always make a post about any available job openings or auditions that will be held. You can also check out the different club websites for current job postings.

If you know any hosts, promoters, or other waitresses in Las Vegas, you should ask them if their venues are hiring. Put yourself out there, go out to these venues, see how they operate, study how the staff works, their appearance and serving etiquette.

Going out will help you get noticed by the right people. Remember, it’s not always what you know, it’s who you know. So be mindful and always present yourself in a positive light, because you never know who’s watching. Girls are always taken care of in Vegas, so if you don’t know any promoters, sign up for the free guest lists to get into the venues.

When it comes time for you to attend an audition or interview, I suggest being on your A Game. Here’s a checklist of some helpful tips:

• You’ll want to be at your best physique. Getting a trainer helped me prep about two months out before auditions, along with a clean diet, and cutting back or cutting out alcohol.
• Show up full hair and make up glam, but a clean look. (I’d steer away from neon colored make up, or dark lips).
• Make sure your nails and toes are neatly done. You can never go wrong with a clean nude, or light pink manicure.
• Most auditions will be in a bikini. So you’ll want to show up in a nice bikini, that’s clean, nothing too busy with print, diamonds, etc.
• Wear something comfortable over your bikini because you may be waiting in line for quite some time.
• Don’t forget your smile, and confidence.

What are club managers looking for in candidates interviewing for cocktail waitress positions?

Managers who are hiring are looking for candidates who are teachable, enthusiastic, quick on their feet, have a sense of urgency, able to adapt to a fast paced environment, knowledge of basic liquors, spirits, wines, and champagnes.

Also, being a team player is a huge skill to have in this industry, because there are a lot of moving parts, and scheduling can change last minute. Managers also want to see that you’re active on your social media. Because you will have social media requirement posts.

The most important thing to keep in mind is an authentic, good and personable personality can take you further than just looks can

Do you need prior Las Vegas cocktail waitress experience?

Now, a lot of you are wondering if prior cocktail server experience is required. Having experience helps, but it’s not required. Bottle Girl Diaries has a lot of great tips and helpful information to guide you in the right direction.

If you do have prior cocktail experience, you will want to make sure you have all your proper licenses, or cards to serve such as your gaming license, alcohol license and your food serving license.

Here is a video that’ll tell you what to expect and how to prep for an audition.

How often will you be working?

Plan on working 3 to 4 shifts per week that are between 8 to 10 hours long. You will be on your feet, so make sure to take care of your body. I use peppering foot lotions, and tea tree sprays to keep my feet energized before and after a shift.

What is the difference of working at a nightclub vs pool party?

If you work in a nightclub be prepared to work late hours. Prepare to be there at least an hour and a half after the venue closes to perform your closing duties.

Nightclub hours will have you clocking in any time between 9:00 P.M. to 9:30 P.M. and you’ll be getting off work any time between 4:00 A.M. to 6:00 A.M.. These hours can vary due to business levels being slow or busy.

Working at a pool party, especially in Vegas is definitely more challenging because you are out in the hot sun all day, and for longer periods of time. So prepare yourself with adequate rest, a healthy balanced eating schedule, and of course, HYDRATION.

Dayclub hours are a little longer than nightclub having you clock in around 10:00 A.M. and clocking out between 6:00 to 8:00 P.M.

What is the difference between working at a large venue vs small venue?

Working at a bigger venue will have more staff, meaning you will be splitting your tips with more people. Every club in Las Vegas have a tip pool amongst the servers.

Some of the bigger venues I’ve worked at were Drai’s Nightclub, XS Nightclub, and currently Zouk Nightclub. Some of the smaller venues I’ve worked at include Jewel Nightclub, Daylight Beach Club, and Apex Social Club.

Sometimes, working at a smaller venue is nicer because it has a smaller staff, and typically close earlier. Also working at a smaller venue can give a really good party vibe when guests begin spending a lot of money and you begin seeing sparklers and presentations.

One night at Zouk Nightclub, a customer spent $20,000 on one order so we brought him out our baby Yoda presentation that lights up and rotates along with his bottles.

What is the difference working at a hip-hop club vs EDM club?

Working at a hip hop venue such as Drai’s, you’ll have an artist who will perform closer to the later hours of the day or night. From what I’ve experienced the hip hop genre of music brings in more athletes, rappers, R&B artists and more of a Hollywood urban style crowd. I’d have to say Chris brown, was one of my favorite performers at Drai’s.

EDM music and DJs tend to attract a younger crowd, and people who are festival goers, such as EDC and Ultra. Currently at Zouk Nightclub, you can see artists such as Tiesto and Zedd, who are crushing the open format and EDM genre! Check out the Las Vegas nightclub calendar to see when they perform next. Hope to see you there!

How much do cocktail waitresses make in Las Vegas?

Now the question everyone wants to really know is how much money can you make as a waitress at Las Vegas nightclub or pool party? Well, it can vary depending on where you work. I would say the average is about $60,000 to $120,000 per year. At a pool you will make your income in six to seven months as opposed to a night club you will have a year round job.

What to expect once you get hired

Once you get the call about your job offer, expect to take a drug test, a background check, and a two week training course which includes going through your job manual and hands on training in the venue.

Once the venues are in their busy season don’t expect to take much time off. I mean why would you when you know you have only a certain amount of peak months to make your money. And plan to work all major holiday weekends. That’s when the big bucks are made!

I hope this article has been informative for anyone wanting to get a job as a Las Vegas cocktail waitress. For more tips, tricks, and entertainment from myself and other cocktail waitresses lives, subscribe and tune into my Youtube channel or follow me on Instagram.

Wishing you all the best of luck!