I’m in this MSNBC story by Eve Tahmincioglu talking about how cocktail blogging helped me land a job in Portland after my move from DC:
For mixologist Jacob Grier, his blog “Liquidity Preference” helped him land a primo bartender job at the Carlyle Restaurant in Portland, Ore.
Grier started blogging about making unusual cocktails two years ago as an outlet for his love of food and drinks. While working for a bar in Washington, D.C., he decided to move to Portland because of the culinary scene.
Thanks to the blog, he had already connected with two well-known mixologists in Portland. Those contacts ended up taking him to an industry event where Grier met the bar manager at the Carlyle, and the rest is history.
Yes, this is a bit ironic after just getting the news that my bar is closing. Time to start the search all over again, eh?
If you’re coming here from the MSNBC site, click here for cocktail posts. And if you happen to own a craft cocktail bar, let’s talk.
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With apologies to Tyler Cowen and Alex Tabarrok for stealing the title:
In Hollywood, it’s extemely common, if not extemely necessary, for young talent to rely on their agent and his/her inside connections, to pair them with likeminded creative projects and gainful employment. In that spirit, I’m looking to hire my own agent to help me find an “in” within the Portland bar scene. Nobody else besides me and you need to know about the financial arrangement we would have in this venture, however, there is nothing inherantly shameful in this proposition. I have the talent and skill and drive and labor power to be a rockstar bartender like this city has never seen. You, hopefully, have the connections that I don’t have. In exchange, I’d be willing to offer up a whopping 20% commission for the first three months of my employment in exchange for your valuable connections (which, including both tips and wages could easily add up to $800-$1,000). Following, is a brief accounting of why I feel I would make such a rockstar bartender.
No, that Craigslist post isn’t from me, but I can relate. The Portland hospitality job market has been extremely tight the past six months. In my search I’ve come across coffee shops that received more than 400 responses to one job ad, many from out of work accountants and lawyers. It’s hard to stand out in a crowd like that, and to make matters worse, if you stand out too much employers will not hire you because they fear you will jump ship as soon as a better opportunity comes along; I’m fairly certain I was rejected from several jobs for precisely that reason. The poster above is correct: Success right now is all about networking.
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With my imminent departure from DC comes a couple of job openings. First, from Cato, a newly defined position:
The Cato Institute seeks a Manager of New Media to promote Cato research products and scholars via social networking sites, blogs, and other Internet-based outlets. The position will also be responsible for increasing The Cato Institute’s presence on YouTube and other video/audio sharing websites, in coordination with the Multimedia Producer, and will maintain outreach lists of top blogs and Internet-based news outlets and assist with the development of web-based research and briefing products. The Manager of New Media will be expected to organize briefings and other events specifically targeted to web-based media as appropriate. The position requires 2 – 5 years work experience at a nonprofit, government or association marketing or public relations office, a comprehensive understanding of how the U.S news media operates, and a proven ability to promote policy issues and experts to blog and other online media outlets.
That would actually be a more interesting job for me than what I’ve been doing, though not so interesting that I’d stay in DC for it. The new vice president of communications has been a pleasure to work with and it’s a great time to join the press department here. If this kind of job appeals to you or someone you know, apply soon.
Grape and Bean is also looking for a coffee lover to take my place working the Clover on Saturday mornings. It’s a fun shop with very nice owners and great perks for people into coffee, wine, beer, chocolate, and other goodies. Contact information is on the site, or feel free to get in touch with me directly.
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Jacob Grier is a freelance writer, barista, mixologist, and magician in Portland, OR. He writes, eats, and drinks a lot. His articles have appeared in The Washington Post, Reason Online, The Oregonian, and other publications.
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