I hate to say it, but yeah, you have to have connections. After working almost 2 years as a bouncer, the guys who go up to the bouncers/bartenders and ask to be a bouncer, never get considered. The mentality of club owners is, they are not looking for someone who likes to fight, but rather someone who can gain control of an out-of-control situation, with as little fighting as possible.
this may contradict the impression you get, from clubs, bouncers who like to brag, movies like "Roadhouse", etc, but fighting really is only about 10% of bouncing. Anyone can come in a kick a bunch of ass, and intimdate people, but a good bouncer can assert control over 3 or 4 people at once, and diffuse a situation, and get the trouble makers outside without damaging property, or hurting customers.
Thats what club owners are looking for. My whole veiw of bouncing in general took a 180, after I started doing it. I looked at it completely different. Nobody cared how big, or strong I was. I worked alongside of a guy who was 5'6" and about 140lbs, great bouncer. As I said, they are looking for people who can effectively diffuse a situation, and clear people out by force, as quickly as possible. They want people
who are alert, know what to look for, and have peripheral vision, and be able see EVERYTHING. This is how you have to present yourself. You do need to get to know club owners personally. I was introduced to one, because I knew the the bartender from High School, she was a freind of mine, and I protected her from a guy once. We were good freinds, and she recommended me, based on my diplomacy, and ability to solve problems in school. This is what I think most of them look for. So get to know whoever you can, and prove yourselt, that you arent some hot-head looking to kick some butt, but rather a diplomatic person who can keep cool headed under pressure.