If there is anything we need more in the morning than five extra minutes in bed, it is coffee. This drink has become an indispensable part of our morning routine. It helps regulate our energy during the day and increases productivity. Besides, inviting each other for a cup of coffee is a nice habit, allowing you to stay in touch with interesting people and broaden your professional network. Coffee shops pop up on the streets of big cities and small towns almost daily. No wonder employers actively look for baristas who can roast coffee beans, serve customers, and prepare energizing drinks which help start the day right. Finding a job in this sphere seems to be a doable task. You can ask managers directly in the café, send out your CV via LinkedIn, or find a coffee roaster job in Jooble, one of the leading job search engines in the world. The number of opportunities may impress you.
Before diving into the job search, let us consider some skills you need to succeed in this area.
Learn how to work with a coffee roaster
The path from fruit to a cup of coffee is longer than we may imagine. Customers don’t have to know all the subtleties of this exciting process, yet you do. One of the most crucial steps is working with a coffee roaster.
To put it simply this device applies heat to coffee beans, turning them from green to brown ones. The whole process doesn’t limit to throwing the initial product into a machine. Specialists plan the amount of coffee they are going to work with and elaborate roasting cycles. Since the roasting process consists of various chemical reactions that happen simultaneously within a short time, controlling it is a challenging task. Keep in mind that even the least noticeable changes in temperature, airflow, humidity, or time can change the taste of coffee completely. Thus, the roasting environment matters as much as the whole roasting process.
The next crucial step is getting sample roasts and testing them. This process is called ‘’coffee cupping’’. While assessing the sample, specialists examine flavors, sweetness, aroma, acidity, bitterness, and the aftertaste of the drink. To become a specialist in coffee roasting, you need to practice a lot, experiment, and try different techniques. It can be a full-time job and an exciting career. However, as a barista, you need to know the basics of the process and be ready to assist the pros.
Making coffee
Good baristas know a lot about the coffee-making process. For example, they operate various types of coffee machines and know how to take care of them. By maintaining these devices well-conditioned, you ensure that customers will get the right coffee taste and experience the whole richness of flavors.
Another noteworthy skill, you have to master is making coffee drinks correctly. For example, baristas know how to create a nice foam, simple latte art (hearts, flowers, or leaves), or more complicated patterns on the drink. They can recommend to customers various drinks and guide them via the diversity of options. Working as a barista is more than just preparing and serving espresso, latte or cappuccino. It’s also about creating interesting content for your cafe, for example posting beautiful pictures on instagram using layer mask, which will help you to gain more audience and visitors
Be ready to deal with demanding clients who would like to get a profound explanation and information concerning coffee beans, roasting techniques, coffee-making devices etc. To pass such an exam, you need to dive into coffee-making process. Yet, the main barista’s duty is to make good coffee that will energize and inspire people calling on your café.
Improving soft skills
Working in a coffee shop means you meet dozens of people every day. The service sector is demanding towards people working in it. Making a good coffee and knowing details about the roasting process won’t help you succeed if you are not friendly and attentive to the customers.
To get hired, one should demonstrate stress resistance (people who haven’t got their morning coffee can be a bit grumpy), attention to detail, and reliability. Good specialists can work as team players, successfully cooperating with colleagues to avert the problems with customers or suppliers. They are ready to be in charge of the processes and solve the problems fast when needed. Customer service skills are all about patience and friendliness. You can boost these features while working as a barista. They are valuable in both professional and private life and help you achieve more.
