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1. Being a Barista is a Social Job

What makes a barista job so amazing is the possibility to constantly communicate with your customers and coworkers. Every day is a learning process – and this is exactly what you want to do when you are a barista. There are plenty of things to learn from other baristas, coffee roasters of coffee buyers, and even from your customers too!

Your job is all about coffee and if you really think you’d love it, don’t miss the opportunity to learn as much as you can. It can open up a variety of opportunities to grow and build a career out of. Your budding passion will pay you off in future.

2. You Might Need to Get Up Early

Like any other job being a barista has its ups and downs. While there are many advantages, you also need to expect that sometimes your shift will start as early as 4 a.m. It’s often required to be at the coffee shop early to accept and arrange goods on the counters. If you are a morning person it might be a great thing for you. If you’re not a morning person, you still might be able to negotiate a later start, however most coffee shop owners and managers often have a bigger need for early shift baristas because mornings are considered their busiest times.

3. You might have to lift heavy bags

As a barista you are sometimes expected to lift and carry things like coffee bags or delivered goods (milk, syrups, snacks, etc.). Be ready to do some heavy lifting from time to time. This might as well replace your working out at a gym. Lifting, bending, and other physical movements are often required for the job. If you think you might have some challenges with this, consider asking your perspective employer what types of accommodations they may be able to provide for you to do the basic functions of the job.

4. You Might Have To Do Other Things Than Serving Coffee

Besides common barista duties you might be asked to do coffee cuppings or go through extra barista training. These are among the pleasant things about a barista job.

Among other things you might need to clean your workstation, counters and the whole coffee shop. In some coffee shops it’s rewarded with extra bonuses. As you develop your experience as a barista you may be required to train or help younger and less experienced baristas when they start their job.

5. Dealing With Customers Can Be Difficult

Some customers can be more difficult to deal with than others. While most people still are, some of them are not really nice or polite to you. People who place an order while talking on the phone is a very common thing today. It might be annoying because you can mishear them or think that they address you (when they are not) and thus interrupt your drink building.

Other people will complain about the drinks or tell you rude things about your work. In a few articles before, we discussed and gave a few tips on how to deal with horrible customers.

6. Great Job Prospects

If you have traveled anywhere, you would probably noticed that people drink coffee there. Behind water, coffee and tea are the most consumed beverages in the world.

Among other perks of being a barista are your job opportunities. After you finish your barista training and get some experience you might decide to pursue another path in coffee and become a roaster, coffee cupper, coffee buyer, sales representative, café manager or even owner, quality specialist, barista trainer and many many more!

As Mark Twain once said, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life”. Turn coffee into your career and this will be the most rewarding job.

7. Transferable Skills

One of the best things about being a barista is having a skill that will be helpful to you any time and in any place. Even of you move to another state or country you can easily find a barista job because the language of coffee is universal.

Whenever you look for a part time job or if you just want to improve your finances – getting a barista job might be a great any other position that requires inventory management, customer service, and management. All these skills are transferable to other jobs and careers – not to mention that I will it most certainly help you manage your personal household. Consider that baristas are often very well tipped. You can make just as much in tips (and even more) as your daily wage.

8. Boost Self-Confidence

Nothing can boost your self-confidence better as the responsibility you assume as a barista. When you feel that you are in a perfect control of the flow in the coffee shop, you can’t be knocked off-balance by minor accidents, morning rushes, rude-customers, and other challenges.

If you can make money yourself and be independent, you control the hold the keys of success in your own life.

Besides, being a barista allows you to practice and develop your charisma – namely your “likeability” by other people. It’s a perfect place to train your persuasion and conversation skills – the abilities that are very useful in a regular life beyond the bar.

9. You Need to Know Coffee Basics

It goes without saying that to be a better barista you need to know about coffee. Like you need to know about finances if you are an accountant, or about lays if you are an attorney. Coffee is your field of expertise and before you even start your work, you are expected to have some basic background on coffee. No, your mom drinking instant coffee every morning doesn’t count. Coffee goes through a long chain of production, and every step affects the taste in your cup.

10. Barista Training Can Help You Get The Job You Want

Barista training will undoubtedly help you on the early stages of your barista work. It might also be helpful even before that – when you look for a job. Any extra thing about coffee in your resume will increase your chances of being hired in a coffee shop that you want. This might be an online barista class you took or a coffee book you read or even a part time job in a café or restaurant you had when you were in college.

For young people who seriously consider a career in coffee but yet lack any experience we prepared a barista training book called “The Beginning Barista. Your Ultimate Prep Guide to Getting Your First Job as a Barista”. While other resources or barista training classes require a lot of financial investment, this book covers the most important barista training and working issues for a very affordable price.

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