Is Being a Barista is a Great Job Choice?

If you are looking for new job prospects or want to change your work scene, you'll be happy to know that being a barista has a promising future. Besides, there are excellent benefits of being a barista: flexible schedule, good pay, coffee for free, and many more!

There is a coffee revival in the United States – and more people are demanding specialty coffee across the globe. The current trends show that specialty coffee is not a luxury anymore. Instead, it has become a typical drink for those who value rich aroma, balanced taste, and high-quality coffee.

With strong demand for specialty coffee, new coffee shops and cafes are sprouting up all over the place. This means there are plenty of employment opportunities now and in the future. The benefits to being a barista vary, and if you have any barista training, you have great prospects to find a barista job pretty much anywhere without a problem.

 

Further Reading: How to Be a Faster Barista

 

Benefits of Being a Barista

There are several great benefits of being a barista. I will discuss a few of them below. Before I mention them, I assume that you love – not just like – coffee! While it is not a prerequisite to like coffee as a barista, it sure helps! You will be the one to dial in and taste coffee daily. The best baristas are propelled to the top of their game by their genuine passion for coffee, their willingness to explore, and pushing the envelope with customer service. Developing your taste palate for great coffee will be important as you gain more barista experience.

Drinking Coffee for Free!

If you love experimenting with coffee drinks, there's no better way than being a barista! Being a barista not only allows you to experiment with the coffee profiles and other beverages you like, but you also try other drinks that you would have never tasted!

Barista responsibilities may include regular coffee tastings where all baristas sample new coffees and learn how to describe them. Besides that, every coffee shop has seasonal or signature drinks – and you have a chance to develop them yourself.

Being Social

Being a “people's person” really helps when you are a barista. If you love to chat, meet new people, and talk about the news of the day, then you will enjoy being a barista. Baristas talk all day long with many people – including some café “regulars.” Your communication skills will also help you promote your products and educate your customers about specialty coffee.

As you may know by now, there are plenty of jobs out there that aren't social. If you don't like to talk or meet new people – that okay. Perhaps, more of a quieter less-social job might be the way to go. However, if you love to chat and meet a variety of people throughout the day – as well as develop professional relationships with customers, being a barista is the way to go!

Benefits of being a barista

Flexible Schedule

Being a barista can afford you a little flexibility in your scheduling. The shifts usually last 4-8 hours. So you can schedule your shift before your afternoon class or after your regular workday at your primary job. Commonly, baristas have other jobs or are in school while working with coffee.

Later, if you decide to dedicate yourself to coffee completely, you might consider having a full-time job as a coffee shop manager, roaster, or marketing manager. A great thing about being a barista is excellent career prospects in the retail coffee business.

Potential for Great Pay

The pay for baristas can vary. It depends on the type of coffee shop you work for. It also depends on the culture of the café and if the owners encourage their customers to pay tips. For example, is there a tip jar out? Is there a line on your check to leave a tip?

It also depends on whether your café location is busy. With that said, some baristas can make $12 – $30 an hour in tips alone. Add this to their minimum wage, which often ranges from $8 – $10 per hour.

Job Security

By having barista skills, you can literally get a job in any town where coffee is served. With the popularity of coffee, you can work for cafes, coffee shops, espresso bars, restaurants, hotels, or any other place that serves coffee!

It doesn't matter where you decide to move or where life takes you. With the demand for coffee, you will easily find a barista job. But, if there's no demand for good coffee in your location, why don't you open your own specialty coffee shop and educate your community? The demand is high for knowledgeable, reliable, and personal baristas, and you typically have great job security at any coffee shop. Now, from time to time, a coffee shop may close down or might not have enough hours to give you throughout the week during seasonal times. In this case, you might have to search for another coffee shop to work at as well.

Conclusion

Knowing how to work behind a coffee bar makes provides you with a great opportunity to work and make money anywhere. The great thing about working as a barista is not just about the money, flexible schedule, and job security, but that it provides you with a potential social group of people all brought together by their passion for great coffee. 

Further Reading: Requirements to Be a Barista

Brought to you by Barista Training Academy, “The Beginning Barista,” Your Ultimate Prep Guide to Getting Your First Job as a Barista” is an ultimate resource available online and affordable for anybody looking to start a career in the coffee industry. For more information, visit our blog.