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barista
With many of us having a growing interest in drinking good, well-prepared coffee, there’s an increasing demand for skilled and creative baristas to help meet our coffee needs. Reliable baristas with good customer service skills are in demand in cafes and restaurants pretty well everywhere.
What would I do as a Barista?
The main task for baristas is to prepare and serve a variety of coffee beverages, as well as other hot and cold drinks such as teas and chocolate-based beverages, often in very busy and sometimes pressured situations. You would also be required to constantly maintain a high standard of cleanliness and presentation of the beverage preparation and surrounding service areas. In some businesses this may also include clearing tables and ensuring clean crockery is always available. You may be involved in operating cash registers and stock control as well.
What trainging do I need?
No formal training is required for baristas, however the Certificate ll in Hospitality (Operations) qualification would be useful in providing you with the basic skills to work in a number hospitality industry jobs, including as a barista.
What personal attributes do I need?
As with many hospitality industry jobs, the personal attributes you need to work as a barista focus on customer service skills.
These include:
- Good interpersonal and communication skills
- Good personal presentation
- The ability to work as part of a team
- Commitment to providing a high standard of customer
service
- High level of personal cleanliness and hygiene
- The ability to work accurately and respond quickly to
requests
- Willingness to learn
- A responsible attitude to industry health and safety
regulations
A creative flair and a passion for coffee are of benefit as well.
How much could I expect to earn?
How much you could earn in a week depends on the number of hours you work, but on average a barista earns approximately $600 per week before tax.
How many hours could I expect to work in a week?
The number of hours worked by baristas varies depending on the position, which may be full-time, part-time or casual. Many are employed on a part-time or casual basis, with much of their work involving morning, evenings and/or weekends.
What are my employment prospects?
Employment prospects for baristas are good as with most of the hospitality industry experiencing a skills and labour shortage, there are job opportunities in rural and regional areas of Australia as well as in the cities.
How do I find a job as a Barista?
If you have access to the internet go to www.discoverjobs.com.au, this a website dedicated to helping you find employment in the hospitality industry, including as a barista. Or you could approach businesses in the areas you’d like to work in and ask to talk to them about employing you. Leave your CV, which should include your workplace achievements and experience and contact details. Make sure you follow up your initial approaches.