According to the barista job description, a person occupying such a position is in charge of preparing caffeinated drinks or other types of beverages in a coffee shop or a bookstore. Usually, baristas work in fast-paced environment, where they have to prepare more than one order at the same time. This means that if you want to apply for this position, you’ll need to be able to work under pressure.
But a barista job description is not limited to preparing and serving coffee. As a future employee, you will also be required to serve various types of food, ranging from country club sandwiches to pound cakes. Moreover, you have to prepare various non-caffeinated products such hot chocolate or tea according to the customer’s demands.
What Does a Barista Do?
A barista must be able to prepare, serve, and oversee the preparation of caffeinated drinks, non-coffee beverages and various types of food. More than often, entry-level baristas will be required to follow the employer’s recipe book to the letter in order to fulfill an order. Baristas are also required to learn how to perform monetary operations on a cash register, discuss the shop’s offer with potential customers, and to clean up or to maintain the kitchen equipment.
On the other hand, more experienced baristas may try to come up with their own recipes for coffee. They do this by constantly experimenting with the existing recipes, in which they add various ingredients.
Barista Job Description for Resume – Responsibilities
- A barista is required to learn how to prepare and serve coffee, coffee-based drink, and non-caffeinated drink by following the company’s guidelines.
- Must learn how to prepare foods or drinks according to the customer’s requirements.
- Clean utensils, machinery and the serving area after the store closes;
- Check and maintain kitchen equipment like freezers or heating equipment;
- Make sure that the ingredients are always fresh.
- Recommend and describe various items from the menu.
- Learn the company’s recipes.
- Operate the cash register;
- Take out the trash;
- Label or relabel items;
- Create discount signs;
- Slice ingredients;
- Learn to operate coffee-making machines;
- Check stock and request supplies if necessary;
- Answer any questions regarding the company’s policies or products.
Barista Essential Skills
As per barista job description, any individual who wishes to occupy this position must be able to master the following skills:
- Highly skilled in greeting customers, describing the menus, daily specials, or other offers;
- Must be able to tell customers about the ingredients used to prepare various products;
- Demonstrate extensive knowledge of the company’s offer and menus;
- Must be able to multitask;
- Must demonstrate the ability to work as part of a team;
- Prepare beverages or foods as instructed by the client;
- Demonstrate knowledge of how to handle monetary transactions: cash payments, credit card payments. You may also need to learn how to work with promo codes or discount vouchers.
- Operating specialized equipment: industrial ovens, espresso machines, cappuccino machines, French presses, Moka pots, frothers, and coffee grinders.
- Check the inventory and order additional ingredients if necessary;
- Hone communication skills: the candidates must prove that he or she has a good grasp of English and Spanish;
- Vital computer skills: working with cash register’s software, MS Office Suite, and basic software troubleshooting
How to Become a Barista
According to many barista job description pages, going through a formal training program is not a requirement. However, there are many companies that offer barista certification courses.
One of this companies is Counter Culture, and it offers all kinds of courses ranging from roasters, green coffee buyers to coffee journalists and baristas. Furthermore, aspirants who have attended these barista courses have more chances of being employed by top paying companies.
Education & Training Requirements
Although there are no formal education requirements, most of the employers require either a GED or at least a high school diploma. Additional credentials you might have, like a proficiency course in foreign language or a course in sales, might give you an extra chance of being employed.
Work Experience
There are quite a lot of entry-level positions available on the job market. However, this doesn’t mean that hiring companies aren’t giving any chance to less experienced aspirants. For example, large coffee shop chains like Starbucks often employ part-time college students and offer on-site training.
Work Schedules
According to the National Careers Service website, a job as a full-time barista will require between 35 and 40 hours of work per week. A barista will work in shifts to cover the early hours in the morning or late evening and might even work during the weekends and bank holidays.
Career Prospects
As a general observation, many individuals who seek to occupy this position will often opt for a part-time program. This type of work schedule is more flexible and useful for candidates who need to complete their studies.
On the other hand, individuals who have occupied a similar position will have more opportunities of working in food services or customer services.
According to the official barista job description posted on the BLS’s website, an entry-level barista will earn as much as $8 per hour. The average hourly wage can increase up to $12 per hour (tips included) depending on experience and, of course, your employer.
However, there are additional factors that may influence the average salary of a barista. Some of the most common influencers are the geographic position, local policies, and employment change.
Conclusion
Overall, a barista job entails a lot of work under pressure and attention to detail. You will have to be sociable and have a general outgoing personality in order to work with all types of customers that come into the shop and keep the atmosphere pleasant. If you have excellent customer skills, another job in the retail industry you might want to consider is that of a waitress.