You may have wondered often as to what does a Barista do or how to learn to be a Barista? Working as a Coffee Barista is often a part-time gig for people while they pursue academic or other professional pursuits, although, for many, it can blossom into a gratifying full-time career in a very exciting and innovative field. 

Here are some of the top perks (tangible and intangible) which come from working as a Barista: 

• • That Coffee Smell- Nothing equates to the comforting and enlivening (difficult to put otherwise into words!) smell of pure and real coffee each moment of each day. Now that’s what we call a real perk! 
  • You’ll never feel tired- Tiredness is combated easily with free and freshly brewed coffee (made by yours truly). This will instantly energise you and get you out of that sleepy cocoon you were in a while coming into work. 
  • You’ll learn an invaluable skill- Over and above everything else, you’ll pick up a whole new set of Barista skills that will boost your confidence. We’ve all grown up watching clever and confident staff members at cafes brewing up a storm with magical lattes or mochas in a matter of minutes. These skills will now be at your command as well! 
  • Enhance your knowledge of coffee- Embracing the Barista life means that you will get ample scope to delve even deeper into the world of coffee while enhancing your knowledge of the subject considerably. You’ll learn more about the types of coffees, brews and techniques that will officially certify you as an expert. 

• No more freaking out on spills- Working as a Barista means that you’ll ultimately get used to spills, no matter how big or small! The mess made is part of the experience and will ultimately help you avoid freaking out on these little things (they’ll start seeming little soon enough). 

• A new hobby worth maintaining- Barista life is about building a new passion, pursuit and hobby that is worth maintaining. Once you start learning about various coffee blends, beans, roast and other fascinating stuff, you may even pick up a life-long passion for the heady brew! 

• Tap into your artistic and creative side- You may have already witnessed the magical lineup of latte and mocha art courtesy of skilled and super talented Baristas throughout the world. Well, now’s your time to put those artistic skills to better use! 

• No stuffy uniforms on this job- Coffee shops usually encourage expressions of individuality, and you can mostly wear what you like. Even uniforms in some coffee chains come with bright colours and designs that are so much more refreshing than stuffy office dress codes. And yes, no piercings or tattoos prohibited in most scenarios! 

• Start experimenting- Once you get the hang of the job and the encouragement of your employer, you can start experimenting with various new coffee blends and fusions. You can mix various kinds of beans, syrups, milk and other flavours if you work in an independent setting. Who knows, you might just be on your way towards discovering that next big brew that’ll captivate the world! 

There are several Barista skills every employer values, and you can add these to your list of being a barista benefit, i.e. you’ll pick them up on the job anyway! Anybody making a career as a Barista develops razor-sharp skills to service and interact with customers while harnessing the ability to work in a fast-paced environment where time is the key. Attention to detail is another perk of the job since it will be soon ingrained into your personality. Customers often have highly specific requests in terms of ingredients and measures. This will ultimately help you build your own detail-oriented approach, a trait that will serve you extremely well throughout your professional career. 

Some skills that Baristas have (and need to have) include the following: 

• Caution
• Handling Cash 
• Focus & Accuracy 
• POS (Point of Sale) System handling
• Mathematics & Measurement 
• Customer Service & Working in Teams (Troubleshooting, Teamwork, Interpersonal Communication, Politeness and Etiquette, Verbal and Written Communication)
• Multitasking under pressure and deadlines with efficiency and ability to manage stress
• Overall professionalism, punctuality, responsibility, reliability and ability to follow instructions 
• Technical skills covering coffee tasting, brewing, health and safety codes, inventory, specialty latte art, specialty beverages and teas 

Usual Barista duties cover almost everything from opening the store, taking orders, serving customers, preparing brews and goods, grinding coffee beans and creating stock displays to cleaning equipment and work areas, keeping track of inventory and preparing to close the store each day. You will learn vital lessons while on the job, including using coffee machines and grinders, origins and flavours of coffee, adding designs to lattes, adding texture and foam to milk, sourcing, extraction, roasting, brewing methods and preparing specialty tea and coffee drinks. Now, these are skills that only a Barista gets to learn on the job. Wouldn’t you call that a major benefit?