No Experience? No Problem! 3 Tips to Becoming a Barista

If you fancy working in your local coffee shop, but you have no previous barista experience, don’t panic!  There are lots of ways that you can make yourself more appealing to potential employers. Keep reading for three helpful tips.

1.   Teach yourself the basics

There’s plenty you can do to improve your knowledge ahead of submitting a job application or attending an interview. By researching the role of a barista, you can know what you’re talking about when you do go for a job.

  • Learn the technical terms – knowing the difference between a latte and a flat white is crucial therefore you should learn the recipes and study all the terms you’re going to need to know.
  • Watch videos – the web is full of useful barista tutorials. Videos can help you learn how to use coffee machines and how to make a great cup.
  • Practice – use your own coffee machine at home to learn how to make a great coffee so that even if you have a cheap espresso machine you can practice making a selection of different types of coffee.

2.   Speak to your local coffee shop

If you have a local coffee shop, spend time getting to know the staff. Speaking to the owners and the team can make it easier to get a foot in the door when you find out that they are hiring.

If you have several coffee shops near you then regularly pop in to each of them and get to know the staff.

If a coffee shop knows you’re interested, they may get in touch with you. It saves them advertising the job and they may prefer to work with a familiar face.

3.   Prepare a good CV and cover letter

Just because you have no previous barista experience doesn’t mean that your CV can’t be interesting to potential employers.

Being a barista requires a certain set of skills. If you can demonstrate that you have these skills on your CV, then you’re in with a great chance. If you have customer service experience, or you’ve had a role that required a high level of attention to detail, highlight this on your CV.

You’ll also need a covering letter. Here you can identify to an employer why you want to work in the industry and in that location. Share your understanding of the role and why you are particularly interested in both the job and that employer. Your covering letter should be tailored to the specific job – employers can see through a generic letter.

You can also upload your CV to the Meet Your Barista website, where potential employers can see your skills and experience.

If your application is unsuccessful, make sure you ask for feedback. This can help you improve your CV and covering letter for future applications.

If you’re looking to start your career as a barista, you’ll find loads of useful information and opportunities at Meet Your Barista. Start your career here!

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