How to become a Professional Barista

Published on: 15 April 2019 Last Updated on: 03 December 2021

An article related to Barista Coffee should begin with one of my most favourite quotes on coffee:

“Coffee is a way of stealing time which should by rights belong to your older self.”

In the last decade, the coffee making industry has experienced a lot of changes. Also, a lot of coffee shops are opening daily. As a way of competing for customers, these shops have to come up with the best cup of coffee in the cities. Barista is one of the most important factor of American Heroes coffee.

In this way, demand for a qualified coffee superstar is on the rise and therefore generating employment opportunities. If you plan to join this field, this article contains all you need.

We discuss how to become a professional barista, the approximate amount to invest and the challenges you have to overcome. Consider reading through the whole text so that you may understand the entire process clearly.

Who is a Barista?

A barista is a technical name that refers to a person who prepares and serves coffee in a coffee shop. Unlike the early days, today’s coffee maker machines in UAE need a lot of skills as well as practice to operate efficiently. For these reasons, most of the coffee shops only consider employing professional baristas. So, with these high demands, how do you become a professional barista that you may secure yourself a job in UAE?

1. Go for Extra Training:

Most of the baristas you find in regular coffee shops have a high school diploma or certificate alone. That qualification is enough to make you a barista but not a professional. If you want to be an expert, you should consider registering for training programs. Most of them are online based tutorials and therefore are convenient and flexible to your daily schedules. Through the training sessions, you learn all the basics in grinding coffee beans.

You also get a guide on how to steam milk, and importantly you learn how to operate the espresso machines. What is unique about the training programs is that they offer additional lessons on how you can start and manage your coffee shop. However, consider picking tutors who offer certifications after the training program.

2. What will the Course cost you:

Most of the online courses will cost between $120 and $199. The cost gets depending on the selected course levels. You can consider taking a class on the basic barista or master barista. The basic barista course will cost you less than the later. Note that, in coffee making lessons, you get what you pay. The more cash you invest, you get better skills. However, with these prices, there is always a course for everyone’s pocket. You also need to use more of your time on the classes if you want to complete faster. The sessions will take at most 8 hours. Therefore, if you’re a serious student, you can make it within two days or at most four days, and you’re through.

3. Communication and Physical Requirements:

If you want to be a professional barista, you need to have excellent communication skills. You should be polite to customers and when offended, never display your anger in front of the buyers. Also, you don’t want to deliver orders that customers didn’t place. That’s why you must have a good hearing as well as listening skills. Physically, you need to be in a capacity to stand and walk for long hours. Also, you should be in place to push at least 40 pounds of weight without stretching a lot. An excellent eye vision is also essential both at near and far distances.

Excellent customer services will also make you a professional barista. You should, therefore, express acceptable personal attributes. First, you must show a neat appearance and look attractive to the customers. If you’re always looking dirty, you appear unprofessional, and customers will walk away. Also, you should act in honesty and integrity while offering your services. When serving under pleasure, do not panic, but always stay calm and keep a smiling face.

4. Get a license:

If you want to come out as a professional, there’s a need that you obtain a permit from the authorities. Having a permit proves that you’re a qualified barista and increases customer’s trust in your services. The process to get a license requires you to follow universal laws on certification of jobs that deal with foods. Note that, the regulations will vary from one government, state or region to the other. Therefore, pay attention and avoid possible attempts to take it for granted.

5. Use the Internet Wisely:

If you didn’t know, a lot of the information on trends in the coffee industry is available online. Use online free learning materials to add basic tips into your knowledge. Also, follow up on the successful baristas across the globe and learn about their secrets. Following on the customer reviews is always a great way to know what the customers want. Buyers will at most of the times give facts of what they want and what is going wrong. By knowing what matters to them, you’re able to enhance your services.

6. Research about Baristas:

If you’re going to be a professional barista, you should spend time learning about how much a barista can earn. Also, learn about how many hours you’ll be working in a day and the pressure you will have to deal with at the shop. If you rush into the job, you can end up with a frustrating experience. However, taking the time to learn about the expectations of becoming a barista can be very rewarding. Learn about the challenges you’ll come across as a barista and make a strategy on how to deal with them. Therefore, if you want to operate as a professional barista, you need to be smart.

7. Take the Right Attitude:

If you’re going to appear as a professional, you need to show up at work in the right mood. Note that, if your spirit is terrible, you’re likely to mess up with your customers. Your clients need to see a happy face and get served with a kind heart. It’s crucial that you be in love with what you’ll be doing if you wish to be successful.

Being a barista is a simple thing to do but becoming a professional barista comes with extra efforts. You decide to stick on being a basic barista or a master barista. Whichever decision you make, consider employing the needed shot.

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Job Security In The Age Of Automation: What To Expect

Automation has been a source of concern for centuries. Starting from the 16th-century mechanization of stockings production to the 19th-century industrial revolution that led to the UK’s textile riots. From the late 20th-century automation of car manufacturing to the 21st century, worries that Artificial Intelligence will eventually take up our jobs. Job security is an issue that brings forth conflict among manual laborers, resulting from the automation of repetitive manual tasks. Automation has replaced many jobs over the years but has also given rise to other specializations in industries. Major manufacturers have employed robots to level with consumer demands. This is because they are efficient and fast in task completion. All the while playing a massive role in keeping these businesses highly competitive. To provide a clear understanding of the impact automation has had in industries, let’s dive deeper into the jobs’ technicalities. Automation By Job Type Robots execute blue-collar jobs faster and more efficiently than the human workforce, an effect that has highly optimized the production process. However, jobs requiring intuition and creativity, such as product design, and artistry require empathy, making them reserved for the human workforce. The human workforce also retains jobs that appreciate soft skills, such as effective communication, collaboration, leadership, and a problem-solving mindset. That being an overview of the automation effect, let’s dive deeper into factory-related jobs and how automation has affected them. Creative Jobs These jobs require a human eye and mind and combine procedural tasking with intuition in their execution. While proper product design does require a certain level of technical know-how, it also asks for a deeper understanding of why people like the look and feel of these products. In manufacturing industries, designing products may require a focus on the technical application of the product and cater to these matters. An API valve manufacturer, for example, may decide to automate the production of the product. However, to tailor for customers that care for factory aesthetics, they require a human understanding of the design process. Automation can play a role in tasks such as drawing, 3D printing, and data analysis. These artistic job descriptions probably have a higher sense of security than others. Technical Jobs Following product design is the manufacturing process involving technical activities such as assembling parts to come up with a wholesome product. A car manufacturing factory may implement robotic arms, each responsible for joining parts of a vehicle together, working with more efficiency and speed than a human. After putting together the product, there is a proper packaging requirement in preparation for shipping. A robot performs packaging tasks as they are repetitive and technical. The packaging process does not engage in human creativity; thus, automation is probably the better option for such work. However, in other industries such as food processing, products’ packaging may require customization. A process requiring making phone calls, listening to ideas, and making constant changes to the product’s packaging. We employ automation for the job’s technical and repetitive parts; however, to understand human needs, a human being is needed. Transportation of the products to the expected locations is the final process in manufacturing. We can automate the package addressing systems in preparation for transport. Soon, however, there is a possibility that autonomous vehicles will replace transport drivers. Currently, smaller package delivery companies employ drones in some parts of the world. Leadership And Collaborative Jobs Top managerial job descriptions have the least possibility of automation because they require effective coordination, communication, and decision-making. These professionals employ a combination of technical know-how, emotional intelligence, and in some, risk-taking– we cannot reach a balance through automation. Automation cannot replace these individuals, partially because they might resist losing their jobs since they decide which tasks to automate and which not to automate. The Solution To The Conflict The fear that automation will eventually take up all jobs exists. To keep the conversation healthy, positive, and practical, we need to educate the masses on what automation means. Including the types of jobs it can take over. The first step towards education is learning, learning fear, and learning communication strategies. Understanding communication techniques will ensure that proper education occurs. The second step is the actual training of professionals. This involves educating employees in preparation for the jobs they are to transition to during automation. However, it is essential to note that automating the training process might result in a larger conflict. Partially because we know that resolutions cannot be sufficient when executed by who causes the conflict. The third step is to ensure regular training occurs by providing relevant and up-to-date information and training materials. At first, individuals will be reluctant to change job descriptions, which we can resolve through the previously discussed process. Factory Jobs That Cannot Be Replaced Although automation has taken over many factory jobs, some still require human beings' special skills. Here are a few such jobs that machines can’t completely do for now. Quality Check Inspector Robots can be programmed to do certain things, but when it comes to catching a small defect or making sure that the product is of the quality you’re looking for, people are much better at it. A quality control inspector uses their experience, intuition and good old fashion “look closely” to make sure that every single product is perfect. A machine can see if there is clearly something wrong with a product but won’t catch everything. If you had automated inspections in place, and you were shipping out luxury products; and something goes wrong. This is where human intervention becomes important. Let’s say there was hardly a speck of dust on your pet hair remover (obviously checked by a robot). Then, suddenly, there was one review on Amazon where someone said they found one pet hair caught in it. You’d lose all your sales because everyone would assume that now your inspection isn’t working as well as humanly possible or you just don’t care about quality anymore. This is where you should always hire a human inspector. Maintenance Technicians Robots can’t fix themselves, at least not yet! Factory machinery requires regular maintenance to function at peak performance. Maintenance technicians are skilled professionals who ensure that machines run smoothly. When something breaks down, these technicians troubleshoot the problem, perform repairs, and get everything up and running again. Automation can monitor equipment. If you want to know what is wrong with it, often, you need to use human creativity and problem-solving skills, which require knowledge that only a human has. Until robots can physically fix something, if they determine a problem, humans will always be required. Health and Safety Officers It is the most important job to ensure that employees are safe in factories. A person could develop an allergy or get their hand crushed by a machine. The fact that machines of such high risk can be worked on by robots does not mean human judgment about the needs of other humans will disappear. Custom Design And Prototyping Repetitive tasks can be automated, but human creativity is necessary for custom design and prototyping. Factories producing one-off products or prototypes on a small scale will require workers who can conceptualize and modify designs manually. This is to produce the desired result each time. As automation advances it becomes apparent that there are some jobs for which relying on human creativity, problem solving, or emotional intelligence is necessary. Therefore, as machines replace the mundane, humans will remain an integral part of factory life. Should You Be Worried? Automation and job security have been and will always conflict. However, a balance is struck each time it has happened. We currently live in a world with fear of automation from watching various films, such as The Terminator, the Transformers, and others. Some still expect to see a world like that in the movies. The reality is that we use robots to perform repetitive tasks that we have complained about for ages. Do not be fearful; instead, educate yourselves on automation. Do this with a keen eye on the jobs that seem impossible to automate. All the best. Read Also: 3 Encryption Trends and How They Make Communication More Secure Why Sensors are Essential in Machine Automation Seven Great Reasons to Use a Car Transportation Company

Business

5 Simple Steps to a Winning Brand Strategy

Perhaps people's greatest delusion is that a winning brand strategy is all about a stunning logo and a catchline. The truth is that creating a winning strategy is nothing less entailing than growing a child. Just as you would nurture, take care of, and enrich your child, similarly, you have to develop and build every step of your brand strategy. It requires utmost care, consideration, effort, and planning. Keep reading to learn five simple steps that can help you create a winning strategy. With these, you will soon get your brand on its feet and ready to conquer the world. A Brand- What it is One of the essential assets your company will ever own is your brand name. A brand is a name that becomes the identity of your organization. How you market your brand could stand for loyalty, quality, faith, and trust. Your brand is in short, your reputation! Developing Your Brand Strategy- Make it Simple but Impactful Branding is a very extensive process and demands careful planning and time. However, many often underestimate the power of a simple approach in building a strategy that is winning and effective. It all depends on strategic approaches and elements. Here is how: 1. Find Your Market Niche A winning brand strategy is one you develop with a clear idea of your market niche. But finding your niche is not an instantaneous process. You must take time to serve a specific class of audiences with your specialized services. Then you must shortlist where you have performed excellently. Similarly, with products too, you should first focus on those that best cater to your customers' needs. This way, you get the best idea of which products have performed optimally, and therein lay your expertise. The problem with niche-ing down is that many falsely believe that they are under-suing their potentials. But the truth is that when you downsize your niche, you make a strategic and beneficial move in several ways. Here’s how: You are able to stand apart from the competitors who appeal to the same or general audiences You get the golden chance of charging premiums upon offering specialized expertise You minimize wastage of essential resources, including finances You free up more time, energy, and capacity to create the finest experiences, services, and products for your loyal customers In the end, the biggest advantage in specifying your niche is that you do not have to scatter and stretch to be the best for everyone. Instead, you only have to use your resources where they’ll yield and achieve the most. 2. Research Extensively By now, you have surely realized our emphasis on spending time and taking time to build your brand strategy. It is not an instantaneous process: it is a research-based and time-consuming one. The more you spend time researching your brand, the more effective a strategy you will design. Rather than build your strategy in a bubble, take the time to study your competitors and the other ruling businesses. Take time to observe how your audiences are engaging with them and what professional services branding techniques they’re using. Next, DO NOT COPY them. Rather, take your learning of the industry and competitor brands to market position your brand. Design compelling ways to engage with your audiences and draw responses actively from them. Draw inspiration and strategic insights and then unleash your own creativity to set yourself a class apart from the crowd. Come up with products, services, and experiences that you know for sure no other business is offering. And this, you can only deduce and conclude after you have researched thoroughly! 3. Vision and Mission Remember how we said simplicity can be a vital component in helping you build a winning strategy? We stand by this truth. Despite your extensive research, there is no certainty that you will manage to come up with something truly one of its kind or unique. If that was possible, there would be endless unique brands around the world today. The fact is that while uniqueness may not come naturally, playing your cards right in the industry can and should. So even if you have nothing new to offer to the audiences, they're still several ways in which you can stand out and at the top. Do you know how? With your brand messaging! By playing this card right, you can make your brand strategy soar to heights of success. You can take the world’s most popular commercial coffee chains for example. Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks have an unbeatable global reputation, despite the fact that they both sell the same products. But why do they stand out so distinctly in the whole world? Brand messaging my friend, brand messaging. You can make your business stand out by customizing your brand strategy with a winning message. Here’s how to do that: Include personal vision and mission statements Reflect your core values in the message Give a crystal clear description of your unique approach to solving their problem Attract them by promising exquisite experiences 4. Blogging Make blogging a firm part of your brand strategy. In an all-digital age, there’s no understating the power and influence of blogs. It has done many established businesses immeasurable good, starting with increased sales and increased online visibility. Give your business easy identification by producing qualitative, highly informative, and communicative blogs. Let the blogs reflect your company’s unique personality, expertise, and intent in detail. Choose relevant topics and information and make them interesting with images and stats. 5. Be Cohesive Your social media accounts along with your website are the most accessible representatives of your company. To be a distinguished brand, it is important that you maintain a cohesive voice and visuals. Therefore, for a successful brand strategy, it is important that you unify all your existing media platforms into one. From Instagram, Facebook, to Twitter, unite all your social media handles into one voice and identity to ensure customers of your reliability and consistency. Final Thoughts The success of your company largely depends on the success of your brand strategy. A brand starts with an individual, but it ends with the perception that audiences have of that business. By shaping and putting considerable effort into every aspect of your brand strategy, you will positively impact the response and perception of your audience. Read Also: Role of Promotional items in branding 5 Critical Branding Tips to Attract New Clients to Your Auto Parts Shop

Choosing Open Office Space vs Cubicle Office Space

The right environment is essential for the growth of a business and for the employees to be result-driven. A healthy environment can either boost your productivity or hamper it. While deciding on office space, I am sure you would be going through different factors in mind. Here I am discussing one of the most important factors which are usually ignored by the people. While trying to decide between an open office space and cubicle office space, wither people will choose the one which is cheaper or they will opt for a cubicle just because they are more habitual to it. The importance of office layout depends on the type of work a person has to do. If somebody is into developing and he or she does a lot of coding, then a cubicle would be more suitable for them as they would be able to concentrate more in a cubicle than an open working space. And if a person writes blogs or does creative writing, then they would not mind an open environment. And they can even draw inspiration from their surroundings. While both the options are not bad if you’re co-working space is good, but both of them have some pros and cons. Let’s discuss some points here. Choosing Open Office Space vs Cubicle Office Space: Open Office Plan: Open office plan also called a modern layout, which is most commonly seen in a Google office, is an office layout where you do not have any kind of cubicles and environment is open and casual. These days more and more people are considering these types of offices because it makes their company look cool and employees also consider it these days more than a corporate environment. But you have to understand not all types of employees like this type of environment, so it is very important for you to analyze your team first and then decide. Cubicle office plan: Cubicle office space is often seen at corporate offices and banks. The cubicle option in a co-working facility is often an expensive option, so you need to consider what do you need a cubicle or not. Type of people: Suppose if you have introverts in your team, then they wouldn’t really be comfortable with working in an open environment, as they enjoy being in themselves and more people's presence can make them uncomfortable, but if the majority of people are extrovert than the case would be vice versa. Idea generation: An open office plan encourages communication which is great for idea generation and brainstorming. So it is great for idea generation as people can bounce off their ideas off of each other and can come up with great concepts and collaboration ideas. Lack of Privacy: An open office plan can severely affect a person’s privacy which can interfere with the employee's mind and they cannot express openly, as they fear that other people might be judging them. It also not great for someone who has to do a lot of client interaction and through calls and Skype, it would disturb other people also and the person who is on the call also. A Common Solution: This would be the best option for any kind of business, as a person who loves to work in a cubicle can work there and if a person wants to work in an open space, they can do that. Employees can even switch places so that they can get a break from spending their whole day at the same place. The open office space can also be used the time to time as an accelerator for idea generation. If you are a new business owner: If it's your first time managing a business and trying to expand it most efficiently, you may find that there are many tips and tricks that you can keep in mind while you are growing. With office rental options in Miami, you can ensure that you can find a working space where you can constantly find new clients, allowing you to help your business develop. It's not easy to have all of the answers at the beginning, but having an office where you can quietly get down to work with your employees is one of the most important factors to a successful business. Read More: Making Your Office Safer For Workers Top Expert Tips For A Stunning Condo Interior! Why Your Business Should Care About Social Responsibility

How to become a Professional Barista