You’ve probably heard it from several friends on more than one occasion: You should totally work in a coffee shop! You are also likely the star at Saturday brunches and family get-togethers — your skills with an espresso machine are impressive.
You love everything about coffee (it’s basically an art form for you) which means it’s time to seriously consider turning your passion into a career.
It can seem like an intimidating feat at first, especially when you don’t really know where to start. However, with the rights skills and motivation, you’ll be able to find the perfect job for you and your one true love.
Here are some tips to get you started:
Putting It on Paper
This first step might seem like an obvious one, but it’s one of the most important. Improving your resume is essential to grabbing the attention of potential employers within the coffee industry.
It’s a competitive world, and you’ve got to be bold, original, and modern. Furthermore, when starting a whole new career journey, it’s likely you haven’t touched your resume in years.
Resumes and the application process have changed quite a bit over the years, from the use of computers to screen applicants to the growing popular use of headlines. You may have the skills and the passion, but you’re still going to need an attention-grabbing, relevant resume.
Today, applicable skills can typically be categorized two ways: hard and soft skills
As Fiscal Tiger explains, “The list of hard skills a position may require will depend greatly on the industry. Since hard skills are specific skills gained in a particular field, they are not always as transferable as a soft skill set that can work with a variety of different job types. However, some hard skills are more common than others.”
They go onto to further recommend general hard skills worth listing on your resume:
Editing for applicability for each position you’re applying for will also increase your chances of getting noticed by potential employers. Employers these days are less inclined to read through an overload of information, skills, and experience.
It’s important to concisely summarize why you’re right for that particular job and leave the rest out. So, with all of that in mind, spend some time sprucing your resume up and you’re sure to get your foot in the door.
Find Your Focus
Another important thing to consider is exactly what kind of career in coffee you want. Are you more interested in tasting? Roasting? Or perhaps you’d enjoy working in marketing as a sales representative?
Narrowing down what you’d like to do can make the whole job hunting process much easier (and help you edit your resume for applicability).
Of course if you’re not 100 percent sure what you want to do, there are a lot of different positions in the coffee industry, meaning you can try out various jobs until you find the perfect fit.
Some popular options include:
You also might find that you flourish in a position you otherwise would have steered away from. Just like making coffee, it’s all about experimenting to find the perfect blend and balance.
Own Your Interview
Interviews are nerve-wracking — especially when you’re new to the industry. While it can be hard to guess exactly what your interviewer will ask, it’s certainly worth preparing a few answers ahead of time in order to reduce your anxiety and make you feel (and seem) more confident.
As Ohio University puts it, “Proving yourself to a potential employer in a single encounter can be a daunting task, especially when it feels like there is so much at stake. Spending a little bit of time preparing to put your best foot forward can greatly enhance your interview experience. It can not only improve your performance during the interview—but your confidence before, during, and after the experience.”
What you lack in experience you can make up for in that crucial face-to-face interaction. Coming well-informed and ready to show off your knowledge and skills can impress even the toughest interviewer.
Final Thoughts
Doing what you love is one of the most rewarding things in life. If you love coffee, then why not make it into a career? While it can challenging at first, finding your place within the coffee industry and community is possible.
Remember that you are a lean, mean, roasting bean machine and you have what it takes to turn your passion into something worthwhile. Good luck!
