Being a barista is the most fun job I've ever had. It's not a typical fast-food job, but it's also not an office job. It’s a different kind of job, but I learn so many different skills while working.
Growing up, I always told my dad I wanted to be a bartender. He always made it a point of reassurance to tell me that's not the career path I should choose. I was fine with his reassurance for awhile, only because I wasn't even allowed to publicly be around alcohol. Once I graduated and moved off to college, all I wanted to do was make drinks and serve people. I would be in the kitchenette trying to make different smoothies and frozen drinks for my house. At the end of my freshman year, I applied to be a Starbucks Barista and spent my summer making frappuccinos and iced drinks for kids.
The cool thing about being a barista is, there's no caffeine-aholic anonymous support group. I'm only kidding. I don't even drink that much coffee. Well, I'd be lying if I actually meant that. I love coffee and that's what makes being a barista so great. Well, it’s partially of what makes being a barista so great.
In the mornings, I'm privileged to welcome students, faculty, staff, and citizens to their cup of joe. Making drinks with a cheerful smile is second nature and my hands are constantly soft as a baby's bottom from washing all of the dishes. It's a habit to come home after work in the evenings and wash all of the dishes in my sink since I had been cleaning dishes all day anyway. Plus, I probably have the quickest hand-eye coordination around. It takes some skill and practice to run the register, make hot and cold drinks, as well as clean up after myself. Not to mention, there’s so many different recipes and twists in the drinks to memorize. Granted, it takes some work, but I enjoy it nevertheless.
Half of being a barista is having a good attitude. I'm not really sure who could be sad or upset when they're around so much coffee, but customers appreciate your positive and uplifting attitude. When you're working a morning shift, most people, usually students, depend on that coffee to walk them through their day. It's remarkable how much better you feel, both emotionally and as a person, to happily work in a positive customer service environment. Sure the line gets long sometimes and the machine may even overheat from so many espresso shots, but at the end of it all, you're making people's day. That's what I live for.
I live to make people happy and see them smile. Whether it's the genuine mannerism of saying please and thank-you, or the simple question of, "would you like whipped cream on that?", they both make customers smile. Especially if you see a customer is in a gloomy mood, a little extra cheer in your voice hasn't ever hurt anyone.
Being a barista gives me the opportunity to meet so many different people. I couldn't tell you how many different people, especially since I work on a college campus, I get to meet everyday. I'm always excited to meet people of all kinds of ethnicities whom are full different backgrounds and different stories to tell. One of the best perks of the job is conversing with customers about their trip to America or their trip to our small town in Kentucky. It’s really cool to hear how people came to be how they are and what they would like to be.
I’ve considered quitting my job multiple times to make more money elsewhere, but honestly, I’m not sure I could do it. I enjoy my time so much working as a barista and being able to have such an impact on people around town. I could go make more money, but I would rather have the day-to-day interaction with different people and create those exciting and memorable experiences. It’s more of a reward for me to learn basic human interaction and have well-developed people skills than to make more money right now. At the end of the day, I want to be remembered for the things I did, not the money I made. Being a barista is just like that.
