For those working in the coffee industry, there is not often a clear career path. Let’s face it, kids don’t decide they want to grow up and be a coffee buyer? How do you become one? What skills do you need to have? Have you ever met a coffee buyer?
Most people who work in coffee start out in retail as a barista and fall in love with a certain aspect. Perhaps the customers, brewing and experimentation, or fast paced business. Other come to coffee later in life and bring their business backgrounds or respective skills to a growing company. The coffee industry is diverse from retail to wholesale, commodity trading to marketing and sales.
The coffee business is a billion does business, but is not made of big salaries with benefits. Mostly individuals working in coffee are young and acquire knowledge over salary for a while, but may not call it a career yet. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of formal education in colleges on the coffee industry. Only a small percentage of individuals have a degree in business or agronomy. There needs to be more formal education in business, management and food science to see the coffee industry overcome hurdles for consumers.
Building out your career in coffee comes down to working with committed individuals that you can learn from and timing. Identify your interests and skills that you have. What skills do you need to have to suceed? Who can you learn from at work. When the time is right to apply for a new position or taking on more work, you will be prepared. Are there individuals in other companies that you want to work with?
Some advice on getting started:
- Education- take as many classes, attend SCAA workshops and read books on coffee. Look at taking a few business classes too.
- Taste daily- write down what you taste and taste coffees from a variety of roasters. Don’t just latch on to one type. Discuss your descriptions with others.
- Assess you skills. Are you good with people, writing, management or accounting? Sure everyone want to be a coffee buyer, but someone has to work in payroll.
- Be Critical and objective. Develop your own opinions.
- Be Professional. Courtesy, honesty and good business ethics goes along way.
