Help with gaining experience for a desired career?
Asked by Sparkle Bean
I want to eventually own a small coffee/pastry shop, and I am trying to decide which is the best route to take. 1) I thought of attending the community college's Culinary Arts program here in my area, as it seems to have a high rating in this state and it teaches things regarding the food industry as a whole, including espresso and baking stuff, but also the financials, management techniques, and other useful crap. But it's an expensive option that I would need financial aid for. 2) My friend suggested interning somewhere for little/no pay in exchange for experience as a barista. I already have a job that I don't want to just drop (I JUST started it) to find a barista job because all the paid jobs are taken, so part-time volunteering for the direct purpose of experience seemed like a good plan, but I'm not sure... Then, 3) There is a barista training school two hours away that charges $3000 for a 6-day crash course in the business of the coffee industry and learning all the drinks, recipes, and machinery of a coffee shop. The classes are like, 10 AM to 4 or 5 PM or something like that everyday for 6 days. But yeah.... So which is the better option do you all think? Thank you!!!

Best Answer:
i'm sitting far away in london as i write this & option 3 smells like a rip off even from here. to be fair you dont say what you get for your money, but i'd expect something substantial for that kind of money. as you know education in our generation has morphed into a multi billion dollar global industry, much of it very worthwhile, some less so. If you really want to consider option 3 i would suggest approaching the organisation who runs the course and say that you are interested but you feel that the asking price is out of step with the current economic climate, and have a lower offer in mind that you can afford yet still compensates them adequately for their skill, costs, etc. remember its a barista course, not training for an MD & even great baristas arent exactly on a get rich quick scheme. these courses have become highly fashionable & were to a certain extent symptomatic of the long period of economic prosperity that has just come to a rather abrupt end. regards option 1 you dont mention costs, but i assume that it is more than option 3? again, be careful, it sounds as though it might be too general and touch on too many issues at a superficial level only. a vsat amount of information help and support on how to run a small business can be pieced together from trawling the web option 2: i think right idea, but it needs modification. i dont know much about the specific economic conditions where you live, but my guess is that if they are anything like 'average' that they wont be as bouyant as they were. that said, i still think your best bet is to obtain work at the cafe that is regarded as the best in your area. if you pester them long enough/put your name on a waiting list/whatever i think you will eventually find yourself with paid employment there. in my experience the people who run the best cafes recognise quality in all aspects of their business, and are prepared to pay for it. the places who run sweatshops, focus on cost to the extreme with no regard for quality and jump at the chance to have staff for 'free' are usually a commericial failure sooner or later. places like that dont have a good vibe, you dont attract the best staff (unsurprisingly), and so they always struggle. so in summary, the best place to learn is in the cauldron of commercial reality. it might sound a bit harsh, but those who can do, those who cant teach. u/fort it is true all over the world. we still need teachers and they make a very valuable contribution to society. i just think that if you want to eventually run, then own a cafe yourself the best place to learn is at the most successful place you can find. take a bit of time & you will need to be persistent. paying thousands of dollars for a barista course does not seem like a wise investment to me, particularly at the moment. you might also be able to find someone who is a good barista that you could engage in a skill swap with, at least to get started. i.e. barista teaches you how to become a barista, you teach them something in return; its an idea anyway. ps - i'm not anti-education, i am a qualified lawyer and accountant, but i do think some of the prices asked for some courses have lost touch with reality. at some point you must measure the value of the course against your potential earnings, right?
Http://LondiniumEspresso.com
Answered by Reiss G