New Zealand takes its coffee seriously, which cuts both ways: a good barista is never short of work here, and a cafe will not put you on the machine until you can actually make the coffee. Most people start as a cafe all rounder or on the till, learn the machine in the quiet hours, and are running espresso within a few months.
Grind, dose, tamp, pull the shot, steam the milk, pour. During a rush you are making several drinks at once and remembering the order. It is a physical, fast, repetitive job and the good ones make it look calm.
Taking orders and payments, clearing tables, making food, restocking, and cleaning the machine properly at open and close. In a small cafe the barista does all of it.
Between about 7am and 10am, and again at lunch. Those three hours are the job. The rest of the shift is prep and cleaning.
Most cafes train you in the quiet hours on their own gear, because every machine and grinder is different. A barista course helps you get the first job but does not replace this.
Not for cafe all rounder and counter roles, which is how most baristas start. Ads asking for an experienced barista mean someone who can hold a morning rush alone.
Cafes open at 6am or 7am, so you start before that. This is the single biggest reason people leave the job, so be honest with yourself before you apply.
Six drinks, three orders, one machine. Employers watch how you cope with the rush more than how your latte art looks.
Optional. A short course gets you the vocabulary and a bit of confidence, and helps a CV with nothing else on it. Plenty of employers would rather train you themselves.
Some cafes want a food safety unit standard, which they usually arrange. If the cafe serves alcohol, serving it is 18 and over.
Early. Openers start around 5.30am or 6am, and most cafe shifts are done by mid afternoon. Weekends are the busiest days and the hardest shifts to fill, so weekend availability is the fastest way in. Part time and casual are common and suit study.
Not for most of it. Everything listed on this page is open to somebody starting out: FindMeAJob only takes roles asking for up to about two years, so nothing here wants a long history. Every listing on this page states its own pay.
Barista work is paid by the hour, starting at or above the minimum wage, with experienced baristas who can run a rush alone paid more, and head baristas more again. Tips are not a meaningful part of pay in New Zealand. The rate on this page is read from the barista and cafe roles listed on FindMeAJob right now.
Start as a cafe all rounder, counter staff or a dish hand and learn the machine in the quiet hours. Most cafes train you on their own gear because every machine is different. Apply in person mid afternoon when the rush is over, and say plainly that you can do early starts and weekends.
No. A short course gives you the vocabulary and some confidence and helps a CV with nothing else on it, but most employers train you on their own machine anyway. Weekend availability and turning up on time will get you further than a certificate.