From Linguistics to Cafés and Coffee

I am a barista at Dear Jane cafe in Mt Albert, Auckland and my job is to make good coffee and make sure you have a good time!

I started off with part-time jobs working at sushi places and eventually got into the cafe culture; in the past seven years I’ve worked for three different cafes. My degree is in linguistics… but it turns out the real universal language is coffee. I was always into coffee and now it’s a passion.

When people come up to me and tell me that they enjoyed the cup of coffee I made them it brightens up my day. I love my regulars and we get a lot of cute dogs!

I like to come in a little bit early and have a coffee and gossip with the chefs; then I get ready for the day… I set up the coffee machine and make sure the floor is presentable for our first customers. Throughout the day I make coffees and make sure people are happy. Some days when we’re really busy we get through about 200-plus coffees. Plus, I will assist the kitchen whenever needed and Front of House work like cleaning, polishing and being attentive to detail.

You’ll be surprised at how much you learn behind-the-scenes. You meet so many different people throughout the day so it will boost your people and social skills and communication skills. And it’s not just about coffee. Cafes are a culture – people come for the experience, the good vibes, to chill… If anyone comes through my doors I don’t want to just give you a cup of coffee, I want to give you a good time. At the end of the day, you’re building a relationship with these people and you may become friends with them. Customers will not only remember our good coffee, but the people. It’s a lot of fun.

I still want to learn. My latte art needs improvement! I want to learn the different tasting notes of single origins... Maybe a few years down the line I will study the single origin side, maybe even get into roasting if I’m lucky, and maybe one day I will start my own café - who knows?!