Finding a Job in Portland....
I get it...its tough to find employment in a state in the top five hit by the recession. I understand that most shops have a pile of resumes to sift through each week. In this town of coffee it shouldn't be that hard to find a shop in need of a quality Barista right?
I've just moved here from Nebraska and have been a Barista for the last 3 years. I worked for a small but very high quality shop where you are only as cool as the shots you pull. I was trained by a two-time USBC champ and have spent many hours making sure I know my way around an espresso machine.
Sadly, having just moved here, I do not know a guy who knows a guy who is hiring at a classy shop. It would seem like a waste to end up working at a standardized, big-box style shop (though I am not above this, and have certainly dropped off my fair share of resumes and applications at chain stores).
Once again, I get it; the economy isn't so hot and there's not a lot of turnover. Maybe someone knows something I don't know? Being unemployed means there's only so many cups of coffee I can buy and so much mileage I can implement by hanging around in coffee shops trying to 'get my face out there'. I will keep at it, but if anyone has any stellar ideas or plain old advice for someone in my shoes, it would be greatly appreciated.
I've just moved here from Nebraska and have been a Barista for the last 3 years. I worked for a small but very high quality shop where you are only as cool as the shots you pull. I was trained by a two-time USBC champ and have spent many hours making sure I know my way around an espresso machine.
Sadly, having just moved here, I do not know a guy who knows a guy who is hiring at a classy shop. It would seem like a waste to end up working at a standardized, big-box style shop (though I am not above this, and have certainly dropped off my fair share of resumes and applications at chain stores).
Once again, I get it; the economy isn't so hot and there's not a lot of turnover. Maybe someone knows something I don't know? Being unemployed means there's only so many cups of coffee I can buy and so much mileage I can implement by hanging around in coffee shops trying to 'get my face out there'. I will keep at it, but if anyone has any stellar ideas or plain old advice for someone in my shoes, it would be greatly appreciated.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kevin Ayers on
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Yikes, you're confirming the reasons that keep me from moving to Portland. I would die to work at Stumptown, or albina or whatever, but doubt that, even with my tech/barista skills, I don't "know a guy, who knows a guy", so I would be in the same boat as yourself. When visiting, I met a lot of super nice people, and that town seems like such a great place. But I feel like it's too late and if I move out there now, I'll be the douchebag who "moved out there after it was cool" Sorry, I guess this really isn't advice, more of a gripe...
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Permalink Reply by emily jackson on
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i would say going to the daily cuppings that are free at stumptown and keep an ear out for more coffee events is definitely a route, especially to get to know coffee people who may be able to get your resume onto the top of the pile. you may not get a desirable coffee job right away but keep at it, and i'm sure something will turn up. just be persistant, but not to the point of annoyance.
perhaps see if the ABC school has a job board at their actual location. scour craigslist, coffeegeek.com. tirelessly. become a barista guild member. "tirelessness" is the operative word.
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Permalink Reply by Heis Roasters on
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go home.
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I guess we have to have this discussion every 6 months or so, huh? Caleb, I know it's not particularly useful reiterating the point that the unemployment rate here is extremely high and that you're not just competing against fellow 20-something coffee geeks for jobs, but also teachers, computer programmers, graphic designers, etc. who have been laid off and just need ANY job to get by, but that's the situation you're in. It's not the end of the world, though.
Even though it's expensive to get out there and schmooze in cafes, it is really the best way to find work you want. We get hit up every few days by people looking for work at my place of employment and we actually do keep resumes and remember people when they come back. We also know a lot of other cafe owners and roasters, so if we're impressed by someone, we will pass on his/her resume. "Knowing a guy who knows a guy" is very helpful. Don't get too freaked out and don't be too disappointed if you find yourself doing a job that isn't in coffee while you're looking for something better. Everyone needs to eat, right? Keep your chin up.
Also, I haven't seen your resume, obviously, but there seems to be a trend where people feel the need to write personal essays in addition to work history. I don't know why they are compelled to do so, but it's a waste of a potential employer's time to read about your life-changing travel to Costa Rica where you learned to make beads.
And Kevin, please don't move here if you're worried about moving to Portland after it's "cool" to do so. It's a real city with real people and not just the hip new thing. I hear Madison, WI is a lot like Portland, so maybe that's the next "cool" place.
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Wow, it is exactly what I thought.
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