Nicole Rizkallah

Barista/assistant manager

Baltimore Coffee and Tea Co., Annapolis

Salary --$11.75 an hour

Age --24

Time on the job --Seven months

How she got started --Originally working as a business consultant, Rizkallah decided to go back to school to get a master's degree in liberal arts at St. John's College. She began working at Baltimore Coffee and Tea when the Annapolis store opened in August. The job fits well with her school schedule.

Typical day --Rizkallah works as a barista, or an expert in making espresso-based drinks, and as an assistant manager.

She opens the store four days a week, arriving by 6 a.m. to begin brewing coffee, setting up the cash registers and getting all the pastries and food ready for the morning rush. Breakfast and lunch are served at Baltimore Coffee and Tea.

Once the store opens, she will work behind the bar as the barista, but she is also available to assist customers and staff. Rizkallah usually works until about 1 p.m.

"It takes a while before you can move efficiently with the steaming of the milk and timing everything properly and making four drinks at once. The best way to learn is when it's really busy."

Rizkallah will ask customers a variety of questions to determine what type of coffee fits their tastes. Questions about flavors such as bold or medium and acidic or sweet can usually narrow down what type of coffee bean or drink the customer might enjoy.

Barista training --Formal training took about one week, but Rizkallah said the job is hands-on, so her training continued until she was comfortable.

Trying different coffees also helped her become familiar with the body and taste of each flavor.

The secret behind a good brew --The quality of water. Also getting the perfect amount of coffee is essential.

Favorite drink --Americano, which is espresso with hot water. "So it's very smooth with a medium weight to it."

Favorite coffee bean --Black Raven Blend.

The good --Finding the right drink, coffee bean or tea for a customer.

"Being able to find out what their tastes are and matching it with what we have. Offering different options and working with them until they find something they are happy with."

The bad --"Having to wake up at 5 a.m. and be on my feet all day."

Tea --There's a huge selection of tea to choose from, but Rizkallah said the best-sellers are green teas, red antioxidant teas and high-quality black teas.

No tips --"We don't want customers to feel like they need to tip for getting a cup of coffee."

However, any loose change they leave behind goes to a general collection for the local animal shelter.

Highest-quality coffee --Hawaiian Kona Extra Fancy and Jamaican Blue Mountain.

Philosophy on the job --"You have to be flexible, open- minded and willing to help customers find a drink they're happy with."