Rachel Curtis, general manager at Cafecito, delivers a presentation to West Las Vegas Middle School students on Aug. 22 about the importance of job skills such as punctuality, customer service and teamwork.
Punctuality, customer service and a positive attitude – these are job skills that can be learned and practiced in Las Vegas, and used as a springboard when moving on to greater prospects.
This was what Rachel Curtis, general manager of Cafecito, told a classroom full of seventh- and eighth-graders Friday morning at West Las Vegas Middle School. Curtis and her father, Mark Saiz, owner of Cafecito, visited the school Friday, Aug. 22, to speak to students in teacher Leon Trujillo’s career exploration class.
Curtis said the skills learned at an entry-level position – such as being a barista at Cafecito – can propel the worker to the next step in their career.
Curtis and Saiz said they take it upon themselves to teach their employees – many of whom are new to the workforce – skills that will help them during their time at Cafecito and beyond. These skills include how to count money and accurately make change; good customer service; accountability; multi-tasking and the importance of adhering to a dress code.
Furthermore, Curtis noted, Cafecito has a good atmosphere, which she attributes to employees who are good at working as a team.
“They all learn how to help each other,” Curtis said of her employees. “We operate by the Golden Rule. … Do unto others as we would want to be treated.”
For example, Curtis said, the morning crewmembers take out the trash after their shift so the afternoon crew does find a full trash can when they get to work. The morning crew will ensure there is enough ice so that the afternoon crew has enough to make drinks.
Likewise, before they leave, the afternoon crewmembers ensure Cafecito is stocked up for the morning crew.
“Everybody watches out for each other and makes sure the other crew has what they need to run the shop,” Curtis said.
The skills that employees learn and practice at Cafecito can be applied to any line of work, said Saiz. Several of Trujillo’s students expressed a desire to have their own business someday, and Saiz noted that business owners usually start on their journey towards success by gaining valuable skills while working for someone else.
Saiz encouraged the students to seek out a line of work that they enjoy so that it never actually feels like a job.
“Find what you like and then build your business or your career … around what you like and it won’t be a job,” Saiz said.
Trujillo, who started teaching career exploration at the middle school this year, said Friday’s presentation is part of what he calls the “Planning for the Future” series. Trujillo said that, every Friday, he plans to have a special guest come into his classroom and talk to the students about career and financial readiness.
Cafecito was the first business to be part of the Planning for the Future series.
Trujillo’s career exploration course is aimed at helping students prepare for the job market. They learn how to join the workforce, pursue a trade or run their own business, he said.
The career exploration class also involves learning how to write a résumé, cover letter, and how to fill out a job application, Trujillo said. Part of the final for the class, Trujillo said, is doing a mock job interview.
Trujillo said he also teaches leadership, computer applications and broadcasting at West Las Vegas Middle School.
Trujillo said he is proud to “foster the minds of all my eighth graders as they go into high school thinking (about) jobs.” He said many of his students have “a lot of ideas” when it comes to their career. It is his role, he said, to “nurture that one little seed and get them started.”
