IT Specialist to Specialty Coffee

By Samuel Findlay on September 16, 2016

In need of a career change after returning home from overseas, Ray De Souza turned to his passion for coffee.

It has been a long and unexpected journey to becoming a barista and having a career in coffee for Ray De Souza. Now manager of Wollongong’s newest cafe serving specialty coffee, Son of a Gun, Ray finds himself in a very different role that what he once had.

Now 27 years of age, working with coffee was never the plan for Ray, who graduated from the University of Wollongong with a degree in IT. Back then, his involvement in coffee was very different to what it is today. But as he graduated from university and worked in IT for some time, Ray found himself in a slump and was disinterested in his job.

“I just didn’t get that much enjoyment out of it [working in IT], to be honest,” said Ray. “A couple years into it I was already hating it.”

With no passion for his job, Ray decided to travel overseas. While abroad, Ray’s interest in coffee began to grow, visiting cafes around Europe and chasing the best coffee he could find. After a couple of years in the United Kingdom, Ray’s working visa came to an end and he was forced to move back home to Australia. Without a job and in need of an income to get by, Ray turned to hospitality and began working in the industry of coffee at a local cafe. Coffee soon became his job as well as his passion.

“I needed a job to make money and keep my head above water,” he said. “I went from IT specialist to specialty coffee.”

After some time working in the industry since returning from overseas, Ray was approached and given the opportunity to manage Son of a Gun, a new cafe in Wollongong where he now finds himself as part of his new career.

“An opportunity arose into have a bigger say and a bigger influence in coffee,” he said. “I couldn’t say no.”

While Ray has plans to one day potentially open his own cafe, managing Son of a Gun and learning even more about the coffee industry is his focus at the moment with no thought of ever going back to his job in IT.

“I definitely don’t miss the seclusion and loneliness of working behind a desk,” he said.

Ray has finally found his calling — coffee.

Samuel Findlay is a freelance writer and current Master of Communication (Journalism Innovation) student at La Trobe University, Melbourne.