Job Description
Start work, put on your apron and begin on one of the three positions:
1. Cashier and pastry cabinet. – You take orders, money, and get any pastries, drip coffee, or teas.
2. Barista – you make all the drinks and take orders
3. Coffee Grinder and Frappacinos – You grind coffee for people looking for bags of coffee and handle any mixed drinks. You also clean the lobby, wipe down tables, refill milk/crème containers, and take care of any spills.
Pros
I actually really liked this job. If you are a people person and you like coffee this is a very cool job to have. For the most part talking with your customers and getting to know them is encouraged so you actually can develop friendships. I also got to know my co-workers really well and they were all pretty young, I would say in the age range of 18-27ish mostly. Most of my co-workers worked at Starbucks as a barista during the day but used it to pay the bills while they pursued art, school, or music. This made work conversation much more interesting.
You get to drink as much coffee as you want and can experiment with drinks for free. You also get a free 1lb of coffee every week for yourself.
I learned to make every single type of espresso coffee drink that Starbucks offers, and will never forget my way around an espresso bar. You will always carry this knowledge with you and when you host coffee at your place making a latte, mocha, or Carmel macchiato won’t phase you.
There is a stock employee purchase plan.
Lastly, if you are somewhat shy then this job is a perfect job to develop an outgoing personality. You are kind of forced to talk to people every morning and during the day so talking to strangers will become second nature.
Cons
Waking up at 3:30am in the morning to be at work for a 4am opening. People really do get coffee that early and you are expected to be there half an hour early. Usually at Starbucks they allow you to choose between a closing shift or an opening shift. Opening sucks because you have to wake up early, closing sucks because you have to clean all that grime, coffee grounds, espresso bar, etc. When closing you can often stay an hour past the closing time.
This is the food and customer service industry so customers can often be rude, angry, and just plain mean. You have to learn to not take things personal. They could complain that the drink you just made them tastes awful and personally insult your competence. You just got to get over it and assume they are just having a bad day. If you are ultra sensitive then, you’ll have to get used to this. People are often cranky before their morning coffee and if they feel that it doesn’t taste right you, as the barista, can take the brunt of their anger.
Company Size
10,000 or greater employees
Pay Range
$0-$20,000
Years in Job
3
Education
None.
City
Seattle
State
WA
