Starbucks Coffee Company

Barista

May 2022 • Ashland, VA

What I liked

I liked my coworkers & managers. There was a strong sense of community among the other baristas, & I felt like management was approachable.

What I wish was different

Nothing :)

Advice

Be patient. There is a lot to learn to be a strong barista. It takes time. Keep this in mind for yourself & others.

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Barista

November 2020 • Lynnwood, WA

What I liked

Fun environment, nice place to work. Great perks.

What I wish was different

Could be stressful at times.

Advice

Be willing to receive feedback and push through. It becomes easier with experience.

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Barista

February - August 2021 • Richardson, TX

What I liked

free coffee

What I wish was different

better managment

Advice

go to one with better managment

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Barista

February - August 2022 • Jacksonville, NC

What I liked

The customers and meeting new people every day. Making friends in the workplace as well.

What I wish was different

Better hourly pay rate

Advice

Take your time to learn all the drinks and how to make them.

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Barista

June - August 2019 • Royersford, PA

What I liked

I loved the quick pace and the people I had met. I also loved the smell of coffee every day. And of course I loved the money.

What I wish was different

I wish that I didn't wrap myself up into so much drama.

Advice

If you cannot handle quick memorization and fast paced environment, don't work at Starbucks.

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Barista

May 2019 • Indianapolis, IN

What I liked

I like the experience I gained in something that I hadn't known much about.

What I wish was different

I wish I would have gotten experience with my major in some fashion.

Advice

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Barista

August 2021 • Richmond, KY

What I liked

I love how hard working and motivating my coworkers are. I also love the fast pace environment.

What I wish was different

I wish I would have had better training when I started 2 years ago so that I wouldn’t have to relearn so much throughout my time here

Advice

there is only so much you can do to assist others so don’t beat yourself up when people lash out at you

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Barista

May 2022 - August 2023 • Hauppauge, NY

What I liked

Everyone was always very welcoming and enjoyed going to work everyday.

What I wish was different

I do wish the schedule was a little more consistent about the shifts you got scheduled for but for the most part you had a general idea of when you were going to work

Advice

I would say be yourself and speak to any shift or manager about any issues your having they are always super helpful and open with advice

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Barista

August 2020 • Strongsville, OH

What I liked

I like learning how to make all of the drinks. My favorite moments are when the customer trusts you and allow you to create them a drink of your choice.

What I wish was different

I wish that some of the scheduling had been different. Some times I would be schedule 15 hours other weeks I would be schedules 25 hours.

Advice

Be open to learning. At first, it is overwhelming, but with patience everything will be second nature.

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Shift Supervisor

February 2021 • Columbia, SC

What I liked

Being a SSV is difficult but rewarding. Learning how to manage a team, communicate with others, and convince your team to trust you was more difficult than I expected. I had to build resiliency and make difficult decisions quickly. I also needed my team to know that I cared, and still do care, about them. I accomplished this by first letting them know that I would respect them first as people and then as Starbucks partners. I learned their individual learning and communication styles as well as small changes I could make to their days to make them enjoy work.

What I wish was different

I would like to focus on the operations aspect of being a SSV more. SSVs perform a variety of interpersonal and managerial tasks, including ordering, inventory, and auditing. I feel very accomplished in the interpersonal aspect of leading a team and would like more time scheduled to focus on operations.

Advice

The most effective way to lead a team is to be vulnerable and honest. Taking the time to know the people you work with is time-consuming and can sometimes be unpleasant. Getting to know a coworker may mean they tell you they want to be led differently than your style. The best leaders are authentically themselves but are also willing to tweak their approach to be more inclusive of their team.

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Barista

December 2020 • Deer Park, NY

What I liked

I loved being able to work with flexible management in a fast pace energetic work environment.

What I wish was different

nothing I really like this job!

Advice

Being kind is the most important part of this job as a huge focus is on customer connection.

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Barista

September - December 2022 • Wilmington, NC

What I liked

I loved making coffee and learning all the drinks

What I wish was different

I wish I had different management

Advice

Leadership is the most important thing to look at when accepting a job

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Shift Manager

September 2020 • Dana Point, CA

What I liked

Craft hundreds of drinks daily with attention to detail while handling cash and creating best moments for customers • Coach peers on customer service and connection in an uplifting manner • Efficiently multitask in a fast-paced environment

What I wish was different

Advice

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Barista

June 2021 • Wilmington, NC

What I liked

Great sense of community, teamwork, asking questions was highly encourages, everyone was there to help

What I wish was different

Amount of people scheduled

Advice

Be patient with yourself!! There is so much to learn and it will take a long time to get it right, but if your coworkers are as great as mine they will be there to help all the time.

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Barista

June - July 2023 • Westminster, CO

What I liked

I liked the fact that our location was a Union Store. We regularly held strikes to show that Starbucks workers are poorly treated and have poor resources and support from the company that claims to support its partners so much. The store employees were mostly very inviting to my queerness, and I really appreciated the diversity of partners at our store location.

What I wish was different

I wish that the environment with some shift leaders wasn't so ambiguous. Even though I like to lead in more familiar situations, I like to be told what needs to be done in unfamiliar positions. Sometimes, I would start to do something that I felt needed to be done, and a shift lead would tell me that that was not as important as another task, but they never told me to do anything. I just had to guess what they wanted me to do to help them, and I wasn't always sure because I was only there for a short amount of time and still was a relatively new employee.

Advice

I offer that it's very important to communicate in any position and in any field of work. Things don't get done as efficiently and effectively as possible when people lack communication skills with other employees, employers, and customers.

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Barista

July - August 2023 • New York City, NY

What I liked

I loved engaging with customers and building the customer experience while learning necessary skills hand on.

What I wish was different

I wish the hours were different and there was more support.

Advice

It's a fast paced job and will feel overwhelming at times, but it's a lot of muscle memory.

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Barista

May 2023 • San Diego, CA

What I liked

I like working with my coworkers, interacting with customers, and learning how to craft the hand made beverages.

What I wish was different

I wish I could have obtained more growth opportunities easier/faster but was not granted as many since there were not openings at my store or in my area.

Advice

I would say that take advantage of every single learning opportunity. Always say yes and ask questions because even in a simple minimum wage job you can learn so much.

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