Barista. Nothing is worse than a shift being hired in, with no actual, intimate knowledge of how a Starbucks runs behind the counter, and giving orders out of ignorance. There’s potential to move up but please don’t overwhelm the baristas and yourself by going higher first. Learn from the ground up.

As someone who worked in management for a looong time, I got hired on at my regular bux as a barista and i just got promoted after 2 months on. Honestly I would definitely start as a barista. You get the chance to learn all the basics and get a good idea of how the store runs without the added stress of shift duties. Im so glad I didn't end up getting hired as an immediate shift. I feel like I would have been too stressed learning all the drinks AND shift duties at the same time. Be open with your SM about your desire to move up and im sure they'll guide you along. Im really glad I had the opportunity to learn everything first, get solid on bar, and then to feel confident enough to run shifts. Good luck! If you have any other questions, my inbox is open!

Start as a barista. That's all. Good luck! That's how I got hired! I was a regular first. I would study there all the time, and then the asm was like, you looking for a job? I had just quit my other job so I was estatic. I got hired in like a week. If they know you as a sweet regular they like, it makes it easier.

I highly recommend starting as a barista. Being a shift comes with a lot of responsibilities on top of being a well developed barista. By starting as a barista you’ll allow yourself time to become familiar with the company and how your store operates which will make your transition into a shift much smoother. I think it’s also suffice to say that many baristas and other shifts have a hard time bringing newly hired shifts up to speed and it can be frustrating for everyone involved. If you do get hired on as a barista make it clear that you want to be promoted once you feel comfortable as a barista and see what the manager thinks. It’s a lot to learn and can be a big role to fill so I definitely think it’s a good idea to learn and master all the basics of being a barista before promoting!