I think it’s a really fun job! I love it. I know some people have negative experiences, but I really enjoy the hustle and the teamwork. You’ll be doing all sorts of things - making drinks, taking/giving out orders, warming food, cleaning, scrubbing, stocking, taking out trash, etc. If you like staying busy, it’s great! There’s a lot to learn and it seems overwhelming at first. It took me two months before I felt comfortable. Personally, I think they have some pretty good benefits to take advantage of while you’re there. I’m not sure if I’d like working there full-time, but it’s been perfect for fitting into my life as a student!

As for the hiring process, they definitely want to hear you talk about making meaningful connections with customers. Anyway, good luck and I hope you get the job!

P.S. Don’t let the customers get to you! They can be really awful.

It’s physically demanding. It’s not glamorous. My god, the amount of times I’ve heard teenagers say “this was my dream job” has made me roll my eyes. You’re going to clean, scrub, etc. Dont go into it thinking you’re going to make drinks and be a rockstar. If you’re looking for glamour, this is not the job for you.

I’m the type of person to leave a job when I’m not happy. Yes it’s a lot of work and yes your store will be understaffed. I will say out of every job I’ve had I generally enjoy this one. The benefits and the people are just enough to stay. I’ve had jobs where coworkers are mean and cuss at each other and I’ve had jobs that never gave me rest breaks. Making drinks is fun!!! When you go to your interview be really outgoing!

I'm not going to lie, the job is very high energy and can be exhausting! I think it also depends a lot on your store manager. Mine is great, and she's been very flexible with my changing scheduling needs. I really enjoy the sort of zen mode that comes from getting into a rhythm with making drinks/warming food, though. I also have ADHD and get a nice hit of dopamine and a sense of satisfaction out of cleaning, stocking, keeping up with orders, etc.


My biggest advice is to go in knowing it is hard work and some days are much harder than others, but it's also a lot of fun! One of my goals is to get a laugh from every customer I interact with, which can make a rough day a little better, hopefully for them as well. I also recommend (i learned this one the hard way over the years, not even specifically about starbucks) asking as many questions as you need to, and speaking up for yourself if there's something you need, such as more/less hours, availability changes, extra training if you feel like you're not getting something, etc. Talk to your shift supervisor or manager about any issues you might have so you don't have to stress out about something they could easily resolve!