I have been a partner for 1 1/2 months now. I was extremely nervous, had been dealing with a lot anxiety issues before starting, so it wasn’t very easy for me to transition to working here. I do like the job for the most part now.
My recommendations are:

1. A little studying is okay but don’t over do it. I tried to learn all the recipe cards before even being done with training and it honestly didn’t help me that much. ALOT of it has to be learned on the job. Over studying just made me more anxious and confused.

2. The pace and atmosphere on morning shifts can be very intense. It was overwhelming for me to begin with and at times still is. Try some night shifts too. There is more time to learn on those shifts.

3. Bar is difficult, but it can be figured out. Hopefully you will have some shifts where you can try out making drinks. You will make mistakes and it’s okay. Take them as a learning experience and not as a sign that you are incompetent or being personally attacked.

4. Ask questions! Always ask if you are unsure. If a partner gets an attitude with you repetitively don’t beat yourself up about it (easier said than done). Sometimes having a quick remark for those rude baristas help. Don’t overdo it but do stand up for yourself. Sometimes if they had an attitude more than twice in a row about reasonable questions I had I would say something like “I’m new and trying to learn.” If someone else is nicer on the shift maybe ask them instead.

5. Play it by the rules! If other baristas are talking about inappropriate things don’t join in due to peer pressure. My store has a problem with inappropriate topics. Try to refrain from cussing, talking about sex, or gossiping about coworkers. It’s for the best honestly.

6. Don’t get discouraged if you are put on window often. When it is no longer peak (the most busy time) ask the shift supervisor if you can try out something else. I have worked 80% of my hours on drive through because others dislike it. If you are uncomfortable “connecting with customers” try to keep things moving and ask questions like “do you want a straw/stopper?” Maybe ask something like “are you headed to work or to do anything fun today?” If they are dressed up. Sometimes that one works and sometimes it doesn’t. My favorite thing to use as a connection is peoples tattoos. Usually if they are visible and nicely done they appreciate being asked who the artist was and a compliment. It also helps me remember customers by their tats and some people have cool stories to share along with the tattoos. If someone doesn’t respond well to 2 attempts at making a conversation I usually drop the attempts with them.

7. If you are taking orders on drive through and they are moving too fast I would say “I apologize I don’t mean to interrupt. I’m relatively new. I have these modifications so far. What did I miss?” Usually they respond well to that.

8. If you work more than 30 hours a week your feet and arms might start to hurt from standing and repetitive motions. If you are short on cash wear some shoes that are comfortable that you already own. If someone tells you they aren’t dress code tell them you are saving up to buy some that are. I have a pair of shoes that are in dress code but they really hurt my feet after ~4 hours of standing. My shifts have been understanding about me wearing more comfortable tennis shoes that have white soles when I explain my feet hurt.

9. Don’t put any food item with icing in the ovens. (Lime bars, donuts, vanilla scones, iced lemon loaves)

10. When a customer hands you a card in drive through look for the ))) symbol that means you can tap it. If it has one use the tap feature it saves time. You’ll start to learn the cards and which big banks use them. (Cash app cards, regions, wells fargo).

11. When doing pumps with each push count up by saying short, short, tall, grande, venti, venti iced. So short gets 2 tall gets 3 grande gets 4 venti hot gets 5 and venti iced gets 6. That’s the standard for pumps. I read it on here and it has saved me on bar.

This was longer than I originally intended. Best of luck pardner🤠

Remember that you’re not gonna be perfect your first day, mistakes will happen all through out your Starbucks journey, people are not always the nicest and may get on your nerves but it’s okay, remember to breathe and focus on yourself and what you need to do! You’ll do great!

Never be afraid to ask questions. It's always better to be that barista that has to ask a million times before they finally learn than the one whose drinks need to constantly be remade because they guessed instead.

Mistakes will happen. Even to seasoned baristas. Own up to them and let your shift or manager know when they do. Better they know ahead of time instead of having some kind of issue blindside them.

Use downtime to your advantage. If you're on bar, practice drinks. If you're on POS, ask other baristas to sling off a drink order (just remember to CANCEL the transaction after inputting it!).

Sequencing is your friend. Hot bar, cold bar, ovens. Sequencing keeps you from getting too backed up on orders.

Utilize all your resources. Other partners. Your shifts or managers. The Partner Hub. Beverage Recipes in the Store Resources app on the iPads. Even posting here with any and all questions. Most of the users in this sub are super helpful and will provide all the answers/feedback you could want.

Develop those customer connections. Honestly, even though it's a major standard that Starbucks tries to push, sometimes those connections can come back to make your day and end up being worth it for you personally.

Above all, remember - it's just coffee! Just try to do right by your customers, be sincere and genuine, and have fun!

1st thing, Starbucks is SO MUCH FUN to work at during fall and winter.

2nd thing, it’s okay you recognize that you don’t know what you don’t know. Memorizing drink recipes will come over time so don’t sweat it.

3rd thing. So happy for you! Welcome to our big family!

I started at a extremely busy store a little over a month ago with no starbucks experience. It’s a lot to learn but everyone has been super nice and I think you will enjoy it! you got this . It’s fun when you start learning

Just know that every single store is different. i can tell you advice that helped me but might not help you. best thing i can tell you is that you learn from experience. the training you will go through is necessary but majority of the knowledge you’ll acquire will be through failing multiple times and asking questions. hopefully your at a store where they will understand and be patient, as they are supposed to as well as be supportive. when it comes to your anxiety, when you have anxiety don’t let it tear you apart, that’s your mind telling you that it’s time to preform. do your best, stay open minded and consume as much information as you can during your experiences. just mind you my first year at starbucks is in november and there is still things i question once in awhile. it’s truly a lot to know and your trainers and peers know that. good luck :)

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and ask for help. We’ve ALL been where you are! Use all the resources you can to learn what you need. Good luck!