If you’re a coffee lover, there’s a good chance you’ve thought about working at Starbucks. But what’s it likes to work there? Is it as fun and trendy as it seems, or is it more challenging than that?
Starbucks has become synonymous with coffee shops around the globe. The company has over 20,000 stores worldwide, and its popularity continues to rise.
Starbucks was founded in 1971 by two college students who wanted to create a place where customers could get great-tasting coffee and good service. Since then, the company has grown into a global brand with over 20,000 locations across six continents.
Starbucks offers competitive pay, benefits, and opportunities for advancement. In addition, employees enjoy a fun culture, flexible schedules, and plenty of perks.
This blog post will explore what it’s like to work at Starbucks and give you the inside scoop on what to expect if you decide to apply. So whether you’re just curious or seriously considering applying, keep reading!
Land More Interviews With A Professional Resume
Get a professional resume review from a certified career expert
Is Working At Starbucks Hard?
Yes, working at Starbucks is hard, especially if you’re looking for something better. But if you love coffee and want to make extra money, it might be worth it.
But, like any other job in the food industry, you have to put in long hours, even though you won’t get paid overtime. You also have to deal with customers who aren’t always happy with their experience.
As we all know, there’s never enough time to eat properly, and sometimes you’ll have to cook multiple dishes at once. When the store gets really busy, you might have to serve several hundred customers at a time.
You’ll also have to master many skills, including making espresso, cappuccino, lattes, mochas, macchiatos, hot chocolate, cold brew, tea, frozen beverages, smoothies, and many others.
And, since you have to keep an eye on everything, you’ll have to monitor the temperature of the milk, sugar levels, etc., to ensure that every drink is perfect. If you mess up, you’ll have to do it over again.
Applying for a Job at Starbucks

Starbucks has a reputation for being one of the best places to work in America. But what does it look like behind the scenes? You might want to check out the company’s Glassdoor profile, where employees post their thoughts about working there, including salary information.
When you find a job for the position you are interested in, you can click the “Apply Now” button on the job listing and you’ll be taken straight to the company’s website. Once there, you can submit your resume directly to the hiring manager.
If the company decides to contact you for an interview, it will notify you via email. After that, you can follow up with the recruiter or hiring manager to ask questions about the process.
And if you don’t cut, you’ve got another chance to try again next time.
Resume & Cover Letter Tips for Starbucks
Starbucks wants to know what makes you unique. But to stand out among the candidates, you’ll need to impress the hiring managers with your ability to articulate your career goals and experiences clearly.
The coffee giant posted a job listing asking applicants to submit a cover letter along with their resumes. This is the third time Starbucks has asked for help crafting its job descriptions; in 2016, it published a similar post looking for “a creative writer.”
In both cases, the company used a template to guide applicants on what to include in their cover letters. But now, Starbucks wants to see something completely different.
To help applicants craft their cover letters, Starbucks shared tips on what to include in your resume and cover letter. Here are five things you should consider adding to your resume and cover letter:
1. Objective or Professional Summary
When it comes to your resume’s objective or professional summary, Starbucks suggests you keep it short and sweet. You don’t want to write too much because it could take up precious space. Instead, focus on sharing three key points about yourself. These points should sum up why you’re qualified for the position and give the hiring manager a sense of who you are.
2. Experience Section
Your experience section should highlight the skills and qualities you bring to the table. If you have relevant certifications or degrees, mention them here as well.
3. Education
This section is also important. If you graduated from college recently, list your most recent degree. For older graduates, include any additional education you received throughout your life.
4. References

You may not get the opportunity to provide references when applying for jobs online, but Starbucks says it’s still worth mentioning. The company recommends you use this section to explain how you would go about providing references.
5. Salary History
You don’t necessarily need to share your current salary, but Starbucks says it helps to show employers that you understand the value of money.
If you do decide to share your salary history, make sure to add information like base pay, total compensation, and annual raises.
Talking to a Starbucks Recruiter
Starbucks wants to hire people who want to help others and knows how to ensure those candidates understand what it’s about.
After filling out an application online, job seekers receive a phone call from a recruiter within 24 hours. During that conversation, recruiters ask why someone might want to join the company, including whether they’ve ever worked in retail, food service, or customer service. They also talk about the company’s culture and history.
The goal is to see if there’s a fit. If candidates pass muster, they get invited to participate in a live video chat with a hiring manager. This gives both parties a chance to learn more about each other.
If things continue well, a final round of interviews will take place over Skype. Depending on the applicant’s location, these take place either remotely or in person.
Starbucks Skills Tests & Assessments

According to a source, Starbucks uses several methods to screen potential employees. One method involves completing a virtual job tryout called the “Starbucks Skills Test.” Candidates are asked to perform tasks related to managing people, sales, inventory management, and operations.
As one explains, “The first thing I did was complete the application online followed…by a Virtual Job Tryout…I had to answer questions about my work experience, what I like doing outside of work, where I see myself in 5 years, etc.”
Another way Starbucks screens candidates is via assessments. These tests evaluate the candidate’s communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, leadership qualities, cultural awareness, and teamwork ability.
Starbucks Interview Questions
The coffee giant wants to know what makes you tick. And according to job listings posted from a source, they want to hear it straight from you. Depending on the role they recruit, applicants could face various interview questions. Some of those include:
- What is something you like most about working at Starbucks?
- How does your personality affect your work performance?
- Why do you think people love Starbucks?
- Describe a time when you went above and beyond the call of duty for a customer.
- What was the biggest mistake you ever made?
- Tell me something interesting about yourself.
- What is a problem you see in your current organization?
- What is a change you wish had never happened?
- How do you deal with difficult situations?
- What is the best advice someone gave you?
What Are The Benefits Of Working At Starbucks?

Starbucks is known for paying high wages and offering great benefits. For example, it pays above average pay for baristas and managers. And according to a source, the coffee chain also provides some pretty good gifts.
Starbucks is one of the few companies offering free tuition to employees, regardless of whether they work full-time or part-time.
Additionally, Starbucks pays paid sick days to all employees. This includes both hourly workers and management. However, there is no limit to how many sick days you can take each year.
And finally, Starbucks also offers health insurance coverage to all part-time and fully employed employees who work at least three months in a row.
Land More Interviews With A Professional Resume
Get a professional resume review from a certified career expert
So, What’s It Like Working At Starbucks?
Though there are certainly some negative experiences to be found when working at Starbucks, most people who have worked there loved it.
They found that the work was hard, but they also enjoyed the camaraderie and skill-building activities that came with the job. If you’re considering applying to work at Starbucks, know that you could end up loving it – and if not, at least you walk away with a few more skills under your belt.
Professional resume writers can help you match your resume to jobs like this one so that you can get hired faster. Get a free resume review from our experts today!