How To Get A Job At Starbucks

STARBUCKS receives more than 1,000,000 job applications annually. They hire about 80,000 new people each year (for both permanent and temporary placements, full time and part time). It is not difficult to do the math: Less than 10% of people who show their interest to work at STARBUCKS actually get a job with the company, in one of their retail stores. How to belong to the privileged group? What can you do to improve your chances of succeeding? We will try to answer the questions now.

Register with Starbucks, complete the online application, or try your luck in the store
Try your luck and walk in!
Show passion and determination when you finally get the chance to speak with the shift/store manager.
Have answers to STARBUCKS interview questions ready
Why would you like to work at STARBUCKS, and not somewhere else?
Other interview questions you may get at Starbucks
Conclusion and next steps

Register with Starbucks, complete the online application, or try your luck in the store

It is not possible to get a job directly in a STARBUCKS store anymore–you need to apply online. At least officially. After registering with STARBUCKS, you should try and write as much information as possible when completing your online application. Try to make it relevant.

Pick more job locations and positions to further improve your chances of getting an invitation for an interview with the company. You give yourself more chances of applying where a vacancy is currently available.

Completing all fields on the application, you show them that you really want the job, and do not take their online application process lightly. The more serious you are during the online application process, the more serious they will be while considering your application.

* Special Tip: Nowadays, Starbucks uses Virtual Job Tryout assessment test as a means of screening their applicants.

Our partner, JobTestPrep offers the Starbucks Practice Assessment Test in order to get you ready for the assessment test, with practice tests for numerical reasoning test, personality profiling test, situational judgement test, and other challenges you will face during your Virtual Job Tryout assessment test. You should definitely check it out if you are serious about your application with Starbucks. It's a paid product, but worth every penny considering the competition you face while trying to get a job with Starbucks…

Try your luck and walk in!

Alternatively you can try walking to a store, or having a coffee a few times in a place, trying to build relationship with one of the baristas–friendly relationship, of course, not a love affair :).

Later on you can tell them that you would like to work in the store, and ask them whether they could not help you with your dream job. Officially it is not allowed to apply for a job in this way, but it does happen. At the end of the day personal referrals still count for many new hires at STARBUCKS, and in any other famous retailer in the world.

Because it's always easier to trust one of our existing employees than to rely on the data from online databases. Such referral makes it easier for the employer as well, because they do not have to conduct many interviews–just one, and if things go well they have their new barista.

Special tip: Not sure how you can earn such a recommendation? Check our simple guide on how to ask for a job referral.

Show passion and determination when you finally get the chance to speak with the shift/store manager.

Once you finally get a chance to speak with the manager (it doesn't matter if it is an official interview, or if you just meet them in a store, or even in a street), you should show enthusiasm, and demonstrate your motivation to work at STARBUCKS.

Tell them that the meeting means a lot to you, praise the working environment in the store, praise them for the good work they are doing.

This is your chance, the meeting you've waited for. Try to get the best out of it, try to create a good connection with the decision maker. Do lot let the opportunity to slip in between your fingers. Who knows how long will you wait for the next one?

Have answers to STARBUCKS interview questions ready

When they start considering to hire you, they will ask you some questions. You can expect to hear the following question in your interview:

Why would you like to work at STARBUCKS, and not somewhere else?

Most people talk about the advantages of the job, when we compare it to other, similar job openings with other coffee retailers (flexible working hours, lot of part time opportunities, great brand, always having customers, job security, relaxed night shifts, etc).

While it is not a bad answer, you can do even better. You can think about the question from the perspective of an employer – why it is good for them that you want to work at STARBUCKS, and what they do like about the company.

In this answer, you can focus on the culture and values of the company, on something that distinguishes STARBUCKS from their competitors, something their managers are proud of. And you can focus on the value you an bring to their team, since their goals, values, and working environment resonates with your values.

Sample Answers

I like the working environment here. Everything is perfectly organized and at the same time one can feel the easygoing atmosphere of the place. I also like the quality of STARBUCKS coffee, the variety you offer, and the attitude of the employees to each other. The friendly working environment is just amazing, and that's the reason why I would prefer to work here, and not somewhere else.

I meet the job requirements, and I believe I am a good match for the team working here. On the top of that, your part time offer really suits my schedule at the college, so it's a perfect match for me. That is why I want to work here and not somewhere else. I have submitted also other job applications, but STARBUCKS is definitely my first choice.

* The answers are from an eBook from Mathew Arnolods, Starbucks Interview Guide. You can check the eBook here.

Conclusion and next steps

Getting a job at STARBUCKS does not differ much from getting a job with other companies. The process is simple:

Submit a good online application.
Pass the Virtual Job Tryout assessment test–you can prepare for it with sample tests here (a paid product, but well-worth it, with dozens of practice tests)
Arrange the meeting with the manager during the short phone interview (you can arrange it directly in the store if you're a bit lucky and have some courage, or invest time into building a good relationship with on of the baristas).
Show your enthusiasm for the position and honest desire to work for the company, and demonstrate right attitude and skills with your amazing interview answers.

How well you have to do this depends mainly on one thing: the number of people who compete with you for the job. At STARBUCKS, you will always compete with many…

Continue your preparation with us and beat the competitors:

How to get a job with no experience? Simple guide on getting a a great job while having no previous working experience.
How to handle interview nerves – Feeling nervous? You do not have to! Learn how to overcome your nerves and deliver in your interview.
Starbucks Interview Guide (external link) – Great answers to the most common questions, and a guide on how you can impress your interviewers at SB. From former STARBUCKS manager, and a successful interview coach. Get ready for your interview with SB, and learn something your competitors won't know!

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