How to Get a Job At Starbucks (Guide 2024)

Starbucks is well known as a dominant brand in the coffee industry. From the iconic pumpkin spice lattes to its ever-growing recipes for frappes, cappuccinos, espressos and macchiatos, the firm has truly cornered the US coffee market.

Globally, Starbucks earns $21bn each year. With 34,000 stores across 80 different countries, Starbucks has been described as having an 'aggressive growth strategy'.

In fact, by the end of 2022, Starbucks wants to open an additional 2,000 outlets.

While Starbucks is undeniably a global brand, 62% of the firm's business is in the US, with China becoming its second largest growing market.

With such ambitious growth plans, it's clear that Starbucks will need to continue adjusting and developing its recruitment plans.

To truly set yourself apart from the competition and increase your odds of getting a job at Starbucks, we've assembled a comprehensive guide with step-by-step instructions to help you shine brightly in the eyes of the hiring team.

While you may think of the Starbucks barista as a clear job opportunity, the firm recruits for a wide range of roles, including:

• Manufacturing and distribution
• Corporate
• Retail
• Leadership

What Starbucks Jobs Are Available for December?

If you want to get a job at Starbucks, you should think about what type of job you are looking for.

The nature of working for a global retail brand such as Starbucks means that you can find a job for almost every circumstance – from part-time hours to fit around school to a long-lasting career within a Starbucks corporate office.

Typically, Starbucks careers are broken down into four distinct groups, each with its own niche job roles.

Let's take a quick look at the Starbucks career paths:

Retail Stores

• Baristas
• Shift supervisors
• Shift managers
• Starbucks assistant manager jobs
• Store managers
• Starbucks district manager jobs

Corporate Roles

• Accounting
• Administrative support
• Finance
• HR
• Legal
• Starbucks marketing jobs
• Creative
• Operations
• Public affairs and communications
• Research and development
• Sales and account management
• Store development and design
• Strategy
• Supply chain
• Technology

Manufacturing and Distribution

• Roasting
• Planning
• Starbucks warehouse jobs (including management)
• Maintenance
• Engineering
• Logistics

Starbucks Reserve and Princi Production Kitchen

• Bakers
• Commessas
• Production kitchens
• Bartenders

As you can see, hundreds of Starbucks employment opportunities are available within the different Starbucks career paths, making the firm an exciting company to work for.

What Is the Starbucks Hiring Process?

You may think that to get a job at Starbucks, you simply need to walk into your nearest Starbucks outlet and hand in a copy of your resume.

For barista job roles, that may be an effective way to get hired by Starbucks, but for more senior or leadership positions, you should carefully research the Starbucks employment application process.

To get a job at Starbucks, your first research point should be the Starbucks careers website.

This is an online portal designed to make it easy for you to research Starbucks job openings and apply to work for Starbucks online.

Starbucks has jobs for everyone, from those who want to earn a little pocket money to those looking to take the next step on their career path.

The firm even has a comprehensive education department that enables staff to benefit from 100% tuition coverage.

This is available for eligible staff members studying for a first-time bachelor's degree via Arizona State University's online program.

Source: Starbucks

How to Prepare for a Starbucks Job Interview for December 2024

Starbucks is committed to its corporate social responsibility plans, so part of your pre-interview research should focus on learning as much as possible about the brand ethos and what it represents.

In addition, you want to be able to demonstrate that your skills and experience match the brand values, which are clearly defined on its careers portal.

Visit as Many Nearby Starbucks Outlets as Possible and Sit and Observe the Store

Familiarize yourself with the menu and try to establish what you think the strengths and weaknesses are. You will be asked questions about the product range and the store capabilities, so make sure you are not caught out.

Pay Close Attention to What the Firm Wants to Do and Its Reputation as an Employer

Using sites such as Glassdoor and LinkedIn, you will be able to get a feel from current employees as to whether Starbucks hiring policies match up to its intentions.

Pay Close Attention to the Job Role Itself

Whether you want to be hired in a Starbucks retail job or have a career within a Starbucks corporate team, you need to be clear about what the role entails.

Think about the tasks involved, the team function and the job expectations and try to create answers that show your skills and strengths in the best possible light.

Think Carefully About Your Presentation

As with any job interview, Starbucks job interviews are a chance to give a good first impression. Even if you are walking into a store to hand in your resume as part of a Starbucks barista job application, you should think about your appearance.

Starbucks has a particular dress code that it adheres to. If it expects this from its customer-facing personnel, you should try to replicate its expectations in an interview environment.

It is almost impossible to be overdressed for a job interview, so try to facilitate professional attire.

For some, this could be a shirt, tie and jacket. For others, it can be about having clean clothes that are ironed, with no wrinkles, suitable footwear, as well as appropriate hair and make-up.

Starbucks Job Interviews Are a Two-Way Process: What Can You Ask Them?

As part of your interview preparation, it's essential that you look at what questions you could ask the Starbucks hiring manager.

Interviews are about two-way communication. It's your opportunity to quiz the Starbucks recruiter on aspects relating to the brand and how it can support your future career ambitions.

For example, you could ask them what Starbucks opportunities are available for career development or how long staff members typically stay in their positions.

If you're not working in a retail outlet, you could also ask the Starbucks hiring manager to tell you about their new remote and hybrid working policies.

The more questions you can think of, the more it shows your keenness and interest in working for Starbucks.

What Are The Starbucks Interview Questions You Could Be Asked in the Job Interview?

Your starbucks interview questions will differ depending on the type of job that you are applying for.

Starbucks' hiring policies are as much about finding the right people who match its brand ethos as they are about finding the person with the right skills and experience.

If you've done your research into the Starbucks brand and you're aware of what the job role entails, you can likely predict the types of questions that the hiring manager could ask you.

Typical Starbucks interview questions will be based on behavioral interview questions. This means that questions will be focused on how you would act or behave in certain situations.

Questions About Competencies

The Starbucks hiring managers want to know that you understand what competencies the role entails, and you should be prepared to have examples ready to discuss.

For example, if you are submitting a Starbucks barista application, you could be asked questions such as:

• What is your favorite drink on the Starbucks menu, and why?
• What does customer service mean to you?
• How would you respond to an unhappy customer?
• If a customer orders a specific item but an ingredient is unavailable, how would you communicate that to the customer?

As you can see from these example Starbucks job interview questions, they are heavily based on you knowing the Starbucks product lines. However, they are also focused on finding out how you would behave if you were successful in your Starbucks employment application.

Questions About Teamwork

If we move into more corporate and leadership roles, the starbucks interview questions will remain behavioral-based, but they will focus on how you would act as part of a wider internal team.

For example, you could anticipate Starbucks interview questions such as:

• Can you tell us about a time when you've had to overcome a challenge by working as part of a team?
• Have you ever had to solve a problem that wasn't necessarily part of your job description?
• We plan to open new retail outlets in a variety of different countries. How can you ensure that each new outlet meets our internal guidelines and values and facilitates local cultural considerations?
• As a team leader, can you tell us how you implement equality, diversity and fairness in any aspects of your decision-making?

Like most behavioral interview questions, you should always try to respond using the STAR technique.

This is where you strive to describe a Situation, followed by a specific Task. You then discuss what Actions were needed to complete that task and what the end Results were.

Questions About the Company

Finally, you will inevitably be asked interview questions about the company itself.

This is to show that you know the brand inside and out and that you are aware of its corporate values and mission statement.

It is a likely possibility that you will be asked questions such as:

• Why do you want to work at Starbucks?
• What do you know about who Starbucks is as a company?
• What do you think separates Starbucks from its competitors?
• As a company, how do you think we can continue to improve our green credentials?

This is your opportunity to demonstrate your pre-interview research and show that you know and understand the Starbucks brand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Although Starbucks is a global brand, it has deliberately kept its hiring processes simple.

This is because the firm wants to make Starbucks job openings accessible to all, whether you apply for a Starbucks barista job or seek a career in the corporate team.

The firm focuses heavily on curiosity and collaborative working, and it sees all employees as true 'partners' of the brand.

The intense training workshops and opportunities to benefit from a 100% paid-for degree (via Arizona State University's online program) exemplify how the firm values ongoing learning and development.

The result is a global workforce that is proud to work for the firm.