At 5:00 pm on Monday, I pick up my keys and my work bag and head out of the house. I walk in and wave hello at my coworkers, all hard at work behind the counters. I tie on my bright green apron in the break room, tying it up before securing a hat onto my head.
For the last three months, I’ve spent a lot of my time working at Starbucks, the internationally known coffee franchise. As a barista, every day poses a different set of challenges. However, there are still a lot of things about the job that I really enjoy!
Before I officially became a barista, I spent much of August and September in training. Twice a week I would go in and practice making drinks, upholding health standards, and learning all the different procedures involved in the food industry. At first, it was a LOT of information to take in at once. However, I quickly picked up on the basic patterns that I had to follow to make drinks and keep the store well-maintained.
My coworkers were all very welcoming, and since I was one of the newest hires, they were very happy to answer my neverending questions during and after training. Even now, when I ask how many espresso shots go into a venti cup for the third time, someone is always there to confirm. The environment of the store in general is always super friendly, and I really appreciate that I work somewhere where I can make friends with the people I work with.
My shifts range from four to eight hours, depending on the day. Every day there’s both a new set of customers and the regulars who come in and chat with us at the register. I love seeing all the kinds of people that come into the store. I’m a people-watcher at heart, so sometimes I like to just observe the interactions that are happening throughout the store. Every customer is different, and I’m lucky that most of them are pretty kind and forgiving.
The job definitely isn’t stress-free. Working in food service, even for just a short amount of time, has taught me a lot about following routine, conflict management, and commitment. Although I am sometimes inconvenienced by scheduling or talked down to by a rude customer, I do appreciate the experience of having a job that has both challenged me and welcomed me into a positive environment.
