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We will also talk about various Starbucks roles, the necessary skills for a job at Starbucks, and most importantly, some tips on how to prepare for a Starbucks interview.
So without further delay, let's get to it!👇
Tips to prepare for interview questions
Confidence
Having confidence can help you win most professional situations of crisis and complexity with high stakes. You should have confidence even when you are faced with a question that you don't know the answer to, you can try to talk about anything relevant you do know about and be polite.
Showing confidence makes the hiring manager think you are capable of doing the job. Be careful however, you need to showcase the right amount and kind of confidence at the right time and avoid displaying a lack of confidence or display of overconfidence.
Professional resume
In addition to your confidence, you need a perfect professional resume. A good resume can make a lot of difference. You may have sent a resume for the job application before the interview however you should take a hard copy of your resume when you visit for the interview at Starbucks as well because the hiring manager might not have your resume handy at the time.
Your professional resume should be written with an appropriate formal layout such as functional resume format or reverse chronological or combination. Your resume should meet all the professional resume guidelines to ensure that the hiring manager is satisfied with the way your profile is presented on your professional formal resume for the Starbucks job.
Cover letter
Many people skip the cover letter when applying for a job however you should always try to enclose one cover letter along with your job application where you attach or upload your professional resume. A cover letter allows you to gain an advantage by directly addressing the recruiter and describing your profile in a way that makes an impact that increases your chances of getting hired.
Prepare the answers
The obvious and important one is the preparation of the Starbucks interview questions. Starbucks interviews can be difficult, you need the right Starbucks interview outfit, Starbucks interview tips and interview advice, and so on. And most importantly you need to know how you should answer the Starbucks interview questions. Your answers should be good enough to get you hired. We will discuss many Starbucks interview questions in this guide article in a while.
Appearance
In addition to preparing the Starbucks interview questions, you need to also decide on a good outfit for the Starbucks interview. You should dress business casual which is professional and formal but not too formal at the same time. For example, a shirt and pants may be good enough but you should avoid a blazer or coat.
Starbucks Interview Questions
Introduce yourself
When you are asked to introduce yourself, you can include certain details such as your full name, where you are from, what is your highest education level, and what you are doing in your life currently. You can also talk about any other details that can highlight or display your skills or experience indirectly and subtly. The introduction should also be used to showcase your ardent interest in the job.
Why do you want to work with Starbucks?
When you are asked why you want to work with Starbucks during your Starbucks interview, you should talk about the good things that you noticed about Starbucks. You can talk about how Starbucks ' company culture is impressive to you because of how they prioritize customer service. You can also talk about how you like the drinks that Starbucks serves. You can even talk about any particular experience that made you want to work at Starbucks.
Why do you think you will be right for this role?
When you have to prove that you are the right candidate for the role, you need to talk about your relevant skills and experience that are necessary and important for good performance with a particular role at Starbucks.
You can also talk about any values of Starbucks that you also align with such as providing good service or the company philosophy or vision and so on. This can put you in a good light with the recruiters.
How will you handle any difficult situation with customers?
With this question's answer, you should showcase your crisis management and problem-solving skills. you can talk about how you will try to calmly communicate and offer preferable resolutions. You can also talk about how you have dealt with such situations before in your past jobs if you have such an experience. You should emphasize that you will follow the company protocols for such situations and try to calm the situation as soon as possible.
How do you feel about working with a team?
This is a question framed to find out about your teamwork abilities. You should talk about how well you function with a team and people in general. Again, you can also give examples from your past experiences of similar situations if you have any.
Why do you think we should hire you?
You should have read the job description and know what the hiring manager is looking for, your answer should include the points that the hiring manager had mentioned in the job ad or posting. This means you should talk about what all you have in terms of skills, experience, and so on that Starbucks is looking for, needs, and would benefit from.
How do you think your experience will help you at this job?
If you have had a similar experience to a job at Starbucks then you can talk about that experience and skills you had for that job. However, in case you do not have any directly relevant experience, you can talk about how you have communication skills and you understand customer service and that will help you perform well at the job. You can also talk about your love or passion for coffee etc. drinks.
Can you talk about instances where you showed flexibility and adaptability?
You can easily draw instances where you had to be flexible and you had to manage any situations and talk about that instance. You would have also had experience where you needed adaptability so you can talk about one of such experiences as well.
What is the most important aspect of customer service?
The usual answers may be etiquette, dealing with customers with politeness and calmness or if the customer is always right, and so on. You should observe and figure out what is the most important aspect of customer service for Starbucks company and their teams and that should be your answer so that they find you aligning with their goals.
What is your impression of Starbucks?
You need to answer this question with just the right amount of praise that seems genuine and not pretense. You should prepare well for this question, you can go to Starbucks as a customer and get an experience to figure out how Starbucks is in your own eyes.
What is your favorite drink order?
If you want to work at Starbucks, you should have visited Starbucks a few times before, and if you have a favorite drink of yours that can showcase your genuine interest and preference for the company. You can look up the menu and choose a drink that is of your liking and mention that for the answer to this question.
Do you have the basic knowledge of laws and regulations applicable to establishments such as Starbucks?
Every restaurant or café or bar or organization that serves food and/or drinks has to follow certain rules, and regulations and obey relevant laws. You do not need to know the in-depth rules and laws, however, having some basic knowledge can be a plus because it will ensure that you provide the service accordingly when you are hired.
What do you know about Starbucks?
A simple answer such as -Starbucks is popular for coffee- will not suffice. You may look up the foundation history, current revenue and branches and global presence, etc. information about the Starbucks company so that the hiring manager can figure out how well you know the company. An employee of Starbucks or any company, should know some of the history and such information.
(Source: https://www.starbucks.com/about-us/)
What is your dream career?
Your dream career may not be the barista at Starbucks or store manager at Starbucks and it's okay. Even the hiring manager will be aware that most people work at Starbucks, Chilli's, Taco Bell, etc. places as part-time jobs for income while pursuing studies or a career.
You can talk about your real dream career, whichever it may be. At the same time, you also need to talk about how you 'want to' (at least) experience working at Starbucks because of how much you like Starbucks or how you want to experience the customer service job.
Do you think you can work well within a fast-paced environment?
Being able to work in a fast-paced environment is not suitable for everyone. A fast-paced environment tends to cause a lot of stress and even anxiety or more such difficulties. Being able to work in the fast-paced environment of Starbucks can mean being able to take orders and make drinks during rush hour and such. You need to talk about how well you handle the pressure, how good you are at time management, what kind of abilities and tools you have learned to deal with the stress that such an environment can cause, and so on.
What to expect?
You have prepared answers for all the Starbucks interview questions, now let's talk about what else you need to be prepared for and what you should expect to avoid any surprises at the last moment.👇
Background check
Starbucks will take many interviews and hire people that pass their background checks. They may avoid hiring people who have sketchy backgrounds and do not pass the background check successfully. This means you need to make sure you have a clean track record and there is nothing that can compromise your chances of getting hired, in case there is something complicated, you should have an explanation prepared for the same.
Multiple interviews
Starbucks company's culture involves highly trained people who check all the necessary boxes of skills, etiquette, customer service skills, and more. This means that the hiring managers may conduct more than one interview with you. You may give one interview at Starbucks and be called for another interview for a second round or such.
You should prepare the most common interview questions and have a good answer ready for all of them, for each interview. Whether it is a common question such as 'Which is your greatest weakness' or a complex question such as 'What makes you an ideal candidate?', you need to have the perfect answers ready.
Important Skills for Starbucks Job Interview & Job
Let's discuss some of the most important skills for the Starbucks job interview as well as the job at Starbucks.👇
Communication skills
Good communication skills define excellent customer service skills for a job at Starbucks. The way you answer the Starbucks interview questions will display your communication skills directly. You should understand the interview questions and interview process along with your work at Starbucks which may include your salary expectations and job duties.
Communication skills should also be in your resume and cover letters so that the job application scanning software notes it. Whether it is entry-level jobs or jobs of senior positions where you already have a lot of great training, your communication skills will be important.
Customer service skills
During the job interview, you will be asked about your customer skills because you will be dealing with the customers directly, every single day for the whole shift. You should know various ways to retain frequent customers and also provide good customer service to rude customers or resolve any issues such as demanding a full refund) of upset customers. To work at Starbucks, you will have to keep in mind that Starbucks interview questions will be aligned with everything necessary for a job at Starbucks. This is what defines the Starbucks hiring process.
Making coffee duh!
If you are applying for the role of barista, your job will be all about making various drinks from which more than will be coffee drinks. Starbucks is known for being a coffee shop, Starbucks store location is going to be the kind where most customers will be prominent consumers of coffee.
Even if you are applying for the role of the barista, you might need to learn how to make various Starbucks drinks because in case of the absence of baristas or any situation where the barista is not able to make the drinks, especially during rush hours when the baristas may be shorthanded.
Possible Roles at Starbucks
We have talked about pretty much everything from serious questions to even pretty generic skills and more. So now let's talk about what kind of roles you can apply for at Starbucks.👇
Barista
The obvious one! One of the most prominent roles is of a barista. A barista manages the drinks which includes taking the order, making drinks, and then handing out the drinks to customers. Baristas may even have to handle the cash register once in a while which may include taking bill payments and ensuring the customers are also provided with any coupons or other benefits and discounts.
You should be able to take the details of the drink very quickly and make sure you do not make any mistakes in the order because that may lead to very unpleasant customer complaints. Some of the coffee drink orders may be very complicated and you will have to be fast in taking such orders. You would also have to make another drink for them which will also take more time, energy and supplies will be wasted.
Shift Supervisor
A shift supervisor mainly oversees the team members during their shifts, they may also manage the shift allocating tasks for all the baristas and other team members that work in shifts. A shift supervisor has to keep an eye on the scheduling of shifts, manage any employee's absence, and so on. As a shift supervisor, you have to make sure there is never a shortage of team members to ensure good customer service.
Store Management position
Various roles involve store management, you may be designated store manager or assistant store manager, and so on.
Your role may involve managing the team as well as managing supplies and ingredients along with the cash register and every task that comes within the management area.
Conclusion
To conclude, now that you know how to answer all the questions, you may want to get to planning your outfit and appearance. Make sure you have your professional resume ready and printed in a hard copy as well. We have also talked about various roles, necessary Starbucks job skills, and what to expect when you are preparing and going for an interview.
In addition, if you are looking for sources to refer to write a professional resume, we have the one-stop solution for you. We have a great collection of resume writing guides, resume templates, and resume examples. Our resume builder features AI prompts like ChatGPT so that your professional resume can be written within minutes!
No matter which role you are giving an interview for at Starbucks, these questions are useful for you and you should keep in mind the tips that we discussed about answering each question. Good luck with the Interview!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Should I wear any particular outfit for the interview?
Your outfit should be formal and professional. You can have options such as a shirt, pants, blouse, skirt, and more that may fit into the 'formal attire' category. Your hair should be combed well and you should wear formal footwear. Your appearance should be formal and professional.
In the interview, the hiring managers will judge you based on the answers to their Starbucks interview questions as well as how you carry yourself in your behavior- during the interview questions. But even before that, they will judge your appearance as soon as you enter their interview room.
Do I need customer service experience?
Having any kind of customer service experience will surely be a great value addition because Starbucks prides itself in its great customer service. Any experience where you have served the customers directly can be counted as a good value addition. However, even if you do not have any customer service experience, you can emphasize your customer service skills and give examples of instances where you utilized those skills successfully.
Do I need to know how to make all the Starbucks drinks to get through the Starbucks interview questions?
Knowing at least a few of the most common or popular drinks of Starbucks will certainly be a big plus however you do not need to know the whole menu. Most Starbucks barista employees receive training for making the drinks. Starbucks has its mechanisms in place when it comes to making drinks and providing customer service. Knowing at least a few drinks would be a good interview strategy for sure.
