4 Employees Share What They Love About Working for Starbucks

You probably know that Starbucks serves one incredible Pumpkin Spice Latte, but there’s a lot more to the company than serving coffee and tea. We talked to several employees, who are also enrolled in the Starbucks’ College Achievement Plan, about their favorite aspects  of working for the iconic brand.

1. The Impact

“I love working at Starbucks because I know that I am making an impact on the [employees] wearing the green apron and the customers who come to our stores. It is exciting to see these crazy and new concepts come to life in our stores.” – Kyle, Business (Global Leadership) major

By working at Starbucks, you have the opportunity to better people’s lives every day, and because Starbucks has so much variety in what stores offer, there’s never a dull moment (or season) at work.

2. The Supportive Community

“The most rewarding part of my job is being able to help partners grow and develop. I am passionate about the Starbucks College Achievement Plan and love engaging and supporting our partners during their journey to graduation.” – Ashley, Mass Communications and Media Studies major

To recap, Starbucks offers an incredible partnership with Arizona State University that provides full tuition reimbursement for employees pursuing a bachelor’s degree. Even better, the opportunity is open to all Starbucks employees who work an average of 20 hours per week and don’t already have a bachelor’s degree.

3. The Values-Driven Mission

“I love coming to work for a company that reinvests in my development both inside and outside of work. A lot of companies have great mission statements, but at Starbucks we live that mission and our values every day!” – Rob, Communications major

Whether it’s making a difference in a customer’s day, taking part in local volunteer events, or investing in the farming communities where they source the coffee from, Starbucks is all about improving the lives of people and the communities they serve.

4. The Extra Perks

“I love the culture at Starbucks. I love my pound of coffee every week and my free Spotify account. I use Spotify playlists for studying.” – Melissa, Organizational Leadership major

There’s a fun fact you might not have known: Starbucks gives all employees a free pound of coffee every week! In addition, the company offers health benefits, free food and drinks, stock, and a premium Spotify account. Dreams really do come true.

Does Starbucks sound like the perfect workplace for you? There’s more good news coming your way: The company is hiring motivated baristas here right now.

Starbucks is dedicated to helping 25,000 employees graduate by 2025 by providing full tuition reimbursement for a bachelor’s degree via Arizona State University’s online program. You only have to work an average of 20 hours per week to access this exciting benefit as well as many others (free drinks, free food, health coverage, 401k, stock, and a free Premium Spotify account to name a few!). You can learn more about the Starbucks College Achievement Plan here.

Starbucks Barista-Approved Drink Combo: “Grande Americano with 1 pump of white mocha and a splash of soy milk.” – Rob, Communications major

Barista Application Tip!

Did you know you can submit your application to up to 5 stores at one time? In order to stand out after submitting your application, stop by the store(s) you applied to and introduce yourself to the manager or shift supervisor. Let them know you recently applied and what excites you about the opportunity. If you don’t get a call for an interview within 60 days, you can re-apply to the same or different stores. Good luck!