Interview

[rockergobye]

Hi everyone!

I recently landed an interview with a Starbucks that is located within a Target store. What type of questions can I expect to be asked? What is it like being a Barista? What is the uniform for Baristas? What do you like and/or loathe about your job? Any other information or opinions are welcome!!!

Thanks a bunch,
Kathy

Comments

[foutu]

i'm going to threadjack and ask if starbucks lets you wear your own pants. confirm/deny?

[last_archangel]

At Target, you'll be a "black shirt." This means you'll work in Food Ave, and not be one of the "red shirt" floor associates (unless that is required training at the store.) Obviously, you'll wear a black collared shirt with either black or khaki pants, and a Starbucks apron and hat.

If you get the job, you'll be a Target employee, but you'll be taught the standards of Starbucks beverages.

[tumbling_down]

"standards"

[untwo_trois]

tee hee.

[ichijoujirena]

All of Target's basic interview questions are "Tell me a time when..." type ones. I hate them. :P

Being a Tarbux Barista really varies from store to store. The one I work at is insanely slow. I've covered at another Tarbux and it was 100 times busier than mine. You will either work alone a lot, or always work with someone else.
You may or may not have to train in Food Ave/Target Cafe/Pizza Hut...whatever they call it in your specific store, depending on the proximity of it to your area.
As the commenter above said, dress code is pretty simple, hats are required at all times (unfortunately), and you must wear a Target name tag. You will also go through basic cashier training.

All in all, I enjoy working in my particular store. However, the Food Service area in my store is kinda uh...the red headed step child. We often get left behind, forgotten, etc, until we do something bad like get a Red score on our Johnson (health department) visits.

[fugainai]

lol, pretty much this. You'll be expected to cover breaks for Food and the probabl Pizza Hut, but don't expect breaks yourself (since Target haets crosstraining people for Tarbux).

Hopefully your store executives are more proactive than ours. We've been by ourselves the entire time, but now that we're without a team lead, all of them are micromanaging.

Which reminds me, be prepared for Target hierarchy. Depending on your store's traffic, you can be pulled to the floor at any given time (bleurgh), and if your lead is doing something contrary to expectations, be prepared to have an ETL telling you, "Well, I override your lead, blah blah."

But don't let me worry you! I like my store's pace, our regulars, and the oddball Target family I've gained while working there.

I second this comment, as well as:

[1_2_suckerpunch]

Personally, my Tarbux interview was basically all Target questions and didn't involve anything coffee-related except "why did you choose this workcenter?"

Uniform is khaki slacks (or long skirt), white or black collared shirt, SOLID-COLORED black or brown shoes, apron and hat. All tattoos must be covered.

Good luck!

[alykattt]

agreed completely. i really hated those questions, they were all like.. tricky "what did you do in a situation like this hypothetical one in your previous job?"

our department isn't next to food avenue though, which i guess is the norm for most of the super targets. we're attached with the deli/bakery and food avenue is across from us so we really never cover for them but constantly cover for deli/bakery.

we also get left behind a lot and don't really feel like we're really target employees. but when everclean comes around (the name of our health department) omg ETLs in our cafe left and right "clean this, date that" haha.

[fugainai]

Wow, you get to wear a skirt?! I think ichi and I would be up shit creek if either one of us wore skirts to work, lol. But uh, certain stores are pretty lax with dress code, OP. I have green Converse, and none of the ETLs have complained. Still, better safe than sorry. Also, as someone who has spilled boiling milk on their feet, I strongly recommend work shoes.

[marythenun]

Huh. We can wear skirts in corporate Starbucks. You can't wear black pants either? That sucks. I love the lack of visible stains on my black pants. :P

[radicallindsay]

As far as uniform, I think it's the same for corporate Starbucks: black or white collared shirt, black or khaki pants or skirts or knee-length-or-lower shorts, black or brown non-slip work shoes and apron and hat