SEATTLE, WA—After graduating six years ago with a highly sought-after bachelor’s degree in English and Political Science, local liberal arts alum Liana Kim reported Tuesday that she had finally landed an interview for an entry-level barista role at Starbucks after years stuck working dead-end jobs. “When I got my diploma back in 2013, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do for a career, but now, after all these years gaining experience bartending at night while working minimum wage retail jobs during the day, I feel like I’m finally qualified enough to start as a barista,” said Kim, who sent her resume to 32 Seattle-area Starbucks locations before receiving a callback.
“I know it’s just an initial interview, but I spent hours preparing—reading up on the entire history of Starbucks, memorizing their employee handbook, and practicing my latte art skills using the milk frother I bought specifically for this opportunity. This is my dream job.” The 33-year-old carefully curated her “future Starbucks partner” outfit, including a green top, black pants, sensible shoes, and a vegan leather resume folder she custom-ordered on Etsy embossed with the Starbucks logo.
“I also bought a new business casual outfit for the interview to show I’m serious about this opportunity and not just some aimless college grad looking for a part-time service job,” Kim added. Kim admitted the starting $10/hour wage is lower than what she currently makes watering down drinks and dodging gropes at Club Function four nights a week, but said this Starbucks role would provide much-needed stability, purpose, and a clear career ladder within the company that her high-priced liberal arts degree never could. “Sure, I could probably get a server job somewhere that pays more with tips,” explained Kim while exhaustively rehearsing potential interview questions aloud to herself for three weeks.
“But Starbucks offers great benefits, an uplifting corporate culture, and the chance to one day maybe work my way up to assistant store manager if I keep applying myself.” To prepare, Kim had been practicing making elaborate Starbucks drinks in her home kitchen using her now useless college textbooks as props. She also memorized the Starbucks employee handbook, learning it’s her lifelong dream to take out the trash and scrub milk residue from steamer wands while serving overpriced, sugary, caffeinated beverages with a smile.
At press time, Kim had shown up 30 minutes early to casually practice her Starbucks order four times at the counter, chatting up employees about her favorite drink, the pumpkin spice latte—which she makes sure to order almost daily. During the interview, Kim said knowing the proper temperature to steam non-fat milk would be her proudest career achievement, next to finally being able to afford health insurance.
