5 Reasons A Coffee Shop Job As A Student Is A Must!

Its funny how I never did and still don’t consume any coffee, but when I look back at my college life, working at a coffee shop definitely makes it to my list of favorite experiences just because of how fulfilling, crazy, fun, tiring and rewarding it was all at the same time. I thought about what made it so worthwhile and here I have laid down the top reasons why a coffee shop job goes far beyond just helping you pay the bills!

1. It teaches unparalleled customer skills?

Dale Carnegie wasn’t wrong when he said in his best selling book “How To Win Friends & Influence People” that humans are creatures not of logic but of emotions! Working a coffee shop job teaches you to deal with people in a way no other job ever will. Humans are everywhere and the best you can do is learn how to adapt with different kinds of people. This is one skill that a coffee shop job teaches which goes on to help you in every possible job out there. If you can crack understanding and dealing with humans, you can win anything!

2. It makes you respect workers in service industry

Before my Starbucks job, I never even thought about the hard-work that goes in making just 1 cup of coffee: You need to physically move carts and grab raw items, get the cups that coffees are served in, refill the flavors and syrups once every few hours, stand every second and be in a mental rush to fulfill orders on time.?

I can promise you that your perception towards a coffee barista, a server or a food delivery person would change forever if you experience first hand just how much of hard work there is in the service industry.?

What changed the most in me? Since I did this job at Starbucks, I have made it a point to never leave a restaurant table without giving it a quick wipe and making sure I leave no stains. That is just my way of making sure they don't have to spend those extra 2-3 minutes wiping my table. So as I said earlier, the respect I have for the service industry will always stay! They rock! They work so hard!

3. It taught me the value of money

Each eight hour shift meant 8 times $9.25/hr. Whenever making an expense,I started calculating how many hours I would need to work to earn that money. This is an approach that taught me in a way more real than anything I have experienced just how precious earning money is!It helped me systematically organize and plan my budget and cut any unnecessary expenses. I was successful at paying my rent which was a big deal since it would have been a huge amount for my Dad to send me in Indian National Rupees(INR).

4. Met the coolest people!

Those long shifts would have been unimaginable if it was not for the awesome people and the funny conversations every once in a while. Being new to the United States, my Starbucks job was the first real “American workplace” that exposed me to America’s culture, helped me understand how diverse workplaces with a mix of cultures gives you so much to talk about and cherish.

5. And, FREE DRINKS!

As an employee I did get a free drink and free food for each shift and I cannot emphasize enough how nothing beats the joy of free food! Since I don’t consume coffee myself, oftentimes my free drink would be for one of my friends(whoever would ask me first haha). It is truly hilarious that in spite of working at Starbucks I never consumed any coffee myself. I did end up really liking their green tea though. To this day, every time I see a Starbucks at any airport when I am traveling, I always grab a cup of green tea.

So these were my reasons for why my time as a barista at Starbucks was one of my best experiences as a student. All that I experienced would go with me a long way. Every single second of the hustle was so worth it!

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