PETER STAGGS DOES:
AN INTERNSHIP WORK SUMMARY
Introduction:
I completed my internship with a relatively well-known corporation called Starbucks. Before detailing my experience, I will provide a brief set of specifics on my employer.
The Starbucks Corporation is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 140,000 employees manning 7521 self-operated stores (as well as 5647 licensed stores) in 39 countries worldwide. Founded in Seattle, Washington by Howard Shultz in 1971, the corporation rose in prominence as a premier purveyor of coffee, tea, pastries, and coffee-related merchandize. With a wide variety of beverages and a location on what seems to be every street corner in America, it comes as no surprise that Starbucks grossed 7.786 billion dollars in the 2006 fiscal year. Further boosting the annual sales of the Starbucks Corporation are its many of-shoot products-lines, which include Tazo Tea, Seattle’s Best Coffee, the Frappuccino beverage line, and Hear Music (a program that promotes a wide range of musical artists by selling their albums and playing selected audio at Starbucks Locations). The Starbucks Corporation is a highly visible business worldwide, and therefore promotes free trade with several of its coffee sources in nations throughout South/Central America, Southeast Asia, and Africa.
My Internship found me, a Starbucks employee of seven months, training to perform tasks beyond those of a standard issue Barista. Specifically, my new assignments included tasting coffee products, sampling tea, learning the basics of advertising with Siren’s Eye, practicing proper sanitation methods with Cleansweep, and studying company policy in foreign countries with the Barista 201 program (any company jargon will be explained shortly). This roster of duties aimed not only to make me a better-rounded employ, but to provide me with certain skills and experience that could prove useful in a wide range of future jobs. Tina Owen (my Manager) and Megan Anderson (my Assistant Manager) were cited as my Internship Coordinators. However, multiple Supervisors technically oversaw many of my responsibilities, and I often asked them to sign the required hourly check-off sheet. Andrew Hobbs (a shift supervisor) and Megan Anderson were my most frequent overseers. The total run-time for this internship was fifty and one-half (50.5) hours, which were completed over the course of roughly one (1) month in April 2007. Although it did not necessarily yield the most enduring results, my most memorable Internship experience occurred during my opening of the Soscol Starbucks store at 4:00 am on Easter morning. That particular store is the second-highest grossing in all of Northern California.
Tasks:
Because of the modular nature inherent in all Starbucks stores, learning specialty programs through the company can be a rewarding experience for those looking to transfer locations. I plan to move in the near future, and undergoing Cleansweep, Siren’s Eye, and some Barista 201 training indicates my status as a skilled worker (and a commodity). In this section I will detail specific aspects of my work objectives.
Cleansweep is an amalgam developed by the company to describe the job of “independent janitor”. An employee on Cleansweep duty is (in theory) not required to answer to Shift Supervisors, and can take 10 min. breaks at their own discretion. All tasks assigned are given directly from the Store Manager. A glaring downside to Cleansweep is that those undergoing the program are not recipients of the tip jar, although this aspect is juxtaposed with the (sometimes) positive aspect of not being required to make drinks, serve customers, or adhere to the “no ipods” policy. The purpose of Cleansweep is to provide the store with a thorough cleaning in often over-looked but nonetheless important areas. It is performed about 2-3 times per week.
Javier Candejas, who was one of my original “Learning Coaches”, trained me to perform Cleansweep. I was taught which cleaning products to use on given surfaces, where my predecessor (Jaime Macarthur) had faltered, and which areas of a restaurant are required by law to be sterile. I became particularly adept in the use of a feather-duster, which was my weapon of choice in the war on filth. Having completed my training, I am now the official “Cleaning Specialist” at Redwood Starbucks. The most important lesson I learned? “Wax on, Wax off” can be more therapeutically unexciting than one would assume.
My second specialist assignment was Siren’s Eye, which is a somewhat unusual name given to the task of ‘properly stocking and displaying new merchandize’. Although I am not certain, I believe the title to be a connection between the Siren on the company logo and the fact that we are meant to capture the eyes of customers with our advertising skills. Megan Anderson taught me to perform Siren’s eye. She highlighted the use of colors in particular areas of the store that would grab people’s attention, and emphasized the fact that empty spaces, no matter how seemingly insignificant, can deter shoppers. Siren’s eye is a relatively infrequent task; new products are shipped in accordance with seasonal changes. I secretly pride myself on being the only Siren’s eye worker in store history to have never broken a single item.
Barista 201 is a training course that simply continues the education a Barista receives during his or her first two weeks of work. I was not able to complete this program due to time constraints, but I was able to learn a bit more about Starbucks’ presence abroad. For instance, I read about how Starbucks is encouraging the growing of organically-produced beans in Latin America.
In addition, I tasted one or two new types of coffee during my internship period. While this may seem like a paltry number, it was a trying chore for given my dislike for nearly all types of coffee beans. Finishing my “Tea Passport” was far more enjoyable. I can now identify all types of known tea categorically, where these categories are grown, and how to discern these things by simply examining a given tea’s “aroma”. This knowledge greatly advanced my customer service skills.
Educational Relationship:
Many aspects of work at Starbucks can be related to the eight (8) Learning Outcomes of New Technology High School. Interestingly enough, many of my co-workers either attend New Tech or are alumni, so the skills developed here are constantly impacting my job environment. For maximum clarity, I have included is a list of the eight (8) outcomes and explained how they applied to my Internship.
Written Communication: This skill was useful on only one occasion: while working on Siren’s Eye, I had to help my co-workers write personal drink recommendations on signs that would be displayed throughout the store. I was the human spell-check, and also helped with grammar issues.
Critical Thinking: Appropriate use of discernment is important to any job, especially when safety is a priority. For this reason, I cannot cite one specific instance in which I employed my critical thinking-it was always in use.
Technology Literacy: This outcome was quite relevant throughout my Internship. To wit; I was using an Espresso machine valued at $23,000, a touch-screen register prone to network crashes, an industrial coffee grinder, and potentially hazardous domestic cleaning products. Not only did I have to use unconventional equipment effectively, but know enough about the mechanical products sold by Starbucks to explain their inner-workings to customers.
Citizenship/Ethics: Although my Starbucks has no in-store recycling bin, I made a conscious effort to sort and subsequently dump any recycling products into the large bin in the back parking lot. Every week we donate extra pastries to the homeless shelter, and I made friends with a man who would use our excess coffee grinds to fertilize his garden (they apparently raise soil acidity).
Career Preparation: I would not consider my job at Starbucks a career; but that is not to say that my job is not worthwhile. This is, after all, my first job ever, and the past 7 months have been incredibly beneficial to my personal maturation. My Internship in particular has given me an entirely new skill-set that could be applied to advertising, sales, or even human resources jobs in the future. Just the experience of having a job (and maintain a good relationship with your customers and superiors) is career preparation in and of itself.
Curricular Literacy: Barista 201 was basically a review on Curricular Literacy. Being knowledgeable with the products you sell is imperative to maintaining business and a consistent clientele.
Oral Communication: Oral Communication skills are by far the most important tools a salesperson/employee can posses. To learn, one must ask questions-the right questions. And to sell a product, one must make sure that customers are satisfied with their purchases-enthusiastically so if possible. During my Internship I had to simultaneously learn new skills and service customers.
Collaboration: I am one of the few people at work that can perform well alongside any co-worker, which is the product of extended exposure to Project-Based Learning at New Tech. During the Easter Morning open at Soscol Starbucks, I worked with a team of eight (8) co-workers to serve 200+ customers in the most stressful four (4) hours of my life. There have been no greater tests of my collaboration abilities to date.
Technology:
At Starbucks, most computer-related jobs are performed by management. However, all of our registers are touch-screen. As such, Baristas are often thrown curve balls when the computer server (to which the screens are connected) crashes. In one specific instance, I had to assist my flummoxed supervisor Andrew Hobbs fix the crashed server through a process of trial and error/frustrating phone calls to the corporate help desk. During this trying time, I learned to operate without technology, using only a calculator and notepad to serve 50+ people.
Evaluation:
In summary, I would evaluate my Internship as worthwhile. Cleansweep in particular taught me that I am a ruthlessly efficient independent worker, but my opening on Easter morning showcased my equally honed collaboration skills. This internship experience did not necessarily effect my career goals (Starbucks is not my planned career), but I would certainly recommend it to anyone willing to work hard and seriously test their people skills.