Having begun to work and having been working for 3 weeks so far, I have learned a bit more about how the “Real World” works. Being the person behind the counter gives you a whole different perspective on things. Customers become but mere numbers as you wait for your deployment from your register to end, and although I try to connect to the customers as much as I can – remembering that each has his/her own life to lead and each has experiences in Starbucks similar to what I have undergone while being a mere patron of the coffee shop in my high school and college days, it’s hard to do so while maintaining the excellent standard of quality that Starbucks proudly boasts and requires of its partners (that's what Starbucks calls all its employees). I rethink of how sometimes it has taken a long time for me to be served in an establishment, and now my impatience has convicted me for now I know how it feels to be the person behind the counter – pressured to provide high quality products, connect with customers and speedy service at the same time.
Working has also taught me some humility, as I have been required to handle menial tasks such as cleaning tables, washing dishes, mopping floors and “closing” the store (which involves rigorous cleaning of the equipment and the store at the end of the day – or start of the day, depending on how you look at it). It’s funny how people seem to think low of our station in life. I have heard many comments regarding my job – mostly from my peers, asking why I decided to ONLY be a Barista. The funny thing is, most of the people who say this are actually undergraduates, those who are still naïve about the world outside of school. Others like undergrads who are more enlightened or fellow graduates usually respect my work – as it is honest, has many benefits, and pays reasonably well for a first job. Besides, if everybody thought of some jobs as “beneath” them, then there wouldn’t be any janitors, trash collectors, security guards, and yes – baristas in the world. Everybody would still be forced to clean up their messes or serve themselves with coffee or food. I guess we should really accept that each person – no matter what his job, plays an integral part in the system. This is particularly true in Starbucks as there is virtual codependence between baristas – including the management. These are lessons that are hard to pick up from mere textbooks and must be experienced to be fully appreciated.
When you start to work, you must be able to tolerate and even embrace diversity as a part of life – even more so than in college. The sheer differences in culture, lifestyles and beliefs in a work environment are truly amazing. Out there are people who have not even heard of God – at least not in a personal way. In my store alone, majority of the female baristas smoke (except for the management) while virtually none of the males do. When I started training, I met Chinese born people who act more like Filipinos – using long lost (for me) terms such as “charing!!” Also, there were at least 3 lesbians/bisexuals in our batch alone (and that’s not even including the one(s) in my store/branch). These people have different values, different opinions, and different lifestyles than me and most of my older friends. Truly I could not work well in such an environment if I do not know how to relate to and socialize with such a wonderfully diverse array of individuals. It’s like a rainbow of different cultures and lifestyles in place of colors and one must learn to appreciate such diversity – not only in the people you work with, but in those you serve as well. Although admittedly I have not gone completely out of my shell, soon I will get used to and be comfortable with these differences. I will then be able to appreciate even more the environment in which I work.
In closing, let me just say this now: work truly is frightening at first, but it is a necessary next step in our development as individuals. It will give us a fresh perspective on life, it will teach us humility, and it will force us out of our shells of preconceived beliefs and Idealisms.