Hi, I'm new here and randomly stumbled upon this site somehow (I actually really don't remember how). I don't know very many gay people, and not many people know that I'm gay. I thought this site could probably help...? Anyway, I'm from a stupid, conservative town. I'm a music major (specifically piano performance), and I'll be a senior at my university this year. I enjoy rock climbing, swimming, hanging out with friends, etc. I also do a whole lot of running, and I'm pretty close to making the record boards at my school. Competition is in spring, so hopefully I'll be fit enough to get my name on the board! I also have zero passion for sports. I don't play them, watch them, and I can't really say I support them (budget cuts in the arts department are going straight to the sports events). I also want to be a barista, but I've found it to be quite difficult to get my start as I have no experience. Also, employers have been really discouraging as they only want people with 15 years of experience or more. The way I see it though, is that those people with 15 years of experience weren't born that way, and there are only so many people who fit that profile, so I'm not gonna give up.
Hey Jeremy, welcome to EC! Oh my gosh, tell me about it! I want to be a Starbucks barista so bad! I've been applying for ages now and I haven't gotten back a single response. How the heck will I gain experience if I'm not given the opportunity to do so? Gosh! Ha ha!
Oh my gosh! I know, right? Recently, I've just been going to every coffee shop I know and chatting with the baristas (I've noticed quite a large number of female baristas). One barista told me that she got her start because she was living in the dorm that the coffee shop was attached to and became friends with the manager there who randomly offered her the position. In general, I don't know if I would start with Starbucks (they seem to only want baristas with experience). I'd recommend learning as much as you possibly can through books or YouTube videos and getting to know baristas. Obviously, I can't verify it'll work as I don't have a job yet, but that's the direction all of the fellow baristas seem to be pointing me in.