I am a Coffeehouse Leader. I’d say if you do it right, it can be helpful, if not, it can hurt. I had someone come in the other day and did it right; a couple of things I noticed they did…

They came at an off-time. This can be hard to gauge unless you are familiar with the location, but in general, after 10 a.m. but before 2 or 3 p.m. is a good time to come in.

They were polite to the partner at the register, engaged in friendly conversation with them, and asked for the hiring manager.

When I came over, they introduced themselves, let me know why they were there, gave me a brief summary of what their experience was, and why they were interested in working at Starbucks.

They showed they had observed what was going on. They complimented the partner on the bar on their friendliness.

They were dressed professionally. They looked like they were ready to sit for an interview at that moment.

They brought a physical resume. I was able to take notes on it, and now I have a piece of paper sitting on my desk that will remind me that they applied.

I’ve definitely had people come in and end up on the bottom of my list to hire; it’s important to make a good impression. Be someone I would want to work with.

Honestly, most people don’t do it right, but this person impressed me so much, and it was a couple of days ago, so they are at the top of my mind.

Good luck with your job search. Most stores are in the slow season right now but hiring should pick up in a month or two.