Significant Career Lesson From a Senior Writer Creative Director at Starbucks
Sara's career success at Starbucks hinges on three key lessons: maintaining a collaborative spirit ("be a friendly person that people wanna work with"), honesty in admitting limitations ("know when to say, 'I don't know'"), and proactive communication ("be overly communicative"). These principles fostered trust, efficiency, and positive working relationships.
Communication, Teamwork, Problem-Solving, Honesty, Professionalism
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Sara Beil
Sr. Writer/Creative Director
Starbucks Corporation
UCLA
English, Writing & Education, English
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Creative
Honors Student
Video Highlights
1. Be a friendly and collaborative team member. Your work quality matters, but so does your interpersonal skills.
2. Honesty is key; admit when you don't know something instead of fabricating an answer.
3. Communicate proactively. Ask questions and share updates to avoid misunderstandings and solve problems efficiently.
Transcript
What is one lesson that you have learned that has proven significant in your career?
I have a couple of questions, if that's okay.
The first is to simply be a friendly person that people want to work with. You can be really good at your job, but if you're awful to work with, no one will want you on their team. So, just be nice; that's as simple as that.
The second is to know when to say, "I don't know." It's a common trap to fall into when pitching and a client asks something you don't know the answer to, just to make one up. It's much better to just say, "I don't know."
The client will respect you even more for saying that, because you may pitch something completely off the rails and then suddenly be locked into an idea just because you didn't say you didn't know.
And the last one is to be overly communicative. Kind of tying into the "I don't know" point, if you don't know something, just ask. It will lead to so much faster solutions. It will get you in a hard place if you are not communicating your needs and your questions. Everyone is happy to help you with whatever you need.
Advizer Personal Links
https://www.linkedin.com/in/saraashleybeil/, Instagram: @saraashleyb, www.sarabeil.com