Name: Georgina Tatem
Age: 25
Job title: Social impact specialist
Company & location: Starbucks UK – London
Education: Media, Campaigning and Social Change, MA – University of Westminster
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? I always wanted to work in theatre. Performing on stage as a child made moving to London to have a career in the arts industry my expectation.
I was only 13 when I researched and found the undergraduate course I would eventually apply to, but it wasn’t until my second year of studying Hair, Makeup & Prosthetics for Performance at university that I realised, perhaps in reality, it wasn’t the career I could see myself having.
“A constant supply of premium coffee in the office is quite the bonus!”
Why did you decide to go for a career in food & drink? Starbucks started as a part-time job whilst I was at university. I spent five years working in four different stores as a barista and shift supervisor, and quickly fell in love with the brand. After completing my master’s degree in Media, Campaigning and Social Change, I started looking for a new job, but a conversation with a VP in the company made me see the number of varying roles and opportunities that could allow me to move on from store operations and try something new, without having to leave.
Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two): I’m currently developing a social impact strategy, which helps keep community and connection at the heart of Starbucks. An example of this is when I worked with NHS Charities Together on the festive NHS giveaway, where every Starbucks store in the UK offered a free beverage to all NHS workers as a small token of thanks for everything they do.
I also work closely with marketing to ensure we communicate the charity related programmes we have and find the most effective strategies to improve both internal and external awareness of these initiatives.
What does a typical day look like for you? Before anything I start my day with an iced coffee – even in winter! But that’s probably where the routine ends, as each day can be quite different. It could be meeting with a charity partner to discuss how we can support their upcoming campaigns or working with the product and finance team on donating a percentage of profits from the sale of an item.
One thing that stays consistent though, is that I always make sure I have the mindset of bringing the best possible impact to the communities of which Starbucks is a part.
Tell us how you went about applying for your job: I’d already been working in the product team in the UK Support Center (aka the head office) for 18 months when a job opportunity came up in the sustainability team. Reading the job description felt like someone had decided to hire for a role which was designed for me.
All the management and senior team surrounding me were so encouraging that it gave me the confidence to get over that dreaded ‘imposter syndrome’ and tell myself the job was mine, which it now is.
What’s the best part about working for a food & drink company? I love seeing the development of food and beverages, being asked for my opinion on a new product 12 months before it reaches our stores will never not be exciting. A constant supply of premium coffee in the office is quite the bonus too!
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And what’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink? That everything revolves around product and the present day. Coffee and craft is incredibly important to us, but it should also be about people, experiences, learning and preparing for the future. So particularly with larger international brands, a promise to ‘give more than we take’ really ensures we actively engage with company values and go beyond just selling coffee.
What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry? Have experience on the ground, in stores, whether you’re serving coffee, making pizza or stacking shelves, having experience working the day-to-day operations of the business has given me the unique knowledge that ultimately provides me with an invaluable viewpoint, relevant in more decision making than you might think.
What’s your ultimate career dream? Ultimately, who knows! I think I have a lot more learning to do, and experience to gain before I know where I want to end up. I just know whatever I do, it needs to have a positive impact and align with my personal values.
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