Wait Staff related Frequently Asked Questions by e Interview Preparation Guide

Download PDF

This sort of question takes the interview away from the detail and towards strategic issues. It allows to you see and discuss the bigger picture. It proves that you are interested in more than just the 9 to 5 aspects of the job. It can lead to interesting discussions that can show you in a good light – especially if you have done some intelligent preparation. If appropriate you can follow up this question with some questions about the objectives of the department and the manager who is interviewing you.

When you are hiring someone, typically you look for strong characteristics like integrity, work ethic, diligence, potential and so forth. Most importantly highlight how you felt the hiring would impact the company for the better.

You don't know enough about the organization yet to give a suggestion. You can talk about how you are excellent with efficiency (or something else that's important), and that once you start you will focus on finding ways to make changes that benefit the company.

Explain the situation and what the criticism was. How did you correct the problem? How did you handle the criticism?

This is a test on your creativity. A pencil could be used as a eating device, as a measurement tool, as a liquid stirring device, etc.

This question serves two purposes. It helps you to understand where the job might lead and what skills you might acquire. It also signals that you are ambitious and thinking ahead.

Give a course that you liked and why you liked it. Explain a course you didn't like, but how you were able to get through it and make it interesting enough to complete.

Explain any skills that you have that would make you unique. If you don't think you have any, then explain what you can do for the organization, what your goals are for the position, and your experience and skills that make you a great fit for the organization.

Take the time to visualize the shoe first. Then as you go through the process make sure you describe it step by step in great detail.

It is essential that you clearly understand your role and the tasks that you would be expected to undertake. It is easy to make assumptions and get the wrong impression of what the work would be so it is vital for both sides that there is clarity in what is expected of you. If the interviewer cannot give a clear answer then this is a worrying sign, so politely follow up with more questions. Some people even ask to see exactly where they will sit.

You want to show some competitive spirit because it shows drive, but you don't want to come across as arrogant. If you are going into sales, you will want to highlight your competitive spirit a bit more and explain how goals help your competitiveness.

Report it to the leaders within the company. True leaders understand business ethics are important to the company's longevity

The example you give should be one in which your team did not work well together, and you will show that you've learned from it and now use open communication to make certain everyone knows his/her role on the team.

Describe a work experience that was meaningful; explain what you were doing and why it was meaningful to you. What did you learn?

With anything comes sacrifice. The questions is how much of it are you willing to sacrifice with regards to work life balance, stress, etc?

It would be great if you did - then you could potentially use them as a referral if they thought highly of you.

Explain your short-range career goals, and explain how the job will help you achieve those goals.

This is a test to see how quickly you change jobs. Stress that you're investing your energy, time and efforts into this company for the long run (if you truly are)

Make assumptions or ask questions to begin. For example, let's assume that there are 15 million customers that leverage mail in DVDs. Of those 15 million, assuming there is a 1% loss rate, than you'll have 150,000 DVDs that are lost in the mail each year.

This question is designed to see what makes you happy and what motivates you. Explain why the particular example made you feel satisfied.

The fuzz slows down the ball in flight, keeps it from bouncing too high, and lets the racket get a better "grip" on it. A perfectly smooth ball would travel so fast and bounce so high that the game would be unplayable. Also, with a smooth ball, it would be much more difficult for the player to control the direction of the shots.

Do your market research prior to the interview to determine what a fair salary is for your experience and education for this position in this geographic area. Salary.com is just once place to find this information. Never say, "I don't know" or "it's negotiable" because it makes you look like you don't know your worth.

Work backwards on this to find the answer: There are 50 states with the mean population being X million. For every X million of people there are Y number of gas stations. Thus X times Y gives you the number of gas stations in the US.

Be honest because this could come out in a reference check. Explain why you were asked to leave the job, and what you have learned from the experience.

If you are willing to work these times, then say that. If you are not, explain why. This can get tricky, as you don't necessarily want to explain why if it gets too personal (talking about your family or that you go to church on certain days).