You’ve built a killer resume for the restaurant cleaning jobs that you want and applied to every job in the area. Some of them call you back for interviews.
Now what? How do you deal with the dreaded classic interview questions? What unique questions will you have to answer in order to gain employment in this sector? While we can’t know every question in advance, here are some typical ones and how to prepare for them.
1. What’s your biggest flaw?
This question has been around for years. It’s always a bit of a doozy. The interviewer is asking you tell him something bad about yourself. If you tell him something bad, he shouldn’t hire you. If you DON’T tell him something bad, you’re telling him that you’re not capable of honest self-reflection. So what should you do?
A unique, honest answer is usually enough to get past this question. Spend some time thinking about yourself. Come up with a business-appropriate way to word your answer. “I’m lazy” is probably not good. “I don’t start my work until I need to in order to meet a deadline” is a bit better.
Try to avoid looking for pre-written answers to this question on the internet. Interviewers will have heard them before and know that you just googled. This isn’t a dealbreaker (it shows that you prepared, at the very least) but it can be a point against you at some companies.
2. How would you clean [object]?
This one is a bit more specific to cleaning jobs. While it’s perfectly okay to weasel out of this one with an “I don’t know” or “I’d ask a co-worker,” preparing well for this question can score you a lot of points.
Do your research beforehand and ask any friends in the restaurant industry about common cleaning scenarios. Many of your household techniques will still work, but there’s a lot less time on-the-job.
This means you often can’t wait around while you soak something in vinegar, for example.
3. What’s the difference between cleaning a restaurant and an office?
If you’ve listed cleaning duties at an old job on your resume (and you should), expect this question. Restaurants differ in a lot of ways, but the way it’ll affect you depends on your job description. Cleaning up after customers is very different than cleaning the kitchen.
Be sure you understand how much of which type of cleaning will be assigned to you. In general, office workers don’t expect you to clean up after them, while customers at a restaurant do. Kitchens are cleaned to a very high standard.
Due to the constant cooking, the types of messes you’ll encounter are different than those you might find in an office.
Prepare for success
Thoroughly reading the job description and doing a bit of research can go a long way towards making an interview successful. By preparing for your interviews for cleaning jobs in restaurants, you’ll show managers that you’re serious about working.
With a little luck and some persistence, you’ll be sure to get the job you want!
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