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I wouldn't accomplish the same if I didn't work in a team.

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I wouldn't accomplish the same if I didn't work in a team.

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I don't know a person who loves everything about their job.

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I don't know a person who loves everything about their job.

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investors want me to send them the projects

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investors want me to send them the projects

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when I realized that I had made the mistake...

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when I realized that I had made the mistake...

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What made you want to work in the restaurant industry?

Tell me about a time you gave excellent customer service.

Tell me about a time you made a customer service mistake

What do you think are the most important qualities in a server?

Are you comfortable working in a fast paced, demanding environment?

How would you deal with a demanding customer?

How do you feel about a customer that doesn’t leave a big tip?

How do you feel about sharing tips/tip sharing?

What are your career goals and how long do you plan on staying?

What hours are you available to work?

Do you consider yourself a patient person?

How would you defuse a situation with an upset customer?

What do you love about working in a restaurant?  What do you hate?

What does hospitality mean to you and how can you show that to our guest?

If I were to ask your past co-workers which you were best at: guest interaction, food knowledge, keeping the place clean or creating a fun work environment, what would they answer?

Why would you make a good addition to the team?

What made you apply here compared to other restaurants?

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Working in a restaurant could be your career, or it could be one stop on the way to your career. Either way, restaurant jobs are often competitive, because they normally pay well despite requiring only short shifts. Here are a few ways to increase your chances of getting a job in a restaurant.

1. Try Hosting First
If you don't have any previous experience, you have a better chance of landing a restaurant job as a host. Here, you'll be the first face diners see, and you'll control the seating of the restaurant. You may also have duties like procuring silverware, napkins, and bussing. Starting out as a host allows the manager to see how well you work under pressure and whether you put a good face on the restaurant when it gets busy.

2. Overdress
Whether you're going in for an interview or just inquiring about available positions, you should be a little over the top with your attire. A suit and tie is a good idea even if the restaurant is casual; it shows that you take the manager's time (and will take your job) seriously.

3. Emphasize Your Experience
Never worked in a restaurant before? Then be creative. You can parlay any volunteer, hospitality, or customer service work as learning experiences that will carry over to your restaurant job. If you've been waiting tables in a bar for years, it might be time for you to graduate to a bartending position.

Never worked in a restaurant before? Then be creative. You can parlay any volunteer, hospitality, or customer service work as learning experiences that will carry over to your restaurant job.

4. Consider Your Education
If you want to work in high-end bars or become a career bartender, consider taking a bartending class. These courses are generally inexpensive and don't take a lot of time to complete, but they can go a long way toward helping you get a bartender gig.

If you want to work in the kitchen, you should put your culinary school on your resume. Even if you're going to school full time for something unrelated, like astrophysics, include this coursework on your resume-it proves that you're conscientiousness.

5. Smile and Be Yourself
No matter what you do, restaurant jobs require you to be friendly. That means smiling naturally even when you're nervous, and making friendly conversation when your customer is being high-maintenance. You have to show your interviewer that you're polite, genuine, and sincerely happy to be there. If not, they won't trust you with customers.

6. Ask for Referrals
Chances are, you have a friend or two who work in the restaurant industry. Bartenders, waiters, and hosts tend to socialize together in large networks of people, staying closely connected even when they end their jobs. Don't be afraid to ask if their restaurant is hiring, and if it is, ask for a recommendation. If they let you know about another restaurant that's hiring, ask them to introduce you to someone there who you can make a good impression to. Referrals are a huge source of talent in this industry, but make sure you express gratitude for the help (i.e. buy them lunch or send a thank-you card).

7. Working During Tourism Season
If your city has a specific time of year when tourists flock to it -say summer in beach towns-try applying a few months or weeks out from tourism season. Generally, hiring standards are a little more lax as managers scramble to fill their restaurants with enough servers, hosts, and bartenders to handle the rush. This can get you some good experience as you continue to apply to higher-skilled positions, and will give you a good idea of how the restaurant industry works.Working in a restaurant is a really rewarding experience that allows you to work face-to-face with customers. You'll meet many different kinds of people, earn a good paycheck in a short amount of time, and stay on your feet at all times. It can be a little hard to get your foot in the door, but once you join a staff, you can have a lot of fun while earning a good living.

Need some help landing a job in this booming industry? Let LiveCareer help. The site helps you create a knockout restaurant resume in a matter of minutes-for free!

Additional Resources for Jobseekers:

More Articles about How to Get a Job in a Restaurant

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How to Get a Job in a Restaurant | Jobs | LiveCareer

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Working in a restaurant could be your career, or it could be one stop on the way to your career. Either way, restaurant jobs are often competitive, because they normally pay well despite requiring only short shifts. Here are a few ways to increase your chances of getting a job in a restaurant.

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So, you've received a server resume that sparks your interest, now how will you interview them? Do you have a question or series of questions that cuts through the BS and leads right to the meat of who the person is?

Some people interview well yet bring nothing with them to the job, they have tricked you with their clever answers and clean shirt. People are smart, they know how to answer common questions to benefit themselves. That's why some out-of-the-box questions combined with some old-fashioned human instinct can help get you the team you want to have on your side.

Below are the top 20 best interview questions that I acquired from over 100 restaurant managers -managers that lead amazing restaurants and bad-ass service teams. I hope you enjoy them, use them, learn from them and yours to the comment area below.
1. What do you like to do in your free time?

if they are quick to respond about a hobby they are more likely to be focused on whatever they do

if they have just moved to Flagstaff, they had better like the outdoors or they may not be staying too long in Flag

if they don't have much going on they could be heavy partiers

2. What drives you to be in the food and beverage industry?
This is one of my favorites, you get some great answers...
3. We like to think outside the box and want servers and staff who can think on their feet.... 4. Why are you leaving your job?
the $$ question: Besides writing, can you name 5 uses for a pencil?
5. What do you love about working in a restaurant? What do you hate?
People become very candid when they answer. If their reason is anything like they just want to make more money, didn't like the management or had problems getting along with others, those are red flags.

The answers are very enlightening about their attitude, personality and commitment.

I also ask what do they like eating and cooking.
6. This is the book that our application is based off of: How Would You Move Mount Fuji? Microsoft's Cult of the Puzzle - How the World's Smartest Company Selects the Most Creative Thinkers
And what scares them the most....

Here's an example of one of our application questions: In a circus, are you the ring leader, lion tamer, lion or spectator? Why?

I do not believe in interviews and this book explains why. This book has great insight into the hiring relationship. It also has a study from some esteemed University that has broken down "why people like other people" and it seems unexplainable. It is something in the gut that tells you within the first 5 minutes of meeting someone whether or not you like this person (or want to hire this person). I have gone off this theory ever since I read it. If I love the application and then I meet you and I get that "it" feeling you will be hired. It can work without the application but then there are more unknowns. So the application allows me to peak into your brain and see your problem solving skills, your emotional ties, and what you value.
7. Name a time when you had to deal with a conflict between staff members (i.e. verbal dispute or two people not getting along) and how did you manage this dispute?
I think it is why I like the problem solving questions so much; the person is telling you something about himself without being aware of that at all. So these questions serve 2 purposes, one is demonstrating their true problem solving skills and also how creative their mind can be. And two, it shows some true personality along with comprehension.

The answer to this question can give great insight into what kind of person you'll be dealing with and what style they have.
8. What do you drink? What are your go-to wines, personally?
You could also ask this question in a more direct way. Give a scenario (maybe a scenario that has actually happened in the restaurant) and ask how they would have handled it or how they would handle it if it happens to them in the near future.
9. How do you garnish a Manhattan? What is bourbon? What is "perfect" in a martini order?
The great thing about this question is that it puts them at ease, and lets them answer without feeling like there is a right and wrong answer. But, the answer to this shows me to what extent they are passionate about food and wine. If their answer is "Cabernet", without much explanation, it suggests that they do not spend much time learning about wine and expanding their knowledge. But, if they say "I'm a fan of Thai food, so a German Riesling, especially from Mosel or Nahe, are personal favorites" I gather that their passion for food and wine doesn't stop when they leave work.
10. How much money in comps will we spend getting you up to speed if we hire you for this position?
I can't tell you the amount of times I have hired an "experienced" server, only to find out that their alcohol knowledge is horrible. I can train them, but in a full service bar or restaurant, it is so much more helpful if they come in with the proper knowledge that every server should have anyway. Asking them these questions helps me qualify them; are they the right fit for my restaurant?
11. If a guest presents you with a coupon which clearly reads, "not valid with any other offers or discounts" and they try to use two offers, how would you react?
This question is mine, Jennifer Anderson's. I have actually never been asked this, but think it would be a great question. Every manager knows that s*^% can hit the fan, especially for the poor new guy. The poor new guy knows this as well. I believe asking this question will make the server talk about their past mistakes, (if they admit to any). It will also open a gateway for conversation about their past mistakes; how they handled them and if they own them, or if they pass the buck and blame others.
12. What's your favorite restaurant dining memory.
In an industry that is all about saying yes, it is sometimes difficult to say no. Many professional servers are very anxious when it comes to defining policy and thinking of the company's bottom line rather than their own. Sometimes small conflicts occur and must be addressed. This question is a great way to find out how they would react to this un-common but inevitable scenario.
13. These are some questions we have asked in sit down interviews.
I like this question because an applicant's answer gives me a lot of information on whether or not they're a "food person" or someone who doesn't necessarily love food but just has a history of waiting gigs. Either situation is totally okay, but I prefer people who themselves love dining as opposed to just eating.

If you were to write your own job description what would you want to do?

What qualities do you look for in the people you work with (above you, below you, beside you)?

What do you feel you should do in this position but might not enjoy?

What do you feel you should tell us but hesitate?

14. How do you gauge the success of a restaurant?

Want over 100 interview and application questions, assistance in building an add and 5 unique application templates? Over 30 pages of hiring ideas. Learn More HERE.

15. May I walk you to your car?
By seeing their definition of a successful restaurant I can gain an understanding of their priorities or, at the very least, see if their mentality is in alignment with ours. Some people might think a successful restaurant is one that is a James Beard award winner while others define success as a strong and respectful team that provides excellent service on a regular basis.
16. If there is one thing about the restaurant industry you would change, what would it be? 17. Can you tell me one of your proudest moments at work?
One other thing I like to do is have a candidate walk me out to their car at the end of the interview where I look to see how well they treat what is likely their most expensive and important possession. If it is disgusting, I try to think how they will treat the things that don't belong to them. This serves as a fairly accurate barometer.
18. What does hospitality mean to you and how can you show that to our guest?
This question is excellent! It tells me what they most value in their own abilities, what they see as important and shows their potential as an employee.
19. Have you dined with us? How could our service improve?
The first part of this question is easy. Everyone can answer it. The second part is where people stumble. Service steps for implementation can be blurry so a clear answer really shows me something about the candidate.
20. If I were to ask your past co-workers which you were best at: guest interaction, food knowledge, keeping the place clean or creating a fun work environment, what would they answer?
If they have dined with us I get feedback about the restaurant I run from a servers perspective, that's pretty powerful. If they haven't dined with us then I assume that we are one of many restaurants that received their application and I can ask them questions based on that. If they haven't dined with us then I can still ask about their last dining experience, what they would have improved if they had had the power to do so.

All of these attributes (in my own opinion) are extremely important so there is no "right" answer. Sometimes there is a "personality/specialty" gap in the team that needs to be filled. If we are having a problem with the team keeping things clean and organized, I might be more interested in the person that thinks their past co-workers would classify them being super clean.

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Follow the iamWaitress hospitality blogumentary. This year Jennifer is spending one shift with the top 100+ best restaurant service teams in the United States. Follow along and learn from the best! And if you want to become an even better server, check out her Spirits & Wine course. It's 100% Money Back Guaranteed to make you better!

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20 high impact interview questions | IamWaitress

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So, you've received a server resume that sparks your interest, now how will you interview them? Do you have a question or series of questions that cuts through the BS and leads right to the meat of who the person is?

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When interviewing for a server position, you really want to do everything you can to show the interviewer your customer service and teamwork skills. While you should always be prepared for common job interview questions, there are a few server-specific questions that you'll want to make sure you have practiced before hand.

How do you feel about tip sharing?

Tip sharing is a common practice in the restaurant industry. Be honest with the interviewer about your opinion, but remember to still put your best foot forward.

"At my previous place of employment, we had a policy of pooling our tips so I have no problem with tip sharing. I believe everyone on the team should be compensated fairly for their hard work. A great employee will be noticed and recognized regardless of the amount of tips they go home with."

Tell me about a time you gave excellent customer service.

Customer service is an integral part of being a server. Use your past experience to show the interviewer you possess this skill.

"The last company I worked for had a lot of regular customers. I formed relationships with each of them on a first name basis. One of my long-time customers was an older woman by the name of Mrs. Oaks. She came in every single week. After serving her, no matter how busy we were, I would walk her out to her car while chatting about her grandchildren, she even brought them in to meet me! It was a small gesture, but was greatly appreciated by both of us. It just goes to show how simple it is to go above and beyond to provide excellent customer service."

What made you apply here compared to other restaurants?

Use this as an opportunity to elaborate on why you would be a good fit for that particular restaurant chain and ensure the interviewer you won't accept just any job.

"I've been a frequent diner at your restaurant for years. As a customer, it is apparent that you all value great customer service skills and strong teamwork. Based on my personality and previous experience, I believe I would thrive in this environment. Being a part of such a great team would be an honor."

How would you handle a bad tip?

The harsh reality of being a server is that not all customers will leave you a good tip, or any at all. Explain to the interviewer how you deal with those situations.

"Bad tips are unavoidable. I've learned not to take them personally. The truth is not every customer will appreciate good service as much as the others. Despite the tip amount, my goal is to provide the best dining experience and service possible."

How would you defuse a situation with an upset customer?

A large part of pleasing the customer in the service industry comes down to conflict resolution. Explain how you've dealt with an upset customer and the outcome that followed.

"In my previous position, I had an instance where a customer was displeased with his meal. After listening to his concerns and apologizing, I offered the option to try something different and to take his original order off the bill. Although the issue appeared to be resolved, I still asked if he would like to speak with a manager so that he would know his issue was being heard and taken seriously."

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Server interview questions and answers | Snagajob

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When interviewing for a server position, you really want to do everything you can to show the interviewer your customer service and teamwork skills. While you should always be prepared for common job interview questions, there are a few server-specific questions that you'll want to make sure you have practiced before hand.

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Everyone needs to eat. Restaurants are one of the few jobs that will never go out of business in today's more difficult economy. As long as restaurants exist, there will be jobs available for people like you hoping to find work in a constant industry.

However, the tougher economy has affected restaurants as well. They can no longer afford to hire a bunch of employees and see which ones stay. They need to hire the right people to take on the job, so that they are not losing money due to poor customer service, theft, or turnover. Below are some possible interview questions you may face when applying for a restaurant job.

16 Sample Restaurant Interview Questions

1. What made you want to work in the restaurant industry?

2. Do you have any food allergies?

3. Tell me about a time you gave excellent customer service.

4. Tell me about a time you made a customer service mistake.

5. What do you think are the most important qualities in a server?

6. What made you apply here compared to other restaurants?

7. Are you comfortable working in a fast paced, demanding environment?

8. Are there any people you refuse to serve?

9. How would you deal with a demanding customer?

10. How do you feel about a customer that doesn't leave a big tip?

11. How do you feel about sharing tips/tip sharing?

12. What are your career goals and how long do you plan on staying?

13. What hours are you available to work?

14. Do you have any mnemonic tools you use to remember orders?

15. Do you consider yourself a patient person?

16. Have you dined at our establishment before?

Expect Several Common Interview Questions

In addition to the questions above, you will be asked a lot of common interview questions ("Tell me about yourself," etc.), and questions about the specific position and your experiences in the role (server, chef, restaurant manager, etc.). Prepare thoroughly so that you can ace the interview and beat out your competition.

Take Away Interview Tips

Thoroughly prepare for restaurant job interview questions.

Thoroughly prepare for common interview questions.

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15 Common Restaurant Job Interview Questions

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Everyone needs to eat. Restaurants are one of the few jobs that will never go out of business in today's more difficult economy. As long as restaurants exist, there will be jobs available for people like you hoping to find work in a constant industry. However, the tougher economy has affected restaurants as well.