How to handle the hospitality interview

businessman-manager-at-restaurant

Whether you have an interview for a hotel bellhop job, hotel front desk receptionist job or hotel manager job, there are some key tenets that should help you with job interviews in the hotel and hospitality industry. With any job interview, you should know the responsibilities associated with the job, whether it is a security job, a manager job or a job in the laundry room. In the hotel and hospitality industry, it is a good idea to go the extra mile to get the job. Landing a hotel and hospitality job can be very competitive so it is imperative that you are well prepared to impress even the toughest interviewer and earn the job. Here are some tips on how to get that perfect hotel and hospitality job!

Do Your Homework Before the Job Interview:

These days it is easy to learn about the hotel, resort or other hospitality establishment on the internet before your job interview. Research the number of hotel locations, the size of the hotels, the hotel amenities offered, awards won and any other interesting information about the hotel or hospitality organization. Also be sure to also check on any recent news about the establishments, such as new hotel openings or management changes. While this level of detail may not be discussed during the job interview, it is a good idea to be prepared.

Know the Competition:

In the highly competitive hospitality and hotel industry, managers’ jobs include being keenly aware of their competition. Be sure to know who their competition is and be knowledgeable about any of their recent developments. If possible, visit their competitors as well and note any of the differences between their operations and the place where you will be interviewing for the job. Being as knowledgeable about the competition as possible will be very impressive to a potential future employer, particularly in the hotel and hospitality industry.

Observe the Operation:

Before the interview ideally you should spend some time in the hotel, restaurant or whatever hospitality establishment in which you are seeking a job. If economically feasible, try to dine or stay in the location so you will have first hand experience and can speak to it during the interview process. If there is not an opportunity for you to stay in the hotel or dine in a restaurant, try to at least spend some time there to get a feel for the operations.

Dress like the Locals:

Understand what the dress code is of the hotel, restaurant, casino or travel agency where you are interviewing. Dress accordingly and make sure that you look very put together. Depending on the job you are interviewing for, you may want to dress up a bit more. As an example if you are seeking a job as a housekeeper in a hotel, you should wear something nicer than uniform you will normally be wearing.

Be Timely:

While it should go without saying, never show up at a hospitality job interview late. Guests are to be treated with respect and so is the manager who you are interviewing with. By being prompt or even a bit early shows that you respect the managers’ time which also translates into respect for your future guests.

Be Ready to Show Off Your Job Skills:

Of course you are expected to talk about your past work experience in a job interview. In the hotel and hospitality industry, however, you should be ready to wow the interviewer with concise, yet compelling experiences that ideally show amazing people skills, intelligence, energy and a great attitude on the job. If you can show any tangible job successes, such as awards, promotions, or customer service job commendations, that can help show the interviewer that you have what it takes to be a success in their hotel/hospitality organization.