Interview: Expect the Unexpected
While some job seekers in the hospitality industry find the initial interview process to be a breeze, others struggle with the process. One of the biggest issues cited comes in the form of answering the unexpected or ad hoc questions that may be asked by their interviewer. While there’s no surefire way to prepare yourself for every possible question that may arise, there are a number of steps you can take in order to boost your confidence when it comes to providing answers to the unexpected. Recruit Friends or Family for Assistance Friends, family members and even previous co-workers or managers all make for great resources when it comes to helping you prepare for an interview. Not only can they ask you specific questions that you’ve come up with, they can also come up with some questions completely on their own. Apart from instilling confidence in your ability to answer unexpected questions, this also strengthens your ability to think on your feet without hesitation. Rely on Past Interview Experiences Think back to your past interview experiences. This is especially useful if you can recall interviews you’ve had within the hospitality industry. While you obviously won’t be able to remember every single question and answer from the past, this serves as a good launching point when it comes to ensuring preparedness for nearly any question that may be asked in upcoming interviews. Research, Research, Research! If you are new to the hospitality field, do your research beforehand. Not only will this give you an idea of the kinds of questions you can expect during the interview and onboarding process, it can also give you a better idea of whether or not the hospitality industry is a right fit for your skill set. Even if you’ve been in the field of hospitality for quite some time, it never hurts to research a company before entering the interview process. This is incredibly useful when it comes to preparing for any ad hoc or unexpected questions that may arise during the initial interview. Finding Help With RMG While the above tips are great when it comes to preparing for possible interview questions, it’s not enough to prepare you for every question that might be asked. If you find you are struggling with the interview process, please contact the Miami staffing professionals at RMG today!
Using Situational Answers During an Interview
While many job seekers spend the majority of their time preparing for questions that involve their past employers, academic history or day-to-day responsibilities, employers within the hospitality industry tend to look for specific examples of problem solving, conflict resolution and customer service from your career. As such, they’re bound to ask situational or even hypothetical questions during the interview process, as a means of identifying and targeting top talent. Requirements of a Situational Answer Apart from concrete achievements and hard facts or figures, a situational answer requires several qualities from the interviewee. First and foremost, it requires a high level of problem-solving expertise on your behalf. By asking a hypothetical or situational question, your interviewer is really trying to gauge your ability to think on your feet and react on the fly. Next, situational answers also require a great deal of analytical prowess on your part. The ability to quickly analyze the question, review your past achievements and deliver a cohesive answer is an art that can only be mastered through practice. As such, you may want to rehearse the interview process with a friend, co-worker or even in front of a mirror. While this won’t prepare you for every possible situational question, it can help you prepare by reviewing your most recent and relevant accomplishments in the field. Learning Experiences One of the most effective strategies you can use when providing a situational answer, especially if it could be conceived as a shortcoming or potential downfall, is to describe how you’ve been able to learn from your past experiences. Employers of today realize that nobody is perfect, so it’s crucial that you are able to illustrate how you’ve been able to rectify any prior mistakes or inefficiencies. If this was achieved through extracurricular training or development, make sure to mention that during the interview. Not only does this show motivation and initiative on your behalf, it is something that can usually be verified by a potential employer or hiring manager. Difficult Situations Describing how you’ve been able to overcome a complicated situation in a prior job, whether this pertains to a troublesome co-worker, a difficult task or an unfair manager, can also go a long way in demonstrating your self-motivation, commitment and persistence. While you should take care to maintain professionalism when describing such situations, especially if it involves a former manager or supervisor, the ability to overcome adversity, complexity and difficulty in the workplace is a highly desirable trait in the hospitality industry today. A Lack of Career Experience Situational questions can be even more difficult when you have little or no experience in the field. If this is the case, mention it to the interviewer. You might still be able to answer their questions, however, by relying on your past experiences in school or life in general. If so, don’t hesitate to do so. This can go a long way when trying to make up for experience in the hospitality industry or trying to fill in gaps or periods of unemployment throughout your career. Turn That Interview Into Your Next Job There’s no denying the stress and worry of a job interview. However, the process doesn’t need to be so stressful. If you need help refining and developing your interview skills, or even if you need help securing an interview in the first place, contact the staffing professionals at RMG Staffing today!
How Long Should My Hospitality Resume Be?
The topic of resume length is a highly contested debate in the hospitality industry. While you may be excited to submit your four-page resume that highlights every single job you’ve had and every menial task you’ve accomplished, this approach usually isn’t conducive to today’s fast-paced job market. Remember, the purpose of the resume is to highlight your skills that are most relevant to the type of job you are applying for. With that in mind, there are a number of factors to consider when trying to decide on the right length for your hospitality resume. Keep It to No More Than Two Pages Although some of the most successful resumes only consist of one page, this isn’t a requirement. In fact, condensing your career history into one page may not even be possible, especially when you consider the heading of your resume, formatting quirks and bullet points. However, a two-page resume is generally considered the maximum length for resumes in the hospitality industry. If you are having difficulty summarizing your experience in two pages, there are a number of tricks you can use in order to trim some of the excess content. Trimming the Content For starters, try to focus your bullet points on concrete achievements, statistics and facts instead of detailing vague accomplishments, menial duties or general tasks. Such achievements will carry even more weight if they are verifiable, though this isn’t required by any means. Moreover, keep these bullet points brief and concise. Sticking to the facts will let you avoid excess verbiage and give you more space to list your past accomplishments and skills. Next, try to eliminate redundancies wherever possible. While you may have multiple jobs where you served patrons, greeted guests or provided general customer service, it’s not necessary to list such points under every single job description in your resume. Instead of repeating yourself, try to utilize the space to highlight new and different aspects of your career. Alternatively, the strategic use of keywords can go a long way in eliminating redundancies such as this. Simply indicating that you have expertise in customer service, either in the resume’s opening paragraph, in a section devoted to skills or even in your cover letter, can be used to indicate your prior experience in serving customers, greeting patrons and working with the general public. Separate keywords can be used to group other related jobs, concepts or tasks. Finding Opportunities in Hospitality If you need assistance in developing your resume, writing a cover letter or even finding that next big opportunity in the hospitality industry, don’t hesitate to contact the professionals at RMG Staffing today!