4 Useful interview tips for hotel jobs

Are you considering working in a hotel? There are various hotel jobs that you can do out there. If you don’t have any experience you can get your foot in the door if you start working as a porter, front desk clerk, concierge or waiter / waitress. Also take note that most hotels required housekeeping, room service and kitchen staff and usually these fields don’t require heaps of experience and massive qualifications.

If you’re thinking of becoming a restaurant manager, executive chef, kitchen manager, supervisor of guest services, front desk supervisor or housekeeping supervisor take note that you will probably need experience or a relevant qualification to do one of these hotel jobs. This also applies if you want to become a hotel manager or work in the accounting / purchasing / marketing / other administrative department for a hotel.

Requirements may differ for hotel jobs, but there are some interview tips that could prove to be useful for ALL of them:

1. Remember that image is everything in the hotel industry: Hotel employees wear uniforms to convey an impression of organization and professionalism. If you’re going for an interview at a hotel, strive to create that same image when you’re being interviewed for a position. Do research and find out what that image is.

Dress conservatively and professionally for the interview. Ladies can wear skirts, but their length should not be higher than their knees and guys should preferably wear a suit and a tie (or at least formal parts and a long sleeved buttoned-up shirt) to hotel job interviews. Keep the jewelry and rings that you wear limited and cover up any visible tattoos. Don’t show up in jeans and tekkies and expect to get hired on the spot.

It’s important to smile. If you’re working in a hotel you are expected to maintain a positive attitude (no matter the circumstances). Appear that you’re at ease and try to keep your hands folded in your lap during the interview (if you like talking with your hands). Keep in mind that you will be expected to help guests feel at ease so you’ll need to convey a relaxed attitude.

2. Be flexible: Keep in mind that hotels do not close for Christmas or other public holidays and that weekends are usually the busiest days of the week for them. For these reasons hotels generally look for candidates with wide-open schedules. You need to be willing to sacrifice weekends and holidays and if you express your willingness to work overtime and cover shifts during the interviews you could be one step closer to the job.

3. Focus on your reliability: If you want to work in a hotel, you need to be punctual and reliable. Hotel managers want employees who show up for work on time and to help where they are needed. Be on time for your interview, showing up late will not increase your chances. If you live far away from the hotel, make sure that you show up for the interview at least 15-30 minutes early. If you’re asked in the interview about your best qualities, focus on your great attendance record and willingness to work overtime and cover shifts at prior jobs.

4. Focus on your customer-service skills: When you’re applying for hotel jobs, place emphasis on your customer service skills and experience in your CV (even though that may not have been your main task in your previous job) and highlight those points during the interview. Prepare yourself for questions like “when and how have you resolved a situation with an angry customer?” or “how you define great customer service?” that may pop up in the interview. Practice your answers in the car before the interview so you can deliver  them with confidence (while smiling).

Well, there you have it 4 useful interview tips for hotel jobs. If there’s anything else that you can add to this list, feel free to comment on this article.

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