How to Handle Food-Related Interviews

Yahoo lists some do's and don'ts for handling lunch interviews, but these are good suggestions for any meal that's part of an interview process (I've had them at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.) Here are their do's:

• Learn about the restaurant in advance.
• Engage your interviewer about the restaurant and why they chose it.
• Beware the overly affable interviewer.
• Ask questions about the hiring manager first.
• Turn off your mobile phone.

My take on these:

1. I think this is a waste of time myself. I'd rather spend time learning about the company and the interviewer than researching the history of the restaurant. Besides, do that many restaurants really have something that interesting in their past that it's worth mentioning? Probably not.

2. Sure. Polite smalltalk is a good way to get started.

3. Yes! As I said in Advice on Second Interviews, "Never, ever let your guard down. EVERYTHING you say and do is part of your interview process and can and will be used against you by a hiring committee/manager." This includes everything about the meal -- the discussion, how you interact with people, the time you show up, etc. Remember that you're always on stage during the entire interview process and act accordingly.

4. I'm not sure about the "first" part, but you'll certainly want to hear about the manager as part of this discussion.

5. Of course. In fact, turn your phone off for the whole day -- not just for lunch.

And here are their don'ts:

• Immediately start selling yourself.
• Appear picky.
• Talk too much.
• Order the most expensive thing on the menu, or multiple courses.
• Be rude to wait staff or show up late.

My take on these:

1. You won't want to start off selling yourself immediately, but you will want to sell yourself at some point. After all, that's your key focus for being at this meal, isn't it?

2. Order something you know you'll like, but be flexible if it's not 100% perfect. This meal is not about the meal -- it's about you and the company potentially hiring you -- so make the meal as small a part of the event as possible:

3. Just like in any interview, you don't want to monopolize the conversation.

4. Just order something simple and basic. I also order something smaller than what I'd normally eat since I don't want to be overly full for follow-up meetings (if the meal is during the day.)

5. How you treat others (in both manners and time) is a direct reflection upon your personality and potentially on your work ethic. Be sure anything reflected in these areas is positive.

Added tip from me: order something easy to eat. Avoid items like bone-in-chicken and pasta with splashy sauces. The last thing you want to do at an interview meal is fight with your food (like cutting chicken off bones) or end up with sauce on your shirt/tie for the rest of the day.

Comments

[snow_drops]

Oh, and avoid garlic or other ingredients that will leave a strong smell in your mouth long after the meal is done. ^_^

[My Life ROI]

I've been to a lunch interview where the interviewer ordered ribs. I don't know if it was to throw me off or because they were clueless... but gross.

I think the "easy to eat" comment is key.

MLR

[Felicia]

I have a lunch interview at the end of the week and I'll be sure to keep all of these points in mind. Thanks for the advice!

[dogatemyfinances]

Wow, you must not have gone on many of these.

You obviously research the restaurant: interviews, client meeting, networking event, whatever. You just read the reviews.

It's so you can say things like, I read the miso-crusted salmon here is exceptional or I've always wanted to the goat cheese spread here. That makes you sound like a human being that they might want to talk to about a common interest, FOOD.

[FMF]

Dog --

If someone said that to me, I'd think:

1. "Wow, that was strange." (no one I know/like talks like that.)

2. "Boy, he has a lot of time on his hands." (to get that in tune with a restaurant)

3. "Next." See #1. I don't want to work with you.

How about:

"What do you like here?"

"Do you know what their specialty is?"

"Have you been here before?"

I've NEVER researched a restaurant and I've NEVER had a problem with the interview because I wasn't up to speed on their miso-crusted salmon.

[Matt]

My opinion on researching the restaurant is to a. know where it is so you won't be late, b. know what is on the menu, so you don't waste valuable time looking at it, c. know the menu again so that you aren't surprised or grossed out by anything on it, d. know if any cultural tricks come with that type of restaurant in case the interviewer is testing you on that kind of thing.

But yes, research the restaurant so there are no surprises.