From management and guest services to the front desk and housekeeping , there are a great number of positions to be filled in hotels. This is good news for any job seeker who enjoys face-to-face interaction and likes to serve people. As with most any job, however, you will need to shine during the interview. Read on for a few tips to point you in the right direction.
Big Smile = Big Payoff
In a hotel interview, let “Customer service with a smile” be your credo. Unless you’re stuck in the back of the hotel and given no contact with customers, you will most certainly be expected to put on a happy face and meet the demands of patrons with a smile in your face and in your voice. Therefore, it will behoove you to show your friendly side during the job interview. Don’t overdo it, though—there’s a fine line between “happy to be here” and “just plain creepy.”
Not All Hotels are the Same
If you think that all hotels are cut from the same cloth, think again. Personnel at a ritzy hotel will have a different attitude than the employees at a more down-to-earth, budget-conscious hotel. It is true that you should always dress your best during a job interview, but you might consider adjusting your attire—and your attitude—depending on the individual hotel and its location.
Be Familiar with All Aspects of the Business
It is not unusual for an individual with a hotel job to take on more than one role, and workers frequently assist or cover for each other. One well-known hotel chain’s pre-interview guidelines explicitly state that their interview questions “cover subject areas from customer service and hotel operations to work history and teamwork.” If you’re serious about working at a hotel, then be ready to learn about not just your own job, but everybody else’s, too.
Stressful Situations? No problem!
When interviewing for a hotel job, no matter what your position will be, you will need to convey to the interviewer that you can handle stressful situations. Tell the interviewer about instances when you patiently and successfully handled irate customers, workers not showing up, and/or medical emergencies. You want to give the distinct impression that you can handle surprises with aplomb.
A Sunny Disposition
Most importantly, put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes. Surely, he or she will want to hire someone with a great attitude as well as a strong work ethic. So be prepared, keep that smile glued on your face, and get ready to take on your next hotel job.
