If you’re new to the hospitality industry and on the hunt for the right entry-level job to start your career, it’s helpful to know what to expect when you walk into the interview. As with any job interview, you’ll want to do a little research beforehand on the establishment and the expectations of the role, but it’s also important that you come prepared with ideas on how you’ll answer the interview questions.

Consider the following common entry-level positions in the hospitality industry and the questions you’ll likely be faced with in the job interview:

Waiter

Restaurant waitstaff is expected to give great customer service, but they also need to have other key skills like being able to meet the physical demands of the job, perform basic or intermediate math, problem-solve in high-stress or chaotic situations, exercise conflict resolution with their coworkers and patrons alike and demonstrate attention to detail. 

Most job interview questions for waiters or waitresses will help employers understand if you have the basic skills required to perform the job, but hiring managers are also evaluating whether or not you have the right personality or “soft skills” to get along with the rest of the team and keep customers happy.

1. Do you have any restaurant experience? 
2. How would you handle an angry customer? 
3. Are you comfortable with the physical demands of the job?
4. What does good customer service mean to you?
5. Why do you want to work here?

Housekeeper 

Housekeeping jobs are one of the most popular entry-level hospitality jobs for job seekers looking to break into the industry, and a hotel housekeeper career path provides ample opportunities to grow and move into management or leadership positions as you gain more experience. In the early days of your job search, though, you’re likely to be asked these questions: 

1. What skills do you think all good housekeepers should have?
2. Do you have any related experience? 
3. Why did you choose to become a housekeeper?
4. What hours are you willing to work?
5. What do you find rewarding about a hotel housekeeper job?

Dishwasher 

Horst Schultz, Co-Founder of the Ritz-Carlton. Walter Isenberg, CEO of Sage Hospitality. Nehme Imad Darwiche, CEO of Darwiche Worldwide Legacy Group. These are just a few hospitality superstars who got their start in the kitchen washing dishes. 

Dishwashing is one of the most popular entry-level jobs available to people with little to no previous experience. This is a key support position in any kitchen environment, and it’s also a great stepping stone that can take you into other higher-paying positions in the restaurant or hotel industry.

1. Do you have any kitchen experience? 
2. How do you stay calm in a stressful environment?
3. Where do you see yourself in 1 year? In 5 years? 
4. Why did you leave your last job? 
5. Why should we hire you? 

Cook

Entry-level cook positions usually require only basic culinary skills and are great positions for those just starting out in the food industry and for culinary students looking to gain valuable kitchen experience and build their resumes. Many cook positions, even the most entry-level ones, require some minimal background, skills, or training in cooking or food preparation, so you can expect job interview questions related to your previous experience in the kitchen and also your future career goals. Here’s a sampling of what you can expect to be asked in the job interview for restaurant cook or hotel cook jobs:

1. Tell us about your previous kitchen experience.
2. What are your long-term career plans?
3. What would you do if a customer or a colleague criticized your dish?
4. Why do you want to be a cook?
5. Who inspires you the most? 

Driver

From delivery services, shuttles, passenger or guest transport, tour operators, valet, and parking attendants, among others, the hospitality industry provides many different opportunities for drivers that range from full-time, long-term careers to part-time gig positions. In short, if you’re looking to find flexible work that doesn’t require much experience and offers you the position to grow within a company or industry, a driver job is a good option. 

Expect that many of the questions you’ll be asked in the job interview will be related to your driving record or skills and safety — drivers, after all, have the important responsibility of keeping their passengers and guests safe at all times, so this will be a primary focus in the interview. But, you can also expect to be asked about your experience in customer service and your overall interest in the hospitality industry. Here’s what to prepare for: 

1. Tell me about your previous driving experience and your safety record. 
2. What would you do if you had a vehicle full of guests and it broke down? 
3. What kind of training do you have for driving in hazardous weather? 
4. Were you ever in an accident?
5. Let’s say you’re late in picking up a passenger or group and they are angry. How do you handle the situation?

The hospitality industry offers many points of entry for young job seekers or people with little to no previous experience in the field. While most of the job interviews for these types of entry-level positions will cover some of the same topics — like your customer service skills or your long-term career goals — each career path requires a different skill set. So to increase your chances of success on the job market and boost your chances of landing the position that you want, study up on the specific questions you might be asked and go into the interview with a good idea of how you will answer these common questions.