How to impress at hospitality, leisure and tourism graduate job interviews

There are many different types of organisation in the hospitality, leisure and tourism sector and each one has its own recruitment process. Graduate programmes and management training schemes use an assessment centre whereas entry-level roles will probably follow a more traditional interview process. Whichever way an employer chooses to assess you, preparation is key to making a favourable impression.

Interviews

Most organisations regard the interview as the beginning of the real business of selection. They will have weeded out the weak applications and now it’s up to you to confirm the favourable impression you have already made. Interviews are an opportunity for employers to meet the people they may be working with, and for you to feel comfortable that you are joining an organisation where you’ll be happy.

Nearly all first interviews are structured around selection criteria. This makes them as objective as possible. All candidates are asked more or less the same questions. The organisation thinks up the selection criteria and then, in an interview, examines whether or not you have evidence of possessing these. Work out these criteria in advance so you can prepare your answers, but avoid sounding as if you have rehearsed them. Employers will be on the lookout for certain qualities in their potential employees. Rebecca Sutton, progress graduate scheme co-ordinator at Mitchells & Butlers, looks for self-motivation, ambition, strong leadership and team-building skills among other things. She also likes to see individuals with new ideas and the determination to succeed.

Occasionally you will push open the door to discover two or more people waiting to interview you. This can be daunting but panel interviews are often easier and sometimes fairer than the normal one-to-one. If a solitary interviewer doesn’t take a shine to you, you’re sunk, but in a panel, the same person could be over ruled by others.

Tricky interview questions

Even the most bizarre and seemingly irrelevant interview questions fit into three main categories:

• Why should we employ you?
• What interests you about the job?
• Why have you chosen to apply to us?

If you have prepared well for these, you should have a firm basis for most questions thrown at you. Think about why you want to work in the industry – it’s amazing how many candidates are caught out when asked this. You must show that you possess the knowledge and skills required for the job and have examples of when you have demonstrated them.

When being questioned about your expectations, keep in mind that recruiters are making an investment when they take on an employee. They will have thought about the training and development of their staff and are likely to be most interested in candidates who have given some thought to the future training they would like to undertake. Recruitment literature and their website will provide a fair bit of detail about the company’s commitment to the training that they offer.

With the third category of questions, you are being tested on your knowledge of the company to which you have applied. Once again, research is the key. Most organisations have websites where you can find a wealth of information about their aims and values. Make sure that you understand what the organisation does well, what makes them stand out from other organisations, and how they see themselves.

Assessment centres

If you get through the first interview, you may be invited to an assessment centre. An increasing number of employers within the hospitality, leisure and tourism sector are using these, particularly those offering formal training schemes. They are regarded as a fairer and more effective selection process than a second interview, which can be subjective. Rebecca prefers assessment centres, ‘as they enable us to identify candidates’ individual strengths and limitations based on objective measurements of relevant abilities. We also want to provide each candidate with an equal opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and give them the opportunity to assess us!’

An assessment centre (typically one or two days) brings together a group of candidates who undertake a series of exercises and assessments. These can include group exercises, a presentation, a series of aptitude tests or a case study linked to the job function that you have applied for. These give you the opportunity to demonstrate that you possess the personal and technical skills required for the job.

An organisation will design its own assessment centre. If you identified its selection criteria for your first interview, then keep these in mind throughout your time at the centre. Every test, exercise and interview will match you against these criteria.

An example assessment centre

At Rebecca’s organisation, the assessment centre begins with a group exercise to see how candidates interact with other people. Candidates also complete a numerical test to assess their general numeracy. They are then required to complete a competency-based interview, which is measured against a set of competences as well as helping to demonstrate a candidate’s own abilities and personality.

Top tips for interviews

• Be prepared – know where you are going and arrive five minutes early.
• First impressions count – give a warm smile and a firm handshake.
• Summarise your greatest achievements and employment history.
• Imagine you are the interviewer, what would you want to know?
• Prepare lots of different examples.
• Listen carefully but ask if uncertain.
• Remember questions are not there to trick you.
• Have an opinion on or issues affecting the industry.

Assessment centre know-how

• Get stuck in. You might be asked to do some strange things but don’t stand back – get involved. These exercises are designed to see how well you work with others.
• Don’t lose concentration. It’s only natural that, over a couple of days, your concentration will waver. You might, for example, find yourself overdoing the food and drink and behaving in a slightly more robust way than you should. Remember that you are constantly being observed!
• Don’t act a part. It’s quite easy, having studied an organisation’s selection criteria, to convince yourself that you need to come across, for example, much more assertively than normal. This can lead you to behave unnaturally. So don’t act a part. Be yourself but be the most positive version of yourself.