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Interview at Wetherspoon's

I have a job interview at a Wetherspoon's pub next week for a bar staff position and am wondering what to expect. Is it a hard interview or is it quite relaxed? Do I need to know stuff about the company or drinks or anything? I am also quite a shy person so I am worried that I won't seem confident or outgoing enough.

I desperately need this job so any advice would be greatly appreciated! :smile:

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Reply 1
I'd say generally they're pretty relaxed usually taking place in a quiet corner of the pub, they basically go through your application form/cv with you going into a bit more detail and then ask you a few other 'situation questions'.
I think they might of asked me what i know about the company and the pub, if you mention about them never playing any music for a 'better atmosphere' (assuming it's a wetherspoons and not a lloyds bar), promoting real ales and local ciders it usually goes down quite well. There's a January sale on at the minute too so maybe mention that.
They might ask if you've had any bar experience but it's not necessary and they wont ask you any specific questions about drinks or anything, they train most people from scratch.
I don't know if they still do it but they used to have a thing where they tick the number of times you smile during the interview and rate you on how positive you are, strange I know.

Good luck with it anyway, will probably be one of the easiest interviews of your life.
Wouldn't hurt to do a bit of research on the company.

Visit the bar in disguise and quietly make some observations :ninja:
Reply 3
Thanks lads :awesome:

Original post by Hello oh
I'd say generally they're pretty relaxed usually taking place in a quiet corner of the pub, they basically go through your application form/cv with you going into a bit more detail and then ask you a few other 'situation questions'.
I think they might of asked me what i know about the company and the pub, if you mention about them never playing any music for a 'better atmosphere' (assuming it's a wetherspoons and not a lloyds bar), promoting real ales and local ciders it usually goes down quite well. There's a January sale on at the minute too so maybe mention that.
They might ask if you've had any bar experience but it's not necessary and they wont ask you any specific questions about drinks or anything, they train most people from scratch.
I don't know if they still do it but they used to have a thing where they tick the number of times you smile during the interview and rate you on how positive you are, strange I know.

Good luck with it anyway, will probably be one of the easiest interviews of your life.


I hope so! :smile: I have butter-fingers though so if I get to the induction I hope I won't drop anything :K:

The Real Quaid
Visit the bar in disguise and quietly make some observations :ninja:


They've given me pretty short notice but I'll try this weekend :smile:
Reply 4
Hello oh
x


The Real Quaid
x


Hey,

I had my interview today. I turned up and bought a drink, the manager said it was on the house :biggrin:

It was about 30 mins long. I think it went quite well, I was quite nervous even though the guy said there was no need to be and seemed quite happy with my answers.

He said "This isn't like traditional Wetherspoon's pubs", because it turns into a "party pub" at 8pm with a live DJ. He said it gets crazy on Friday and Saturday nights, and said "After your induction I'll understand if you feel like you can't hack it."

I am quite a shy/nervous person so the thought of being faced with 710 (!) drunk students every weekend sounds pretty scary, but I could take bar experience anywhere.

It's just the thought of maybe getting abuse from some people that worries me, but Spoons is quite safe isn't it? :s-smilie: I've never seen bar staff getting grief from people ... I'll see how it goes. Thanks for your advice :smile:
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 5
Original post by Eunuch
Hey,

I had my interview today. I turned up and bought a drink, the manager said it was on the house :biggrin:

It was about 30 mins long. I think it went quite well, I was quite nervous even though the guy said there was no need to be and seemed quite happy with my answers.

He said "This isn't like traditional Wetherspoon's pubs", because it turns into a "party pub" at 8pm with a live DJ. He said it gets crazy on Friday and Saturday nights, and said "After your induction I'll understand if you feel like you can't hack it."

I am quite a shy/nervous person so the thought of being faced with 710 (!) drunk students every weekend sounds pretty scary, but I could take bar experience anywhere.

It's just the thought of maybe getting abuse from some people that worries me, but Spoons is quite safe isn't it? :s-smilie: I've never seen bar staff getting grief from people ... I'll see how it goes. Thanks for your advice :smile:


Out of interest is it a Lloyds bar or actual Wetherspoons pub? My pubs a wetherspoons but is right in the city centre so also gets reallyyy busy at the weekends.

You get used to it pretty quickly and going in with a laid back attitude is the best thing to do when dealing drunks. You'll naturally get the occasional **** that complains about everything, but the managers are taught to deal with them and are very much on your side most of the time.

Don't think i've ever had abuse from anyone, but if I did one of the managers would just kick them out, we have doormen on Thursday/Friday/Saturdays so they usually take care of any idiots. As a girl you'll probably be more concerned with the old pervy men that come in rather than getting abuse from someone.
Can actually be pretty fun working busy nights and time goes much quicker than on a quiet Sunday afternoons. Let us know how it goes!
Original post by Eunuch
Hey,

I had my interview today. I turned up and bought a drink, the manager said it was on the house :biggrin:

It was about 30 mins long. I think it went quite well, I was quite nervous even though the guy said there was no need to be and seemed quite happy with my answers.

He said "This isn't like traditional Wetherspoon's pubs", because it turns into a "party pub" at 8pm with a live DJ. He said it gets crazy on Friday and Saturday nights, and said "After your induction I'll understand if you feel like you can't hack it."

I am quite a shy/nervous person so the thought of being faced with 710 (!) drunk students every weekend sounds pretty scary, but I could take bar experience anywhere.

It's just the thought of maybe getting abuse from some people that worries me, but Spoons is quite safe isn't it? :s-smilie: I've never seen bar staff getting grief from people ... I'll see how it goes. Thanks for your advice :smile:


I've worked at a students union for 2 years so know a lot about student abuse :tongue: Generally you do not get much abuse from people, obviously you get some idiots but managers will always back you up against a drunk student if they're claiming they haven't been given their drinks etc. I am quite nervous as well but it isn't really a problem, if someone is doing something bad like pouring their own pints you just get a manager to sort them out :smile:
Original post by Eunuch
Hey,

I had my interview today. I turned up and bought a drink, the manager said it was on the house :biggrin:

It was about 30 mins long. I think it went quite well, I was quite nervous even though the guy said there was no need to be and seemed quite happy with my answers.

He said "This isn't like traditional Wetherspoon's pubs", because it turns into a "party pub" at 8pm with a live DJ. He said it gets crazy on Friday and Saturday nights, and said "After your induction I'll understand if you feel like you can't hack it."

I am quite a shy/nervous person so the thought of being faced with 710 (!) drunk students every weekend sounds pretty scary, but I could take bar experience anywhere.

It's just the thought of maybe getting abuse from some people that worries me, but Spoons is quite safe isn't it? :s-smilie: I've never seen bar staff getting grief from people ... I'll see how it goes. Thanks for your advice :smile:


Sounds suspiciously similar to the Whetherspoons I had an interview at last week...was yours at one in London? I thought my interview went really well but they said they'd call by Monday (never did), so I politely chased it up yesterday, the lady who answered the phone fobbed me off and told me my interviewer was with a customer so would call me back to tell me whether I got the job. He never even called me back. Really rude considering I made the effort to turn up to interview and he told me he's get back to me. Urgh. Maybe you will fare better with yours.
Great news!

You'll be safe behind the bar...and they'll have chunky bouncers to protect you as well

:smile:
Reply 9
Hello oh
x


It's a Lloyd's bar. I didn't know that :redface:

Moooooooose
x


No it wasn't in London. That sucks :frown:

Chapeau Rouge
x


The Real Quaid
x


I got a phone call this morning asking me to go in for a work trial. He asked me to go in this Saturday, which I can't, then Sunday, which I can't do either :redface: But he said next Friday is OK.

So I will see what it's like next Friday night, then if I decide I could cope with it, they'll train me up :colone: Thanks for your advice!
Sppplllendiiiiiiiiid!

Reply 11
Original post by The Real Quaid
Sppplllendiiiiiiiiid!



:awesome:
I had an interview at wetherspoons yesterday and they phoned me today offering a second interview on sunday, which is like a work trial thing for 2 hours
i was wondering if anyone else has done this, and what its like, and what they ask you to do?
Reply 13
Hi, I've passed my work trial and have been told to attend a work induction. I have a rough idea of what it would be like, I was just wondering what I'd have to wear to it (casual, etc). My "uniform" at work is casual, jeans and black top, and was thinking the induction might be the same?
I used to work in the kitchen at a new Wetherspoons, got treated like crap considering I was only 16 but the bar staff have a much better run of it :smile:

The interview will be pretty easy, just stay calm, they might ask you questions like 'what do you do if a customer complains their food is cold?' Just always say to replace it immediately.

Another question they might ask about is local Wetherspoons pubs so make sure you know any local ones, especially if they ask you your favourite and why. I had never been to a Wetherspoons in my life when I had my interview but managed to bull**** my way through it and ended up with a job. You'll be fine :smile:
Original post by Lisa_P
Hi, I've passed my work trial and have been told to attend a work induction. I have a rough idea of what it would be like, I was just wondering what I'd have to wear to it (casual, etc). My "uniform" at work is casual, jeans and black top, and was thinking the induction might be the same?


Is that what they've told you the uniform is? Cos uh, I'm fairly certain that it's not. Wetherspoons employees on the bar all wear a Wetherspoons shirt and black trousers (different dark colours and whatever top they want for the managers) and the kitchen staff get given kitchen scrubs to wear.

Your induction will be watching videos, and filling out a ****eload of booklets. Enjoy :smile:
Reply 16
Original post by kiss_me_now9
Is that what they've told you the uniform is? Cos uh, I'm fairly certain that it's not. Wetherspoons employees on the bar all wear a Wetherspoons shirt and black trousers (different dark colours and whatever top they want for the managers) and the kitchen staff get given kitchen scrubs to wear.

Your induction will be watching videos, and filling out a ****eload of booklets. Enjoy :smile:


I know a few pubs were trialling a 'casual' uniform code, but I have no idea where or if they're still doing it :smile:
Reply 17
I've got mine tomorrow at 2pm.

Considering I was a waitress/head of house for two years back home I don't really mind dealing with customers (drunk, bitchy, argumentative... I've had 'em all) but I didn't actually interview for that job. I just got given it through my sister who worked there previously.

I've only had a couple of other interviews before... Hopefully if this is casual like others say I shouldn't get in too much of a flap. Just have to figure out what to wear..
Original post by kiss_me_now9
Is that what they've told you the uniform is? Cos uh, I'm fairly certain that it's not. Wetherspoons employees on the bar all wear a Wetherspoons shirt and black trousers (different dark colours and whatever top they want for the managers) and the kitchen staff get given kitchen scrubs to wear.

Your induction will be watching videos, and filling out a ****eload of booklets. Enjoy :smile:


Well I work at a lloyds and we dont have spoons shirts, just have to wear plain black ones and on a weekend after 8 (i think just the weekend, don't ever really work during the week) you dont have to wear a shirt, just something black.

For anyone who may be interviewed etc....

My interview was fairly casual, got asked a little bit about the pubs but not alot, i had no experience of bar work so just spoke alot about my experience with customers in general.

My work trial was strange, was fairly quiet in the pub and i didnt really do much, managed to serve a couple of people though.

After I was offered the job it then took them ages to organise an induction coz they are done on like a mass scale and they were all on tuesdays when i was at uni, but eventually got one on a sunday, wwas pretty long winded, a lot of watching videos and filling stuff out, don't think it really matters what you wear to it tbh unless its at your pub!!

Then my first shift was a very busy friday night!! This was back in December.

xx
Original post by Rhiani-ani-on
Well I work at a lloyds and we dont have spoons shirts, just have to wear plain black ones and on a weekend after 8 (i think just the weekend, don't ever really work during the week) you dont have to wear a shirt, just something black.


Really? :lolwut: My induction/interview had a twenty minute segment devoted to the proper way to wear the uniform... Black trousers, black closed in shoes, leather, black Lloyds (and Monster) branded shirt, key fob around your neck, no ties yada yada yada... So dull. I'm not sure I like this new direction if that's what they're going for then :/

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