[alabelle]

(Original post by KieranDJ)
Ha-Har!
Seriously though, Don't eat all the pies, I worked as a chef last summer and put on so much weight! ha.

Easier said than done, I'll bet! I'm only human!
I'll try though.

[Racheld25]

(Original post by alabelle)
Thanks. I suppose it's mostly common sense...
The confidence is probably the most difficult bit. I'll just pretend I know what I'm doing and hope it looks genuine. Nah, I'm sure I'll be fine as long as I'm friendly and whatnot...
The item(s) thing I can do though, hehe... their baked bean and cheese melts are to die for.

Baked bean & cheese melts - I'm totally with you there
It it mostly common sense, you're right.
Good Luck with your interview!

[Arekkusu]

(Original post by alabelle)
Hehe that was my first reaction... mmm their sausage rolls...
I'm gonna get so fat if I get the job and there's a discount. Might be worth it though.

I worked at Greggs. I'm a classic ectomorph, who spends most of his time eating and yet still can't hit ten stone. EVEN I got fat. You get a half-price discount. (but you might be put off when you learn just how unhealthy the food is!!)

In terms of the work it was a right bugger at the time, making sandwiches for two hours straight at lightning speed is a bit like a Chinese sweatshop, but there is a perverse sense of achievement. You need to be able to deal with:
- copious amount of burns
- wearing a ridiculous costume that makes you look like a 1300's farmhand
- endless chatter about Peter Andre, babies, Eastenders, babies, Oceana, and babies
- an average 10% quotient of mad people coming into the shop

[FormerlyHistoryStudent]

I've worked there as both a normal team member and as management. The interview will be based around the company's 'core values' - look these up on their website, memorise them and then when they ask you questions in the interview, try to relate your answers to the core values. The interview will be split into different sections of questions, one section for each value. Other things to consider are;

- Wear smart- casual clothes
- Have clean hair and fingernails

(They'll be noting how good your personal hygeine seems to be - not surprising, given that it's a food environment.)

- Try not to be too nervous, because they genuinely want you to do well, and will do their best to put you at ease. You can ask them to rephrase the question if you don't quite understand the first time.

- Bear in mind that it is a food environment, so some of the questions will be relevant to this. So you might want to research some things about food hygeine, for example

- Being outgoing is a Good Thing

[alabelle]

(Original post by Racheld25)
Baked bean & cheese melts - I'm totally with you there
It it mostly common sense, you're right.
Good Luck with your interview!

Thanks!

[FormerlyHistoryStudent]

(Original post by Arekkusu)
- an average 10% quotient of mad people coming into the shop

Does liven things up though you must admit! What kind of eccentrics did you get in?

[alabelle]

(Original post by Arekkusu)
I worked at Greggs. I'm a classic ectomorph, who spends most of his time eating and yet still can't hit ten stone. EVEN I got fat. You get a half-price discount. (but you might be put off when you learn just how unhealthy the food is!!)

In terms of the work it was a right bugger at the time, making sandwiches for two hours straight at lightning speed is a bit like a Chinese sweatshop, but there is a perverse sense of achievement. You need to be able to deal with:
- copious amount of burns
- wearing a ridiculous costume that makes you look like a 1300's farmhand
- endless chatter about Peter Andre, babies, Eastenders, babies, Oceana, and babies
- an average 10% quotient of mad people coming into the shop

Oh dear, hehe. I feel like I put on weight just looking at food, so I should probably steer clear then. This isn't working out well for my poor body. The only two places I've managed to apply at are Greggs and McDonalds, but I'm not sure which would be worse nutrition-wise. I'll probably be able to resist in time though...

And ouch! Sounds tough... Eep about the burns, I got a giant scald down my stomach a few weeks ago so I can relate to that bit at least, haha. But I'm sure I can handle chit-chat (I'm a girl ) and at leas some mad people (insanity is entertaining... right? )

[alabelle]

(Original post by FormerlyHistoryStudent)
I've worked there as both a normal team member and as management. The interview will be based around the company's 'core values' - look these up on their website, memorise them and then when they ask you questions in the interview, try to relate your answers to the core values. The interview will be split into different sections of questions, one section for each value. Other things to consider are;

- Wear smart- casual clothes
- Have clean hair and fingernails

(They'll be noting how good your personal hygeine seems to be - not surprising, given that it's a food environment.)

- Try not to be too nervous, because they genuinely want you to do well, and will do their best to put you at ease. You can ask them to rephrase the question if you don't quite understand the first time.

- Bear in mind that it is a food environment, so some of the questions will be relevant to this. So you might want to research some things about food hygeine, for example

- Being outgoing is a Good Thing

Thanks! All that information is very useful... and the only part that worries me is the part about being outgoing. I'm a natural introvert, but hopefully I can pretend otherwise haha! Just kidding, I'm sure even I can manage to look lively for a few hours...

[FormerlyHistoryStudent]

(Original post by alabelle)
Thanks! All that information is very useful... and the only part that worries me is the part about being outgoing. I'm a natural introvert, but hopefully I can pretend otherwise haha! Just kidding, I'm sure even I can manage to look lively for a few hours...

Well, tbh I'm a natural introvert too, and I still got the job You don't have to crack jokes or talk a mile a minute or anything, all I meant really is that being friendly and warm is a good idea. I really made an effort in my interview not to just reply to questions with one or two word answers, for example.

If there's one thing you do to prepare, it must be to go onto their website, read about their core values and memorise them. Nearly every question you'll get asked will be about one or another of them, so it's to your advantage to be able to work the relationship between them and personal experiences of yours, into your replies.

[United...]

(Original post by FormerlyHistoryStudent)
Does liven things up though you must admit! What kind of eccentrics did you get in?

we get a guy who wears a kilt and buys 4 packs of derby scones every sat this week he told he his ex wife wont let him near his grandchildren haha hes a complete fruit loop.

[alabelle]

(Original post by FormerlyHistoryStudent)
Well, tbh I'm a natural introvert too, and I still got the job You don't have to crack jokes or talk a mile a minute or anything, all I meant really is that being friendly and warm is a good idea. I really made an effort in my interview not to just reply to questions with one or two word answers, for example.

If there's one thing you do to prepare, it must be to go onto their website, read about their core values and memorise them. Nearly every question you'll get asked will be about one or another of them, so it's to your advantage to be able to work the relationship between them and personal experiences of yours, into your replies.

Yeah... I'm sometimes REALLY shy so I'll definitely avoid that, but other than that it sounds like I'll be fine. This all seems far less scary than it was this afternoon when I got the phone call, haha.

And thanks for the heads up. I'll do that for definite.

[alabelle]

(Original post by United...)
we get a guy who wears a kilt and buys 4 packs of derby scones every sat this week he told he his ex wife wont let him near his grandchildren haha hes a complete fruit loop.

He sounds brilliant...

[FormerlyHistoryStudent]

(Original post by alabelle)
Yeah... I'm sometimes REALLY shy so I'll definitely avoid that, but other than that it sounds like I'll be fine. This all seems far less scary than it was this afternoon when I got the phone call, haha.

And thanks for the heads up. I'll do that for definite.

That's OK. Make sure to let us know how you did!

[FormerlyHistoryStudent]

(Original post by United...)
we get a guy who wears a kilt and buys 4 packs of derby scones every sat this week he told he his ex wife wont let him near his grandchildren haha hes a complete fruit loop.

I had a woman come in once who insisted on whispering in my ear that her nickname for sausage rolls was 'penis rolls'...

[United...]

(Original post by alabelle)
He sounds brilliant...

(Original post by FormerlyHistoryStudent)
I had a woman come in once who insisted on whispering in my ear that her nickname for sausage rolls was 'penis rolls'...

Lol funny as, especially when me 17 and a work mate whos 19 are left in charge of the shop have a right laugh, alabelle if you get good colleagues .you'll be fine.

[alabelle]

(Original post by FormerlyHistoryStudent)
That's OK. Make sure to let us know how you did!

I will I hope I find out pretty soon after the interview... I've spent so long waiting for university replies that I think all my patience for the year is used up, haha. Maybe I'll get lucky and get one of those people who hint to you at the end if you get it.

[alabelle]

(Original post by FormerlyHistoryStudent)
I had a woman come in once who insisted on whispering in my ear that her nickname for sausage rolls was 'penis rolls'...

Oh dear!
I don't think I'll ever look at sausage rolls in the same way again...

[alabelle]

(Original post by United...)
Lol funny as, especially when me 17 and a work mate whos 19 are left in charge of the shop have a right laugh, alabelle if you get good colleagues .you'll be fine.

That sounds fun, haha... I just hope I get the job! But good colleagues are important so I hope I get those too.

[alabelle]

Does anyone work weekends? If so, how many hours do you usually work?

[alabelle]

(Original post by Alans Amp)
I work at Greggs and its amazing!

I normally work 10 hours over saturday and sunday. But I am sometimes asked to stay a couple of hours till close if its been really busy.

I prefer working till close as i get to take home lots of stuff and its alot quieter than day time

Really? Awesome.

And 10 hours sounds good... really, the more hours I get the better, haha.
Thanks for the info!