A few days ago, I passed a main interview with the recruiter and got the position Celebrity Cruises bar waitress! I’ll just write here my experience about it, and questions asked, and maybe one of you readers would find it helpful.
I had a major interview with Jullian Rabbi. Very very nice and approachable women.
I was very very nervous, and I know you all say that the conversation with an interviewer was not a big deal, but it easy to say that after the fact. I calmed down as soon as we said hello.
The conversation was very relaxed and there was no hard questions about the ingredients of cocktails and drinks, which was the opposite of what I expected. I was prepared and on top of my game, not a single question came to me as surprise. The interview lasted about 15 minutes.
Questions:
1st. Easy introduction, I was asked to say where I live and what I do for a living.
2nd. She read my CV where it says that I have 5 years experience as a waitress, and she mentioned it. I started to talk about where I was and what I was doing.
3rd. Do you like your job?
4th. Few questions about my job: Did I work there at night, do I know how to mix cocktails, what cocktails I serve in a cafe … there I got confused for a moment and said I did not prepare cocktails.
She gave me a look, but I quickly recovered and said I didn’t know the exact amount of each ingredient, but of course I know garnishes, types of glasses, etc. to what she said great, you need to know garnishes and glasses, complete cocktails, help the bartender when he is busy …
5th. Considering that my CV claims that I have good up-selling techniques for drinks and cocktails, she asked me what is up-selling. To which I replied and continued to talk about why was a good idea to practice it, and blah blah blah …
6th. She asked me whether I often practice up-selling and asked if I get commission. I said that I have a fixed salary, as she started to talk about how on board things were different, and people work there on a percentage.
I said that I was aware of and that I liked the system that allows you to earn proportional to your work.
7th. She asked me if my supervisor was he or she. And what would he/she say about me if she was to call her and ask about my work performance.
8. Which cocktail would recommend me with vodka, tequila and rum? There I elaborated long and wide. I said I would recommend Mojito which is a cocktail with rum, mint, soda, lemon juice and a lot of ice, very refreshing … (I thought it was not enough to explain just the ingredients of cocktails, but needed to come up with a sentence or two to successfully present and market a cocktail or whatever)
9th. Do you have a tattoo?
10th. She asked me if I’ve got anything to ask her. I asked her if the company provides additional training for waiters before we start work (just for the sake of asking, I already knew the answer) to what she said yes – if they gather enough people in a training session in Skopje, but if not, if company needs people urgently, then we would go straight to the ship. Once on-board, first you get less busy bars, and if you show up to the challenge there – you move to something better (better paid). And she said, “but do not worry, you will always have trainings and something new to learn on the ship.
So those were the questions. Not a word about my basic level of Spanish (and a woman was from Madrid), various drinks and so on. Very relaxed.
Obviously, they get interested if the person is a talker, fluent with English, and if he/she is a good salesman (I think it is even essential to have some lingo with these cocktails, to know how to sell, and it is understood that you are familiar with expensive drinks and methods of selling them). My tactic was to talk as much as possible, to laugh and to leave the impression that I love my job and I live for it.
My boyfriend also had an interview with her, he signed up for Bar utility job, but he froze up and later couldn’t remember the questions asked.
Basically, CV, where & what you worked, but he got asked much tougher questions about cocktails, whiskey, beer, etc. He knew all answers, but since he froze, his English was not fluent, and he forgot what he perfectly well rehearsed beforehand. He was convinced he would not get the job, but we both got it!
Now we wait for Letter of Employment and embarkation, but from what I read here at the cruise ship jobs forum, we could wait at least 6 months!