So Saturday I went on a job interview at this restaurant chain, and when the thing was done they asked me to come in tomorrow to show me around the kitchen. They even asked me to wear black pants and a black shirt, which I assume is the dress code. I haven’t officially been hired, but to me it sounds like they could be considering me. This whole turn of events was surprising, as I’ve never had a place call me the day after I submitted my application, and then immediately ask me to come back in after the interview. There are four jobs available; they need a salad bar attendant, a dishwasher, a griller, and a fryer, so it sounds as if they’re hurting for manpower. I’ve never done anything like this, so any advice you guys can lay down would be great.

The way the interviewing process works is that they take a field of candidates who can do the job, and whittle it down a few times. Getting a callback means you're totally qualified, which means you have *nothing* to fear from this point on. Be confident -- dress and act like you're applying to be a manager. From this point on, they're curious about how well you'll fit in and how much potential you've got. Obviously you want to give the impression that you've got lots of potential (because you probably do).

TLDR -- you did good and you should feel good. Odds are on your side now.

They typically—at least in my experience—like to test people out for three weeks. Those first three weeks are when they decide whether or not to keep you, and so is the best time to show one thing in particular, and that is effort.

If you're a little unskilled at first, that's normal. You just have to show that you'll do your best to get past that point of being unskilled.

I've trained a lot of dishwashers since I started at my workplace, and I can tell you, almost all the people we didn't keep after the three weeks were the people who were just going through the motions, not really trying, just doing. Gotta be constantly at it, keep working till the jobs done, and then see if there's another job you can do. Some workplaces value speed, others quality, but you should expect to not be the best on your first day.

Like mdk said, they look for potential, and you need to show that by demonstrating that you are focused and looking for improvement.

Have fun!

Thanks guys. I think it went alright. Although I did end up cutting myself on the first day, go figure. The good news is that they asked me to come back on Saturday, so I didn’t completely fuck up.

Always always ALWAYS wash the silverware twice