The Chipotle Trainwreck

There were a couple months left of my Sophomore year of high school before school was out and Summer was in. I just moved from the opposite end of the country from a small town in the rural area of Central Virginia to the large and crowded city of San Diego. At this time, my father was having difficulty finding a job and we still had bills to pay. I found myself googling, “summer job hirings for students”, and found myself at the Chipotle hiring website. I filled out the application, sent in my resume, and scheduled for an interview. At this time, I’ve already had experiences with being interviewed. I was in J.R.O.T.C(Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps.) and had to do several interviews for leadership positions. These interviews required top notch professionalism, poise, and practice set at the standard by military veterans. I thought if I could handle those interviews, then an interview for a fast food joint would be a walk in the park.

It was the day of my first job interview and I wasn’t worried at all. I thought if I just brought myself and remained true to who I am, then I would be leaving the interview with my first summer job. I entered the Mexican grill with a fresh haircut, iron pressed slacks, and a clean button down. I looked good and was ready to do even better. I knew that it was best to arrive to an interview 10-15 minutes early in order to settle my nerves and become acclimated to the setting.

As I waited for my employer to conduct the interview, I noticed that more people entered the store dressed alike as me. The hiring manager entered the dining area and asked if I could have a seat outside. I got up and went to the tables outside and I noticed that the five other people who were also dressed professionally followed. My heart began to race; this was a group interview. I’ve been through many solo interviews, but never one in a group setting. As I sat emptied handed, I looked to both ends and noticed everyone had some form of documentation in a folder ready in hand. My anxiety started to erupt and I began to realize that I had to bring forms with me to the interview. I only skimmed the email regarding my interview date, however, towards the bottom, I was instructed to bring additional documents to turn in. The interviewers prompted us to pass our documents to the end to be collected. At this time, I was obviously sweating and began to panic. The interview did not even begin and I already knew how this was going to conclude.

After introducing herself, the employer began the interview with, “Please tell me about yourself in 60 seconds or less “. The first person in the group interview started off with their name and their birthplace which then suddenly turned awkwardly uncomfortable as she began to drag on time by list her family members names and other irrelevant details of herself. The self-introduction took far more than 60 seconds which prompted the employer to cut her off mid-sentence, yikes. There was the first time I was ever asked to ‘tell you about me’, so I only gave my name and where I was from; short and sweet.

After all the self-introductions,, the employer began an open discussion. Her very first question for us was, “What do you already know about our company?” We all sat in the circle in uncomfortable silence. I have never even eaten at Chipotle, let alone know anything about the company so I didn’t answer. One person, however, raised their hand and shared information regarding Chipotle’s agriculture methods and highlighted their overarching goal as a company. The employer seemed pleased with this; she asked for the person for their name again and wrote it down on their clipboard.

The next part of the interview was situational based questions that aimed to discover how well we might react and perform in a work environment. Each question consisted of very possible and very real situations that might occur while working with the company. This part of the interview required the interviewees to be quick-witted and knowledgeable of proper procedures when addressing such problems. Although I never worked at a fast food restaurant, I still had experience with working in teamwork based environments through my experience through JROTC. I tried to relate my experiences as best I could to the situation to demonstrate I know what to do.

The interview didn’t last more than 15 minutes. The employer concluded the interview with the final question, “Do you have any final questions for me?”. Nobody had a question and we were dismissed. I climbed into my ride and did not bother looking back. Ultimately, I didn’t get the job. Through the lack of preparation and practice, my first job interview was a trainwreck. As a result of my experience, I outlined helpful tips in order to properly prepare myself the next interview.

STEP 1: ANTICIPATE AND PREPARE

Know what you’re applying for! One of the first things you should do before your interview is research the position you’re applying for. By typing a few things in your search bar, you could find more information about the position in terms of required skills, goals, and expectations of the company. In my case, it would have been useful to have research what Chipotle is about in terms of their sustainable agriculture practice. By demonstrating your knowledge prior to being hired, your employer knows you’re serious about this position you’re applying for. Next be sure to read all the information regarding your interview thoroughly; this includes time, place, dress code, and who’s giving the interview. It’s important to the employer that you’re able to follow directions given. In my case, I didn’t read my email instructions closely which ultimately lead to a red flag for the employer. Little mistakes such as that can completely eliminate you from consideration.

STEP 2: PRACTICE

Practice make perfect, however you won’t always be perfect. A good way to practice for an interview is look to up common questions online and reach out to a loving community who is willing to conduct a practice interview so that you may become comfortable getting asked certain question. Repeat each question and change up your answer a bit each time. There might be instances where you’re asked a question that seems totally left-field from your anticipation so it’s best to remain flexible and on your toes because not everything goes to plan. Another tip that’s helpful is ask your peers how they would answer the question. At times we know the answer, but it’s stuck on the tip-of-the-tongue; discussing the question with your friends could activate inspiration to how you would answer the question.

STEP 3: SPEAK INTO EXISTENCE

After you did your research and practiced some questions, you feel that you’re ready enough to go into your interview, however, something might be a little off. Even after all the research and practicing of interview questions, you still might feel an overshadowing sensation of stress and anxiety. You’re about to go meet someone who will determine your future through a short 30 minute conversation so emotions are bound to become turbulent. When you’re feeling like this, take a step back and breathe. In my family, we use a method of mental rehearsal called, “speak it into existence.” because you are your best hype man. It might be hard at first, but close your eyes and envision yourself at the interviewer's office. Breathe and focus your mind. Envision things that stimulate your five sense. (color of walls, smell of coffee, click of a pen etc.) Speak into existence; “They NEED me. I am a great team member. I am confident.” Personalize your statements to what fits best in your specific scenario. While you're in this meditation like state, confront the things that give you anxiety. If there’s certain questions that are haunting you, envision yourself giving the answer with confidence and repeat. Try to counteract disparaging thoughts by speaking your success into existence.

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Less than a month later I was able to put my practice into action. By following these steps, I was hired for my first job position at Seaworld International. It’s important to understand that these methods may not work for you. Everybody functions uniquely and it takes time and patience to figure out your game plan. When you feel stuck in preparation, don’t be afraid to reach out to your community*cough**cough* there are people who are willing to support you while you go through this process until you find what works best for you. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average person will hold up to roughly 5 different job positions before the age of 21 and is expecting to climb even more in the future. If you fail once, there will be many more opportunities out there, don’t give up!