A Luncheon Job Interview

There may be times when your job interview is conducted over lunch or another meal.  This is because many employers have busy schedules and they will try to kill two birds with one stone:  a meal and your interview.  There are some interviews that will put at breakfast with one interviewer followed by lunch with another and then dinner with yet another.  And in each “meal” interview you’ll be required to answer questions over and over again with confidence and reliability.

One of the reasons why many employers will conduct a meal interview is because they want to see you in a variety of social settings particularly if this is something that is part of your job description and you’ll be required to meet with clients on a regular basis.  Or your interviewer may simply have only a limited amount of time to spend on your interview and is trying to fit as much as possible into their schedule.  No matter what the reason is for the meal interview you need to be as prepared as possible for anything that comes along.

Wait for your interviewer to sit down before you do.  This shows respect and courtesy and will leave a lasting impression that is positive.  Your interviewer wants to see how you conduct yourself in a social setting so take the opportunity to show off your best professionalism.  Sit up straight while keeping your feet flat on the floor.  Crossing your legs can come across as too casual.  Unfold your napkin and place in your lap when your meal arrives.  Proper etiquette is another way that you can score points in the meal interview.  When it comes time to order your meal choose something that is less expensive than what your interviewer is ordering.  If you’re asked to order first, choose something that is in the medium price range.  Again, this is all about common courtesy and your interviewer just wants to see how you handle yourself in this type of a situation.

Eat slowly by taking small bites.  You’ll most likely be asked questions while you’re eating and you want to be able to answer without food spitting out of your mouth or choking on large pieces.  Keep your arms off the table and remember to use the correct cutlery as dictated by what you’re eating.  Remember the purpose of your meal: this is a job interview and you want to do the best that you can so that you get the job or move on to the second round of interviews.