If you are going for an interview in the food industry, you will no doubt be worried about what kind of questions might come up. The great news is that you can start preparing right now, by checking out these seven common interview questions that may come up for your food career.
1.What experience do you have?
Of course, your experience is already on your CV, but this is your chance to really sell yourself to your potential employer. Don’t just tell them which companies you worked for, but what you learned there and what your responsibilities were. Aim your answer in such a way that it shows your suitability for the specific position you are applying for.
2.Why do you want to work for us?
A passion for the food industry is important, especially in higher-up positions. Your personal beliefs and passions may come into play, too – for example, applying to work for a vegan company when you are, yourself, vegan, or interested in protecting the environment.
3.What qualifications do you have?
Beyond A-Levels and degrees, there are often opportunities to progress within the food industry by taking on extra qualifications. These can be related to a particular foodstuff, to manufacture and production in general, or to a niche part of the production process such as health and safety, continuous improvement, business practices, and so on.
4.Do you have any food allergies?
This may be very important if you are working in a factory that handles allergens! It’s a good idea to check their product ranges before applying if the allergy is severe.
5.How would you deal with a crisis?
Often, you will be faced with a question which gives a specific example of something that might go wrong – for example, a production line jamming up. Your task is to answer it correctly, in a way that cuts the company’s losses and gets everything back on track as quickly as possible.
6.Have you eaten our food?
It’s always a good idea to try out the food you are going to be involved with before you go and work there, if it is possible to do so. Have an opinion, if possible – though a positive opinion is usually best. You can perhaps say which of the company’s lines is your favourite to really impress them.
7.What hours are you able to work?
This may be a sticking point as many factories engage in shift work. This could mean long shifts, night shifts, or the possibility of a pattern in which you work some days on and some days off. Make sure you are flexible if you want to progress!
With these questions armed and ready to go, you should stand a better chance of a successful interview. Remember to do your research on the company as well, and prepare one or two questions you can ask in order to make the impression that you are eager and pay attention to detail..
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