Job hunting is like going to the dentist. Nobody really likes it, but if you avoid it long enough eating becomes difficult. Filling out a pile of applications asking the same questions in hopes that one of them will land you a job can be a real pain in the neck. Unfortunately, this is still the way most restaurant jobs are landed. With the economy still lagging, it is more important than ever to show you are serious about landing the job with how you approach the interview.
Today I was closing the lunch shift in our lounge and watched six or seven applicants come in to fill out applications. One really stood out. She first sat herself at a patio table and called over the server outside to bring her an ashtray. Then she came inside and sat at my table to wait for her interview. I went by to offer her a drink and she shooed me away somewhat rudely. She sat there for about 30 minutes as the manager looked for her application. Not only did she not have an interview scheduled, she had never even filled out an application. Her demeanor and posture showed annoyance from across the room. After an hour or so she grabbed a server and asked, “How much longer am I going to wait for an interview?” Needless to say, her chances of getting a job are as likely as me getting asked out on a date by my celebrity crush Rachel Maddow.
So in honor of the person you should most hope you are competing with for a job, here are some helpful job hunting tips. This list is by no means complete and will be updated as time goes by.
Read the full post at Tips For Improving Your Tips
Tips on improving your Tips 
Jun 15, 2010 @ 13:37:17
here here on the pen thing! god i want to smack people right in the face who come in with the express purpose of filling out an application and then have the nerve to ask me for a pen! no. i dont have one for you. go home. thats called being unprepared.
i also hate it when i tell people “if you fill this out and bring it back between _:00 PM and _:00 PM you can probably hand it straight to a manager and have an interview right then.” and they go “nah. thats ok. here ya go.” ok i guess you dont really want a job here.
Jun 15, 2010 @ 15:10:21
Pren, I’m more devious than that. I’ll take their application. But I might put a very small red dot on it to remind me that under no circumstances will I ever consider the applicant. I might even call them back for an interview if I’m bored and/or feeling a bit naughty. But there’s no way that I would ever hire them.
Well, I did that when I was a manager .
Jun 15, 2010 @ 15:07:45
Here’s my take on the subject from a year ago, most points having been made by you, but there are a couple of wrinkles and details that you didn’t cover:
http://teleburst.wordpress.com/2009/07/18/a-few-tips-if-youre-looking-for-a-job-as-a-waiter-but-have-never-waited-tables-pt-1/
http://teleburst.wordpress.com/2009/07/19/a-few-tips-if-you%e2%80%99re-looking-for-a-job-as-a-waiter-but-have-never-waited-tables-pt-2/
http://teleburst.wordpress.com/page/6/?s=job
Great post as usual, BTW.
Jun 15, 2010 @ 15:11:39
I hate it when people come in during a lunch or dinner rush to either pick up or drop off an application. Don’t be stupid.
Also, if you’re rude to me when picking up or dropping off your application, you WILL NOT get the job. No matter what talent you possess, it is not greater than my ablility to nag the manager into not hiring you.
Jun 21, 2010 @ 18:35:42
OMG I totally have a non-sexual crush on Rachel Maddow!!
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Jul 29, 2010 @ 13:03:05