Coffee Shop Job Interviews
Coffee shops have been a trendy spot to conduct job interviews for a while now. Organizations are always exploring new methods of recruiting and a quick cup of coffee with candidates can replace the first round of job interviews for some companies. New businesses needing to fill multiple positions can quickly “sort through” candidates in a coffee shop, assessing between latte sips, various characteristics of each candidate to determine whether the candidate will match the culture of the position. I do most of my writing in coffee shops and I can attest to this trend easily observing multiple job interviews every week. These are not only job interviews for baristas but also include high-level sales, medical companies and tech positions.
A job interview is a conversation between the candidate and the interviewer. The more casual atmosphere of coffee shops is very conducive to conversation, but that doesn’t mean a candidate should act casual. It is still a job interview and you are still being scrutinized just as if you were in a stuffy fluorescent- lit, conference room. How you handle this cup of coffee can highly impact your professional career!
The coffee shop is rife with opportunity for the interviewer to be distracted, so the candidate must beam professionalism. Prepare for this interview just as you would with any job interview. Research the company and have questions ready. Have your resume and other pertinent paperwork available. Although the atmosphere provides unknown variables, remember that the recruiter is watching and observing you to see if you take the job interview just as seriously as any conference room job interview.
Below are tips to contemplate before your coffee shop interview:
Coffee shops are a dime a dozen and present on every street corner. Some coffee shop chains have multiple locations on the block, especially in larger cities. Always confirm the exact location of the assigned coffee shop with the hiring manager. Have the hiring manager’s phone number so you can notify him/her if you encounter traffic, get lost, or will be delayed. Arrive early. Some locations have limited parking and you may need to circle the block a few times. Arriving early will also ensure your ability to get seats. How awful, awkward and downright uncomfortable would it be to have to stand up during an interview! The hiring manager will appreciate your initiative of providing seats. The interviewer could also be testing you. Will you arrive early to assess the seating situation and solve the problem before they arrive?
Identifying the person you are interviewing with can present a dilemma. It is possible to check out their photo on LinkedIn so by all means do this. Let’s just hope they didn’t use multiple filters and actually do resemble the person in the photo! Don’t be “that person” impotently asking complete strangers, “Are you Jane?” To appear as if searching for your Just Lunch date is not attractive to a prospective employer. Tell the interviewer what you will be wearing and a brief description of yourself such as height and color of hair. This hopefully will encourage them to reveal what they will be wearing so identification will be spot on.
The ordering dilemma. Your own regional rule of “coffee shop etiquette” should be employed here. Where I live, people usually wait for their coffee mates to arrive before ordering so that all enjoy their drinks at the same time. Some people feel comfortable doing a solo order then sitting and drinking while waiting for their coffee mate’s arrival. For coffee shop job interviews, I recommend ordering when the recruiter arrives. After all, they extended the invitation and will be hosting the interview. Let them lead. The volley of chatter while standing on-line to order is an ice-breaker of sorts. Be cognizant that you are being interviewed with each statement you make. The hiring manager customarily will pay for the coffee. Do not order an overly complicated drink. I recommend not ordering food. The tables are small and crowded together. With all of the paperwork, portfolios, and phones present, the table is crowded enough. Add a juggler of a hot beverage held by nervous hands and there are too many variables for accidents and distraction. No need to invite potential embarrassment.
Coffee shops are noisy! The modern design aesthetic of multiple hard surfaces, high industrial ceilings and cement floors encourages echo noise. And have you ever noticed how loud a coffee bean grinder or steaming espresso machine is? Let’s add the music that is played at excessive volume and you and the interviewer will practically be yelling at each other just as the people next to you will be yelling at each other, requiring you to to speak even louder! Chances are that the nearby Mommy and Me Yoga class will be meeting there with their post-yoga-class tired and hungry babies. Distractions and noise abound in this most public place. Always stay focused on the interviewer and what is being said. If the noise is excessive, lean in toward the interviewer to hear better and don’t be afraid to ask them to repeat a question if noise interfered with your correctly hearing it. Resist the temptation of letting your eyes wander away from the conversation to the guy who is repeatedly, loudly, scraping his chair on the concrete floor. You are there to make a great impression so stay focused and hope the interviewer is not easily distracted by the microcosm that is the coffee shop.
A huge part of the job search is networking. Don’t let the interview end without exchanging contact information. This is an important addition to your network providing the proper conduit to reach out and thank the interviewer for taking the time to meet you. Connecting on LinkedIn allows a connection for potential future opportunities should you not get the position.
An employer can easily gauge your social skill in the coffee shop. Did you open the door for someone who needed it and treat the cashier or server with respect? Did you make unnecessary, negative comments regarding anyone in the coffee shop?
A major downfall to this type of job interview aside from the obvious issues of noise and crowding is the candidate’s privacy. If someone from your current company stops by for a cup of coffee and sees you at an obvious job interview, you have then been “outed” as searching for another job. Should this person speak to you, how do you introduce your coffee mate? If you introduce them as a friend, the hiring manager has just witnessed you lying!!! Job interviews require the candidate to speak candidly regarding their professional successes, failures and experiences. There could be the mention of other organizations, policies or practices and who knows who could be sitting nearby and overhears your conversation. It can be awkward and uncomfortable to be open and vulnerable in a loud, public place with a laughing hyena cackling on their phone next to you. Coffee shop interviews for the most part are first encounter interviews, so hopefully you would not have to delve too deep into your professional history.
The coffee shop job interview with all its drawbacks is a “real world” evaluation of how you handle everyday situations. Challenges presented in this type of job interview mimic daily office surroundings like ringing phones, overcrowded office cubicles and printing noise just to name a few. The interviewer has a glimpse of the real you and doesn’t have to guess how you will react once the formality of the sterile conference room is removed. Be prepared to “go with the flow” in the coffee shop expecting the unexpected and make adjustments as needed always presenting the most professional you to the hiring manager, no matter what the coffee shop atmosphere throws at you.
I offer a completely free 30 minute introductory job interview coaching session. Contact me today to prepare for your tomorrow!