Okay, so nowadays almost every teenager wants to earn some money. They try to be financially independent by covering their expenses themselves such as tuition fees, food or they buy a phone or a laptop. For the same purpose, they try to find a job. Needless to say that teens most probably get a job at some fast-food restaurant since it requires no degrees. And for the same, they apply for the job to lots and lots of fast-food restaurants to their reach. Here are some Panda Express Interview Questions.
So, this article is all about the most probable questions you will be asked in an interview at Panda Express. It is an American fast-food restaurant that serves American Chinese food.
The first step in an interview would be preparing an outstanding resume. Make sure to add your details properly. And also mention any volunteer work that you have done maybe in your school, community center, or somewhere else.
Before moving forward with the interview questions, here are some red flags that you would receive during the interview:
1. Do not check your phone while you are waiting. I encourage you to just sit there patiently and not check your phone. Because if you do so, it will probably show that you would be on your phone during work hours if you were to be hired.
2. Lack of eye contact. Now I don’t mean you to have a staring contest with your employer because that would be so uncomfortable. Look at your employer naturally. You don’t have to look at them the entire time, however, you can look at their eyes.
3. The situation where you are not able to answer the questions. I understand the amount of anxiety and your nerves can get the best of you. But you have to try your best and answer a question to the best of your ability. Obviously, none of us are perfect.
4. Looking at the ground or ceiling for the answer. Now I know most of you are like, “Whoa! I would never do that!” But trust me people who are doing this are probably not aware of the fact that they are actually doing this. Doing so will show the hiring manager that you are unprepared.
5. Giving bad reasons for applying. A company doesn’t want to know that you are looking for a job because you need the money. Even though that is your main reason. But they want to know that you show interest in their company. So do proper research about the company beforehand. That would be very helpful.
6. Please be punctual for the interview. No doubt, you will find this in almost every interview-related article. And you might be like, “Oh, of course, I know this, and I will definitely not be late.” But there are so many situations in our life that come in a way on our most important day, right? So make sure you are on time.
So here are 11 questions, you are most probably going to be asked by your hiring manager.
Panda Express Interview Questions
1. Tell me about yourself.
Okay, so students are usually told to introduce themselves on the first day of school. And most people do not like to do that. But you have to realize that you’re in an interview, and you are just talking to an employer. So just be humble and tell a bit about yourself. You can include interests, hobbies, and fun facts about yourself. You can keep it short and simple but please make sure to not put yourself down by telling the employer you have no interests and hobbies.
Example Answer: “I am a student at XY university. I love photography. I read non-fiction books for fun.”
2. What are your strengths?
When they ask you about your strengths, you should actually tell them something related to the job. Something that might be helpful to them and convince them to hire you.
Example Answer: “I have good communication skills. Also, I enjoy working with people since I was an athlete and I was always a part of a team. I am goal-driven, and I am motivated to meet my goals in the workplace.”
3. What are your weaknesses?
When you are asked this question, please do not say something that makes it seem that your weakness is actually a strength. For example, saying, “Oh, I work too hard.” or “I am a perfectionist.” Employers don’t want to hear that. Tell your employer a weakness that you would like to improve if you were hired.
Example Answer: “I am shy. But I want to work here so that I can work on interacting with people.”
4. What is your availability?
It means what days or how many days are available to work for the company. Now the hiring manager already knows that the majority of people applying for this kind of job are teenagers who are attending schools and colleges and thus are not available to work for long hours on weekdays. This question may determine whether or not you get the job based on how you answer this question.
Example Answer: “Since I am still at school, I may not be able to work for long hours during weekdays. However, on weekends I am available anytime.”
5. Why are you interested in working for our company?
Now just to be real, we all already know why we are interested- paycheck, right! But the hiring manager really does not want to just hear that. So let me just tell you what they want to hear straight away.
Example Answer: “I am passionate and I really like the foods and quick services that you provide to your customers. Also, I think this would be a good place for me to learn and get some good work experience.”
6. Describe a time that you felt you went above and beyond the call of duty at work.
This relates to someone who has some previous job experience.
Example Answer 1: “At my first job, I was a leader at the Walk For Pets Foundation. I designed the shirts and I also motivated the employees to join my team.”
If you do not have work experience and you are asked this, say you went above and beyond at the school.
Example Answer 2: “At my school, there was a group project and I decided to be the group leader.”
7. Do you have any work experience?
Now for most of you, who haven’t had any job experience the best possible answer would be.
Example Answer: “No, I haven’t. However, I am a quick learner and hard worker.”
And for those who have some job, try to tell about your previous job experience briefly.
8. How do you handle working with people that annoy you?
Now the question is asked to check how you would react to annoying people. This would not only tell your behavior towards your annoying employees but also the customers. So, answer this question carefully.
Example Answer: “If there’s an employee who is constantly talking to me while I am working, I would kindly tell that person that, “Hey, I need to get to work. Do you mind talking after work?”
9. What kind of goals would you’ve got in mind if you got this job?
This is where your research on the company really comes in handy. So if panda express does some programs for the welfare of the people such as scholarships, you should say that my goal is to apply for the scholarship program.
Example Answer: “I am not so social but after joining the company, I would get a chance to work on myself and be more outgoing.”
10. How comfortable are you with answering phone calls and talking to the customers?
So, If you have worked in any fast food restaurant previously, it is going to be easy to answer this question.
Example Answer: “Well, at my last job, I had to speak daily with several customers on the phone or face to face. So I would be pretty comfortable.”
11. What do you think it will be like working in a fast-food industry?
For this question, you must have done some research about working in the fast-food industry. Ask your friends who have worked there about their experiences and try to find out what it looks like. Do some research about the company and the type of work you would be given.
Example Answer: “I think working in the fast food industry is all about how you manage the customers, how you work with your employees as a team, and how quick and friendly you are with your customers. Working in a fast food industry means you are going to interact with different people daily.”
12. What do you know about Panda Express?
You cannot fool your hiring manager with this question. You must know something or other about the company you are applying for beforehand. So your research about the company is all it is going to need for the answer here.
Example Answer: “Panda Express is an American fast food restaurant that serves American Chinese food. It was founded by Andrew Cherng and Peggy Cherng in October 1983. With over 2,200 locations, it’s the biggest Asian segment restaurant chain in the United States. The company is headquartered in Rosemead, California. Around 39,000 employees are working in the Panda Express. The restaurant offers a variety of Chinese-cuisine-inspired dishes including orange chicken; Sweet Fire Chicken Breast.”
13. Are you prepared to stand for long periods of time?
This question is very important since it will help the hiring manager whether or not you are capable of doing the job. Before applying for the job, you must be aware of the fact that sometimes you are required to stand for long hours and so you should be physically fit. However, according to my, you should be completely honest with this question. Don’t say that you are capable of standing for long hours just to get a job. Because if you’re hired you really have to show them that.
Example Answer: “Yes, I am physically quite fit and I can stand for long periods of time.”
14. What do you know about customer services?
Needless to say that if you were to be working with a fast-food restaurant, you must be knowledgeable about customer service. Give a brief answer to this question about customer services.
Example Answer: “Customer service means the work done for keeping or making the customer happy. Whether it has to do with the food, money transaction, solving their problems, or anything else while the customer is there.”
15. Why should we hire you?
This question is very important and usually asked at the end of the interview. This is your chance to shine and make that hiring manager remember who you are. Employers want potential employees who are going to be responsible. So saying something that shows your responsibility will really make an impression.
Example Answer: “I am someone that is mostly on time. So no matter the burden, I will get to work on time. Even if it means waking up early and getting on that bus to get to work. Also throughout my school life, I had perfect attendance. So I will be there on my scheduled days, no matter what.”
But make sure to really be on time once you’re hired. Don’t say this just to get a job. They can still fire you if you’re not doing what you actually said in the interview.
Okay, so these were the questions you might be asked in the Panda Express Job Interview. Remember the answers were just samples to give you an idea of what should be said, do not try to memorize those. So please be real and give your own answers.
So prepare well and best of luck with your interview!
