Chipotle Mexican Grill Interview Questions & Tips

Background Information on Chipotle Work Environments

Chipotle represents one of the more unique fast food restaurants in business and maintains philosophies of fast service and high quality. With more than 1,500 locations and somewhere around 37,000 employees, the restaurant chain continues to focus energy on perfecting a few yet delicious recipes with all-natural ingredients.

What kind of applicant they seek
A single location may serve up to 500 customers a day. As such, the work environment is fast-paced, so crew members must work quickly and efficiently. On top of good work ethics, an applicant must remain kind, energetic, and sustain a positive attitude.

How to Get a Job at Chipotle

No experience needed
Chipotle's new-hire policies do not require any fast food experience at all. In fact, the chain prefers to hires workers without experience in order to mold employees into managers from within.

Grow future leaders
The company culture revolves around growing and promoting leadership from within. A job hopeful stands more chance of hire with expressed desires to grow as a leader, as a person, and as an employee of this quick-service restaurant chain.

Interview Formats

After completing the necessary employment forms online, a Chipotle job hopeful generally receives contact within a few days to schedule an interview, based on hiring needs.

How to Prepare
While the pre-interview procedures take place online, most job interviews typically follow the traditional face-to-face meeting in-store with a manager or other hiring representative. After setting up an interview time, prepare for the rendezvous by reviewing company history and missions on the company website. Knowing some background information shows the employer attention to detail and care for the growth of the business.

Grooming and Dress

A well-groomed, professional-looking applicant always makes a better impression at a job interview; however, avoid over-dressing, as the chain promotes casual environments.

Popular Chipotle Interview Questions

An applicant may encounter questions like:

• Where do you see yourself in the next 3-5 years?
• "How do you think you will handle working in a fast-paced environment?"
• Can you see yourself making Chipotle your career?

Remain as transparent as possible throughout the interview process, forthcoming with your strengths, and highlight areas of personality or work ethics needing attention as well as schedule availability. Chipotle interviews sometimes end with a job offer on the spot, while other applicants may await decisions.

Follow up within a few days of the final interview unless otherwise noted.

Interview Tips from a Chipotle Hiring Manager Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: What qualities do you look for in an applicant?
Chipotle Service Manager: You definitely have to be outgoing and talkative. I mean, it really depends for the position that you’re being hired for, but we do prefer people that are very talkative and outgoing, if you’re going to be on the cash register or the line. If you’re going to be on griller prep, we just expect that you know how to clean and all that stuff. So we expect you are dedicated to making sure that you’re staying on point and everything, that we don’t have cell phones out, usually. Obviously, you’re never supposed to have a cell phone out at work, but we do. We do appreciate people that they have a creative mind too. If they have a way where something can be better done in a more effective way, which is still without any rules being broken, we love hearing people’s ideas and what they suggest. We’re always open to new ideas of how to make the restaurant better and stuff like that. And as being a new applicant, don’t be shy. We’re not going to … If it’s your first job, yeah, you can be a little shy. But we are very friendly people. We are not going to attack you with all these serious questions. Just be yourself. Be open. Don’t hold anything back. Just be honest.

Interviewer: What kinds of answers do you look for in an interview?
Chipotle Service Manager: So I like to hear a little bit about their personal life as well, so if they have any animals, how far they live from the restaurant, just so I can get a better sense of the person themselves, whether they go to school or not, what are they trying to be in their future, whether that’s a minor or an actual adult. So, I try to get a little bit about themselves. I try to hear whether they’re here to work temporarily or full time or part time. Knowing those answers helps me get a better sense how long they plan on staying so we have a better mind of how to schedule them and whether we need to keep hiring people to get ready to replace them, I should say, unless they do plan on staying for a longer time. There’s nothing ever wrong with that. But we are always wondering what people have to say. And we like to hear whether they like to be on the line more or what they prefer. We want to hear what they want so we can be … What’s the word? So we can work with them so they can get what they want so they’re not forced to do something that they don’t want to do. So if I want to be on the cash register but they put me on the line … We’re not going to do that. We want to know what they want to be and how we can work with them to make it a better work environment so that they’re not like, “Oh my God. This is awful.”

Interviewer: What is one of the best answers you’ve been given in an interview?
Chipotle Service Manager: Well, I feel like this person, they’ve came in literally prepared, doing flashcards the night before. But they came in, and I was like, “Well, tell me a little bit about yourself and what you expect, what I’m going to expect of you when you work here.” And they gave me literally an essay form of a thing. They had it all planned out. They were saying like, “Well, honestly, I work two other jobs, and I also go to school. I want to work here in the mornings. I have a dog. I have two sisters. I support my brother.” And they’re just like, “I am an outgoing person. I am creative. I make sure that everything is done and everything’s being done effectively and fast. And I want to make sure that everyone’s having a happy environment.” One of our main concerns is making sure that customers stay happy because we don’t want them to leave mad and upset because they were not happy with the order or they were not happy with the customer service. So another important thing is to make sure that you are a happy person and that you do care about the customers and it’s not just about getting through the day.

Interviewer: How can an applicant tell if the interview went well?
Chipotle Service Manager: Usually you could ask, “When will I hear back?” They’ll let you know right away. If not, they’ll let you know in a day or two. And if they don’t let you know in a day or two, you just got to call back and they’ll give you an answer. If it went well, the best way you would know is that if me, perhaps, or one of my higher-ups were super happy to say, “I’m so excited that I met you. I’m really happy that I had this interview with you.” You could always just ask them, “What are the chances?” And they’ll probably just be straight up honest with you. We don’t really want to lead people on to make them think like, “Oh, yeah. This went really well,” and then they’ll be like, “This did not go well.” But usually if you’re honest with them, they’ll be honest with you. They’re not going to hold anything back. If you want to know, you can just ask them, and they’ll usually just tell you straight up on the spot.

Interviewer: What should an applicant do to prepare for the interview?
Chipotle Service Manager: Definitely, I would make sure you show up at least 15 to 20 minutes before. I wouldn’t be too nervous about it, because usually people get really tensed up and they’ll forget what to say or they’ll forget to add an important part like they worked at another job before here or they have another job. And we like to know everything as much as possible so we’re not surprised by anything like, “Oh, wait. I have another job. I have to work this day,” because then it kind of puts us behind and stuff like that. But usually, we’ll ask for their availability. So I’d make sure you would have an availability sheet, what you would prefer to work. Also, if you are a minor, to have your school papers ready with the signing stuff, the minor paperwork, because it does help speed up the process.

Interviewer: What should an applicant do after leaving the interview?
Chipotle Service Manager: Honestly, not really, because it is kind of just straightforward and basic. I would just to make sure to keep staying in touch with them, maybe get their contact information if they’re willing to. If not, just call the store and they’ll be like, “Oh, yeah. You have to do this and this.” But just stay in contact because sometimes we do forget, as awful as that is to say, but we do forget about our applicants sometimes based on how many we get. So we just don’t know if they’re hired in or not interviewed yet because we do get a lot of applicants in a day.

Interviewer: Describe the advancement opportunities for someone starting out.
Chipotle Service Manager: There’s definitely a lot of advancements opportunities. When I went from a crew member, we did have the basics of paid time off and free food and discounted food and stuff like that, so that is really nice. They do take care of you. Everyone has an equal chance to advance. You’ve just got to prove yourself. You always just got to ask like, “Hey, is there any positions being opened up for higher-ups,” that as a Chipotle, as a nation, as a big company, we do have different stores, different branches of stores. And sometimes we do ask crew members or employees or service managers or any higher-ups that if they would be willing to go to another store to become a service manager or become an apprentice. So, there’s always an equal opportunity. No one’s ever not qualified to be advanced. Everyone’s always recording you. We do record your performances to make sure that everyone has an equal chance, so we do it honestly. So if you are not showing that you work well enough, we are not going to say that you deserve to be a higher-up compared to someone else.

Chipotle Service Manager Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Chipotle Service Manager: I am a service manager, and as a service manager, I basically manage the crew members and make sure that we have everything, deal with customers, make sure everything is in place, everything is clean and make sure no one is sick. Cash handling, closing the store and stuff like that. So, just the basics of it.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Chipotle Service Manager: It’s mostly fun. It’s very fast paced, so it’s definitely like, you have to be quick. When there is downtime, it’s really fun. Everyone is basically a close-knit family there. People do come and go, but everyone always if they do leave and they come in, you’re like, “Oh my God! Hey, what’s up? We miss you so much.” If they do leave on a bad note, it’s never like any bad grounds. It’s always something that’s always good, they’re always welcomed back, usually. It’s just really fun and everyone’s always understanding of each other. Everyone’s always there to support each other, and to just keep it going with the positive energy.

Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?
Chipotle Service Manager: I’ve definitely, I was hired as a crew member at first, so I did make really close relationships with my crew members. Obviously, I had a kind of disconnect from them being a service manager, but I did hang out with them all the time. They were like my best friends. I’m still best friends with some of them now. It’s definitely, you do make new friends, and they do help you get places, whether it’s an internship somewhere or another school recommendation, or they’ll give you more info about something that they know more of. It’s just really nice. Everyone’s so friendly there, and I have best friends there.

Interviewer: Please describe the application and interview process.
Chipotle Service Manager: It really depends. There’s two different ways. The first way that mainly everyone does it is that you go online and you either go through indeed.com, for example, or just a job searching engineered website. Usually, there’ll be a Chipotle there, or you can go to chipotle.com, and you go to careers. You type in your state, your zip code, and stuff like that. You fill out the stuff online, like your name, your number. Usually, we get it through our system and then we call you guys right away. If you don’t, they usually just give us a call back like, “Oh yeah, come in this time and we’ll get you set up.” Usually if they’re hired in, they’ll continue the process from there on out. Another is we do drop-in interviews sometimes, so if someone’s in the line and they’re like, “Oh, I want to work at Chipotle,” then all you have to do is like, “Oh hey, can I speak to your manager?” Then we’ll just have a quick interview, get all their information. Just another simpler way, but in the end, they will have to apply online.

Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
Chipotle Service Manager: Well, at first, we’ll ask if you’re in school and we’ll ask if you want to work part-time, full-time, what positions they intend to work, whether that’s the cash, grill or line. We’ll ask what hours they prefer to work. We are very open-minded, so we are open to all people. So whether they can only work 10 to 15 hours a week, we can work with that. If they can only work mornings, we can work with that. If it’s in the middle of the day, we can work with that. We also ask if they know anything about Chipotle, about when it started, what we make our food with, stuff like that. If they know that we don’t like or that everything is freshly made in the morning; if they know Chipotle. Usually, we do look for people like that because that just tells you they are invested in Chipotle, they’ve done their research to work at Chipotle and them asking questions as well also helps. If they are like, “Can you guys tell me more about the cash line” Not the cash line, the cash handling and stuff like that, or, “How does a crew member or a service manager advance?” We do like questions where you seem interested because it makes you more applicable in a way to seem that you’re invested in the company. It’s very easy. It’s definitely not too stressful. They do lead you through it step-by-step. They do ask you questions, I believe, like what are your strengths, what are your weaknesses? They definitely do let you know whether what still needs to be completed and what doesn’t need to be completed. So they make sure that everything is done, but they make sure that everything is completed, everything is easy, and just make sure everything is effective and efficient to make sure everything is done properly.

Interviewer: How were you notified that you received the job?
Chipotle Service Manager: That took a day or two? No, actually it was right on the spot. It really depends. Sometimes, if there’s a bunch of candidates, they do have to narrow their choices down, but it only took. They contacted me in person, obviously right on the spot, and then they did mention beforehand to bring all my stuff in advance just in case I did get hired on the spot. So that was nice to know so I didn’t have to go back and forth, back and forth, and didn’t have to deal with all that hassle.

Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?
Chipotle Service Manager: It really depends. Everyone has an equal chance to get there. It’s not like, “Oh, you’re better than that,” but you do have to prove yourself. You have to prove that you are reliable and that you’re always one step ahead, and you’re always there for everyone. As a service manager, I was a crew member for a little while. So I did get promoted quite quickly, the second I turned 18. Usually, the way it worked was that if you show up on time earlier, if you get called in and you’re like, “Oh, hey. It’s okay, I’m here. Everything is going to be okay.” Making sure that you’re always just one step ahead, always fast paced, making sure you’re the ultimate one to always have someone to back up. I was kind of like the backup person. They weren’t even going to hire me, but they love me now. They don’t regret not not hiring me. So you do have to like prove yourself in the whole application process as well to make sure that you are reliable as well, and make sure that you are fitted for the job, to make sure that you are invested. So that’s also something else that I should have added.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Chipotle Service Manager: I would definitely just always come in with a smile right away and be like, “Oh my God, hi! I’m here for an interview.” We always love people like that. You definitely don’t have to dress impressively. We get where you we’re open. We’re not going to be like, “Oh, if you’re addressing all fancy, you must be hired.” It’s not like that. You can dress casual. We understand that people come from different backgrounds and different areas, so we’re never going to assume, “Oh, they’re dressing casual. We’re not going to hire them.” They’re definitely really understand. At Chipotle, we do understand everyone and we do take that into consideration. We don’t know where you guys obviously, where everyone comes from, like whether it’s a good background or a bad background. But we are willing to keep our minds open and make sure that everyone gets an equal chance of being hired, whether assuming because of bad history or something like that.

Chipotle Take-out Specialist Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties?
Chipotle Take-out Specialist: I worked at Chipotle as a take-out specialist. I basically did everything. I was in charge of primarily online orders, to-go orders. It was my duty to make them, pack them up, check out online customers and any to-go customers. But when I wasn’t doing that, I was also in the kitchen covering for the grill cook, or I was in the dish area washing dishes. If I wasn’t there, I was on the frontline serving as the linebacker, that’s what they called it. It was basically my duty to make sure that all the food was being called, so if rice was at half capacity, it was my job to tell the grill cook that it was at half capacity to make sure that there was enough food for the shift. When I wasn’t doing that, I would also cover the cashier, the main cashier. If they ever went on break or if they had to leave early or something like that, it was my job to cover for that person. Normally not all take-outs do that, but because I was in the company for a long time and I was pretty good at doing everything else, that’s why they had me do that.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Chipotle Take-out Specialist: I find the work environment, it’s crazy, because if you’re not used to it, you’re going to have a lot coming at you. You’re going to have to make sure that you’re keeping a presentable appearance, both of the kitchen and yourself when you’re in the line. You have to make sure that your coworkers are doing what they’re supposed to do. You have to really just make sure that the restaurant is running smoothly. You’re almost like a manager. That was my experience. The downside with that was it was a lot of responsibility, sometimes it felt like the pay wasn’t enough.

Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?
Chipotle Take-out Specialist: My favorite part about working there was the free meals. Anytime on my shift, even if I worked a double, say from 8:00 AM to 4:00, that was a free meal, and from 1:00 PM to 8:00, that was a free meal. Sometimes I would even get a free meal from the employees if I came up on my day off, but if they chose not to give me a free meal I still had like 50% off, which was good. Let’s see, tips were another good part of it too, because in the area where I worked it a fairly high-wage area, high-income area, and people were very generous with the tips. Sometimes, even for a crew of eight, we would all leave with like $8 each.

Interviewer: Please describe the application and interview process.
Chipotle Take-out Specialist: My friend actually told me about Chipotle. Basically, if you know someone within the company, then you’re more likely to get the job. That definitely gives you a leg up over all the other applicants. The application is online and you just fill it out, basic standard questions about yourself, social security number. They want to make sure that you can work legally within the United States, things like that. Then, let’s see. Then for the interview process, I think they called me about three weeks later, two or three weeks later. I sat down with the general manager, very casual. First we chatted about ourselves, got to know each other, about who we are. I introduced myself, he made me talk a little bit more about himself. He spoke about himself, how much he loves working at Chipotle, all the benefits that come with working at Chipotle. Then he got down to the actual interview and just asked me basic questions like why do you want to work here.

Interviewer: How were you notified that you received the job?
Chipotle Take-out Specialist: I think it also took another two weeks for Chipotle. They gave me a call, offered me the job. Then they called me, they wanted me to go to the store to do the onboarding process. It was just providing some basic information, like they wanted my diploma for some reason. Well, that was because I was 17. They wanted my diploma because I was 17, to make sure that I graduated high school. They also asked for two forms of identification, my license and my social security card.

Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?
Chipotle Take-out Specialist: I think what set me apart from other candidates was probably the good impression that I made on the hiring manager during the interview process. I told him my reasoning for looking for a job, of course not just getting experience, but also trying to, what is it, develop economic independence from my parents. I wanted to just start making my own money, not depending on my parents so much. He liked that because he could relate to me, and so I think that’s one of the tips that helped me get the job.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Chipotle Take-out Specialist: I think Chipotle would be perfect for someone who’s trying to make ends meet. If you’re someone in college, I think it would be good, because the tips, the free meals, they definitely help a lot. Excuse me. They definitely help a lot. What else? The pay’s above minimum wage. Here in Ohio, it’s $8.15 right now, I think, and at Chipotle they start you off at $9.50 and they give you an opportunity to get a raise every six months. I think it’s good if you’re trying to make money, if you’re trying to work part time, or if you’re trying to work full time.

Chipotle Prep Cook Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Chipotle Prep Cook: My primary duties at Chipotle was a prep cook, line associate as well, and dishwasher. I was kind of a Jack of all trades. I never really had a set station, but I guess the station that I really got myself acclimated to was really more the grill.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Chipotle Prep Cook: Oh, the work environment, wow, it was pretty chaotic. I would say especially at the one that I worked at, which was the one in Solon, which it condenses of Warrensville. Well they have a Chipotle in Warrensville, but apparently the better one is in Solon. So Solon has Aurora, Twinsburg, Hudson. Those are some pretty big areas coming into this one little Chipotle. So always during the summer we were always packed every single day. Literally lines out the door. Yeah. I couldn’t exaggerate this anymore. And I didn’t feel like I got the necessary training, but it was more like they video trained. More video training. There wasn’t the hands on kind of experience that I thought. Because I work through example, and actually doing it, seeing someone doing it and then I would start doing it, and they would kind of stand next to me and be like, hey you got to do it for this, you got to do it for that. And then I’ll just kind of keep going. But I had to train myself when I was at that Chipotle. Which was a new challenge, but it worked out. For two years at least. And then I got tired of it all, because wow, two years of, It paid well though, it did pay well.

Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?
Chipotle Prep Cook: I definitely would say the discounts on the Chipotle. Some of the workers were really good. I would say this. They were really nice. They were very kind.

Interviewer: Please describe the application and interview process.
Chipotle Prep Cook: You would apply online. They would get back to you, set up an interview in day. Usually there’s three processes. There’s the three steps. There’s the in-person interview with one of the managers, if they’ll call you back, and this could be two to three weeks too. Just letting you know. There is a lot of applicants for Chipotle. Fortunate for me, the general manager happened to have been in today and me and him, we started talking, asked me what I wanted to get paid, and then I just kind of just got it on the spot, and the lady that was interviewing me actually said to me, well we had never really had this happen before. But yeah, welcome. Because I’m an international marketing major, so I can convey my words into very stimulating conversation. I can present myself very well on my first take, which is pretty good. Which I would say … But the interview would then … Well, if I was going to go for the full step process, the full step process would go into a second interview, which they would then discuss your salary. And then your third interview would be like your first actual start date.

Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
Chipotle Prep Cook: Oh, they asked me, what kind of no worker I am. How would I handle myself in a challenging situation with a customer? Simple, basic questions like that. But I kind of skipped all the other interviewing process. Well, I guess I kind of did the full three step process in one. So they asked me how much I would want to get paid, how many hours I’d want, where specifically where I’d want to work as far as my station is concerned. So I said I wanted to work more in the front lines and the kitchen, which the front line where we’d make our burritos and stuff. I tried to do that less. That was definitely a job that was very stressful. If you were going to try to work the actual register itself, because trust me there’s a lot of orders. But yeah, that’s pretty much what they really discussed with me as far as what I needed to know.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Chipotle Prep Cook: Definitely be ready to be bombarded. Definitely ask help, ask questions. Present yourself in a good way. They can hire on the spot if you present yourself the right way. I actually went in dressed in an actual suit and tie, because I do that with all my interviews. I feel that’s the most important thing in an interview is the way you dress. If you’re going to come in, this is not really presentable, but if I came in with a suit and tie, and they would think, huh, this man might take something seriously. Definitely learn to keep up, keep the pace. Because at this Chipotle in particular, it’s very high paced. There are other Chipotle’s that are very kind of an immediate pace, which is nice and all. I tried to get transferred over there, it didn’t work out. But I would say also definitely keep your nose to the ground a little bit as far as what’s going on, as far as the kitchen drama, because there’s a lot of kitchen drama. And buddy up with definitely the general manager.

Chipotle Crew Member Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Chipotle Employee: My job title would be a crew member. My duties were… basically I worked on the line. They would always put me on tort, where you walk up and I would ask you “What can I prepare for you?”, or whatever. And then, the next person down the line would help finish it out, but I was the first person you came in contact with.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Chipotle Employee: Very fast paced. Very busy, constantly busy. Busy, busy, busy.

Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?
Chipotle Employee: The food, very good quality food; it’s all natural. And the pay is really good. They pay higher than you’ll find in most fast food places.

Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
Chipotle Employee: I fill out an application, and then I had an interview probably within three days of filling out the application. Then, I had the job within two days of having my interview.

Interviewer: What should an applicant wear to the job interview?
Chipotle Employee: You don’t want to overdress because it is fast food, but you should have a clean and neat appearance.

Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
Chipotle Employee: He did ask me where I wanted to be in five years. They are really big on seeing people have leadership skills; they want you to be a leader. They only promote from within, so if you come in there, what they want to hear from you is that you want to be the GM, and that you are willing to work your way to that position, and you have to show them you can do that by being a leader. They really want you to show that you are a leader and that you have leadership skills, so that’s important.

Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?
Chipotle Employee: In my situation, I knew a friend who knew a friend who got me the job, so I guess that helps. In my opinion, it really is about who you know. But, if you don’t know anybody, if you show good availability, clean appearance, you’re more likely to get the job.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking for employment?
Chipotle Employee: I would go into there with a fun attitude, and make sure they express their goals and where they want to be is higher up in that company because that’s what they want to hear.

Chipotle Cashier Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Chipotle Cashier: Pretty much, just worked the cash register. So, people would come, put their order through, ring it up, bring them drinks, or chips, or whatever. Ring them up, give them their receipt, and try to keep the line moving.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Chipotle Cashier: It was pretty laidback. It was a new Chipotle. Everyone wanted to work there. It was newer. No one really knew what was going on. We had to get used to it.

Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?
Chipotle Cashier: The meal after. You get a free meal after you work there, so if you worked a certain amount, you got a free meal after, which was pretty nice.

Interviewer: Please describe a typical day as an employee.
Chipotle Cashier: I’d come in, clock in, wait for whoever was ahead of me to clock out, because I usually worked about four to close, which was around 10. I get a 15-minute break every couple of hours. But if it’s really backed up, don’t fight it, just keep working. You don’t want to slow everyone down. Then, when 10 ‘o clock rolled around, I clocked out. I didn’t really have to close down at all, so just typical.

Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
Chipotle Cashier: My town loves Chipotle, and it was new, so it was the first one within half-an-hour of us. So when it opened up, everyone heard about it, but not too many people applied. So, I just went in and got an application, filled it out, went into the interview. They asked me questions. I guess I got the job because I seemed confident. I didn’t really stutter through. They needed someone who could talk and deal with customers on a regular basis. I guess they saw that in me.

Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
Chipotle Cashier: They asked how I would deal with unruly customers or a worker that’s not really pulling his weight, what would I do – would I confront him about it, would I talk to an advisor, try to get them to help, just do whatever I could. It was a lot of situational questions.

Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?
Chipotle Cashier: This was right after I graduated high school, so it was the summer between college and high school. I had a lot more time than other people, and I was older, too. There was a bunch of 16 year olds that applied, and they needed older people, so you got more time if you were older.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Chipotle Cashier: Be yourself, be confident, be courteous, but don’t be fake. Don’t be someone that’s going to be mean to people, but show them that you’re a nice individual, caring, willing to help. You’re also going to be there to get the job done.

Chipotle Take Out Specialist Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Chipotle Take Out Specialist: I dealt with more companies where they would order for their company at lunch time, so I would be that person. I’d have my own little section where I would make the food for them, and then they would pick it up. It was basically to promote more companies to come to us and to make us look efficient as possible.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Chipotle Take Out Specialist: It was really friendly. It started off more relaxed. Obviously different people come and go and stuff, but it’s more encouraging. They encouraged good work ethics because it’s so busy. You have to be on your toes. You can’t be too relaxed and walk slow. Everything we did was fast paced. Then we would joke around, and then it’s mainly young people too that work there, college students. We could relate to each other and in the jokes that we made and stuff.

Interviewer: Please describe a typical day as an employee.
Chipotle Take Out Specialist: Typical work day, if I opened, I would get there 7:00, depends what position I was in. If I was salsa, tort, take out specialist, I would start making my food, set up my table. By that time, companies have already sent in what they want for lunch. I already have my stack, and also, I would call the companies that ordered the night before, thank them for their service. If they ordered the day before, I would thank them for working with us and ask them how their service was to see if there was anything we can improve and then prepare my table. Then I would have my lunch time, and then we would open at 11:00. Most of the companies’ lunch is like 11:30, so I’d start making their food getting ready for them to pick up and pay.

Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
Chipotle Take Out Specialist: I applied on paper. Now they do it online, but when I first started, I applied on paper. It was actually fast paced. They actually let me know when I could come for an interview that day. I went for an interview and I had my first interview with a manager. Then if you pass that interview, they give you to another manager. Then if you pass that interview, you get an interview with the crew. They want the crew to like you. They want us to all get along, so they’ll interview with the crew. When you leave, the crew actually rates what you think of her and stuff like that. That way we’re not inviting … It’s like a little family. We’re not inviting somebody to our family that we don’t want.

Interviewer: How were you notified that you received the job?
Chipotle Take Out Specialist: After my crew interview, it took maybe a week, and they actually called me. They did not … They called me and let me know that I had the job, and then they let me know when I can come in for training and stuff like that, who was training me, how long my training would be.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Chipotle Take Out Specialist: It’s working with people, so you have to a personable person. You have to like people, or else you will not like to work at Chipotle.

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Related Links:
Chipotle Application
Chipotle Crew Member