Hi KH, I recently received a call back from a Hooters branch for a job interview and I've got a few questions. Being in desperate need of a job, I applied as a joke assuming that there is no way in the world I would ever hear from the company.I applied online and submitted a picture of myself as requested. I was very surprised when I got the call.I'm 16 (17 this coming year), have had 5 years of knowledge of working in hospitality due to a family business, petite frame and pobably in the early 5".What are my chances of being hired? I'm from Australia, so does the age differ down here in terms of employment at Hooters? I've never been there so I don't really know what to expect. The people I've asked seem to all have a biased opinion on the place that doesn't interest me. What do you think?
That you were called based upon your photograph (and your resume?) is quite promising. I doubt that the hiring managers would waste their time scheduling interviews with someone whom they had little interest in, especially when they have no knowledge of how that person will interact with people.
As far as I know, most if not all Hooters restaurants in the US require that Hooters Girls must be at least seventeen. Many locations require that servers be at least eighteen or twenty-one, depending upon their state's alcohol service laws. Those under either eighteen or twenty-one are relegated to hostessing until they are older. I'm afraid that I do not know what laws Australia has regarding the actual serving of alcohol, however, as the drinking age there is eighteen it seems very possible that seventeen year-olds would be permitted to serve alcohol. If this is correct, your odds of being hired are even better (One restaurant only needs so many hostesses and it is foolish to hire girls who are too young to serve customers alcohol when there are plenty who are old enough to.).
Employment as a Hooters Girl is not for everyone. You will be objectified and judged by others on a regular basis. Drama is inevitable and virtually unavoidable. Your tips will suffer if you have an "off" day and are not constantly smiling and giggling at tired jokes. Rejecting customers nicely is a tricky business at best and is something you will have to become adept at. You have not truly experience PMS until you have dealt with all of this over the course of a double shift while bloated and wearing the Hooters uniform. If you can tolerate these drawbacks, however, you will likely earn more in tips, percentage wise, then you would serving at another similarly priced restaurant. Tedious tasks and heavy cleaning, such as rolling silverware, cleaning bathrooms, sweeping and mopping floors, and other common sidework chores are not usually required of Hooters Girls. Instead, when business is slow you will be able to spend your time sitting with customers, dancing, hula hooping, and practicing Hooters Girls' "tricks." Scheduling is very flexible and it is an easy matter to find someone to cover a shift should you not wish/be able to work.
I strongly recommend that you go to Hooters as a customer before committing to anything. Talk to your waitress if you can, get a feel for the atmosphere, and observe what sort of interactions go on between the Hooters Girls and their customers, as well as amongst each other.
Good luck with whatever you decide!
