Applying at Hooters

First, I'm sure some of you will want to know what possessed me to apply at the Hooters restaurant in the first place.

My last two jobs have been as a waitress. First at Applebees, now at Ruby Tuesday. I was doing just fine and making plenty of money (not an excess, but definitely enough, with some to spend on things for myself every now and again) at Ruby Tuesday until recently. It's honestly just not cutting it AT ALL. Not too long ago I went to Hooters for lunch with a friend and he was telling me how I would be great working there, and I agreed. The thought never really left my mind since that conversation, and making $17 on a Friday and Saturday night at RT was enough to push me to the decision that I needed a new job;;specifically, as a Hooters Girl.

I honestly love being a waitress. It really is an easy job as long as you are a people person and friendly. I honestly don't think the work is hard in any way shape or form. I would rather be a waitress than work at some fast food joint or clothing store (and I would know because I've worked previously in both types of environments). I knew that I would fit in great at Hooters. I'm very confident in my looks and personality, and I knew that I would make good money there too which was my main concern. And honestly, I love dressing up and I felt like working at Hooters would be like one big fun dress up day.

I woke up yesterday morning, put on a sunshine yellow dress and bright orange pumps, straightened and curled my hair perfectly, and went to my 9 am class. Afterwards I put on my makeup perfectly, and drove to my nearest Hooters location. I put on my lipgloss in the parking lot and sat there for a couple minutes while my butterflies settled. Then I walked in. I was immediately checked out by all men near me. I was also looked up and down by every Hooters girl that walked by. They, just like the men, looked at my body first, then made eye contact, only they didn't smile back at me. I was ignored by three Hooters girls standing at the Hostess stand, and one finally walked by and complemented me on my shoes. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the hostess came up to me and asked if I had been helped yet. I told her no, and that I was actually just there to get an application. She told me that they only take applications during certain times on certain days, and today was not one of them. She was nice though, and said she would go ask a manager if it was okay for me to apply anyway. She came back shortly with an application and told me to go sit at a table in the corner and fill it out.

Shortly the waitress that had originally complimented me on my shoes came over to clean her tables, and struck up a conversation with me. She was extraordinarily nice and I was thankful for her kindness. She told me I would definitely get hired. In her words "If I like you, they'll like you, you'll definitely get hired." When I finished my app. I walked up to her and asked if there was a manager I could give it to/talk to while I was there. She had actually been talking to the waitress (we'll call the waitress LC) and she took my app and asked me to sit back down and talk.

We went through the normal interview questions. She asked me what brought me to Hooters to apply, if I had any problems with the Hooters girl uniform (why would i be applying if i did?) and if I had any tattoos or piercings that would show while wearing the Hooters girl uniform. I told her I have my nose pierced and a tattoo on my wrist. I followed that by saying that taking my nose ring out is no problem and that I don't mind covering my tattoo either. She then asked if I had ever eaten there before and what I normally eat there. Between you and me I've been to Hooters 3 times that I can remember and am not a huge fan of their food. Of course though, I told her I'm in love with their boneless wings. She asked me if I could stay and wait for the GM to get back and have another interview with him, and she warned me that he would be asking me to "sell" him boneless wings because (in her words) "he's a bit more daring than I am."

He was indeed.

He asked me the same preliminary questions that the first manager had (I can't for the life of me remember their names...awesome) and then started to ask me to sell him boneless wings...

GM: Pretend I'm a customer. How would you...wait a second...Can you hula hoop?
ME: (not really thinking before speaking) *enthusiastically* yeah!
GM: Really?
ME: well...I mean...I probably haven't done it since I was thirteen but...
(it was too late)
GM: Hold on a second...*goes to get hula hoop*

I swear to god this hula hoop was insanely thick and weighed like 5 pounds! It was huge! I had already gotten myself in too deep though, so there was nothing left to do but...well....hula hoop!

My first try was a massive fail...my second try was slightly successful, and by this point some of the Hooters Girls were cheering me on and giving me tips...and then my third try was a charm.

As I walked back over to GM he was laughing and said "Good job, you'll do just fine here." I then asked him if I needed to jump rope, or hopscotch next. He really liked my humor. :) I was more relaxed during that interview than I have been for any other one. I knew if I was myself I'd be just fine ad it turns out I was right. I wasn't fake during any point in my interview, which makes me happy, because I know I got hired for who I am, not some fake person that they thought I was.

He asked me a few more server related questions such as;;

GM: If someone orders a gin and tonic, what's the first question you should ask them?
ME: To see their i.d?
GM: Well, that's not exactly what I was thinking, but yes, good!
ME: What kind of liquor they want?
GM: Yes! We always try to upsale here....yadda yadda yadda

and

GM: If you see that someone has only taken a couple bites of their food and stopped eating, while everyone else continues, what should you do?

etc.
etc.
etc.

There were some more norm interview questions thrown in there too, but that's all boring business.

Then he went and got the paper I need to fill out to get my liquor liscence, and the paper that tells me when my orientation is (Friday), what I need to bring to my orientation, and when the next ATC date is to take the class for my liquor liscence.

LC told me that Hooters Girls basically don't have to do any real work. They don't have to do side work, roll silverware, they don't even get their own drinks!

My job will literally be to look sexy and flirt....


and that, my friends, is amazing.

On top of that, all the people that really matter in my life are really excited for me. Everyone else are just haters anyway *brushes shoulder off*.
My mom is seriously ecstatic and insanely proud of me. You would think I just graduated valedictorian, or was elected president of the USA. It's great. :)

I'll keep you updated.

-New (excited and nervous) Hooters Girl-

p.s. I'd like to say that with the exception of my very first job, I've never had to wait for a call back, I've always been hired on the spot. Hooters turned out to be no exception.

woot+woot!