I submitted my application and personality test online, and was called in for an interview with the assistant manager 3 days later. I was seated by another employee and was offered a drink. After about 5 minutes, the assistant manager came out. The interview went pretty well. He was very friendly and was mainly concerned with whether or not I would work well with the rest of the employees. We talked about my future plans for college, his own experience starting at Panera, and what I should expect about working there. He was very friendly and it seemed like the entire interview was him assessing my personality. He seems like a very fun guy to work with. It lasted for about 45 minutes. I was told that I should call back in 3 days if I didn't get a phone call before then. 3 days later, I called back and was told that they wanted to see me again for a 2nd interview, this time with the general manager. This guy was more intimidating. This interview seemed to be more about whether or not I could handle it. He asked if I was okay with coming to work at 5am, if I had reliable transportation, where else I had applied for work, why I wanted to work at Panera, whether I consider myself friendly, whether I was okay with the uniform (the Panera bread visor would have to go on top of my headscarf), if I can handle being on my feet for a busy shift, etc. I think he was more concerned about what I can handle because this will be my first job. He talked about uniform, work scheduling, etc. Two things that he said that struck me were 1) that the guest/customer is always right, and that 2) my personal life/emotional stuff should not affect me at work. I guess that makes sense, but I didn't expect it from a non-fast food place.He ended up saying "I'll give you a shot," so I guess I shouldn't feel too secure about having this position long-term just yet. Overall, I think the interview process was good, but being called in for interviews twice was kind of a hassle for such a position.
