NY Hotel Trades Council Interview Questions
& Process

I applied in early December 2019 and didn't hear back until mid-January. We arranged a Skype interview after a lot of phone tag, but I didn't get the confirmation email until an hour and a half before the interview. Luckily, I was free and could start on time. The interviewers were really rude and condescending. One interrupted me mid-answer, saying I wasn't getting to the point quickly enough, and then just gave a curt 'okay' after I rephrased. It felt like they were talking down to me, like I was a student, not a professional. When I described my current un-unionized job conditions, they smugly implied their union members wouldn't tolerate it, almost like they were flexing. When I asked how the union's mission reflects the workplace culture, they admitted it doesn't, detailing long, unpredictable hours for new employees, sometimes with little rest between shifts. They said I'd hear back within a week, but that's passed, and given the two-month wait for this interview, I'm not expecting a quick response, if any.

Got a surprise phone call late Friday asking if I was still keen to set up an in-person interview. We then confirmed the date and time via email. The interview itself had the Hiring Manager in person and the Operations Manager joining via video. We talked through my resume and cover letter, with some basic questions about my past work. After that, I had a scheduled 2-hour test and then an interview with the Vice President. They also mentioned the job requires being able to work longer hours with little notice.

After I applied, HTC tried to call me a few times, but I didn't know who it was. When I called back, a woman asked for an extension, and I said I got a call from them. She said she couldn't help if I didn't have the extension and hung up. I eventually followed up with NYHTC, and they set up an interview. It's weird they don't use email for candidates these days. The interview was on Skype with a business agent who was nice and asked good, direct questions. They offered me the internship about a week later over the phone, and I had to ask them to send me anything in writing.

This was back in 2019, and since it was my very first interview for an actual job, I was a total wreck and honestly, I'm not even mad about not getting an offer. But what I really can't get over is how the interviewer drew a frowny face on my resume. I didn't catch her doing it at the time, but I definitely saw it later. I can barely remember anything else about the interview itself, but that frowny face? I'll never forget it.