Panda Express Team Member Interview Questions
& Process

I saw the ad on indeed.com for a Service and Kitchen Team position. I thought it was for counter service but it was different. Four days later, I got a call for an interview, which was the next day. I arrived 15 minutes early and told the cashier I was interviewing. The General Manager was training someone, so it took about 40 minutes for her to see me. She reviewed my resume and asked if I had another job and why I wanted to work at Panda Express. She explained the role involves working both front and back of house, cooking, prepping vegetables, and dishwashing, with 25 hours a week. I accepted and was told to bring black pants, socks, shoes, and a belt, with the rest of the uniform provided. The starting pay is $9.25/hour. It's a busy place, requiring quick and hard work, especially during lunch and dinner rushes, but it gets easier with practice.

I applied online and had an interview 3 days later. My family friend referred me and helped with the whole process. I dropped off my resume 2 days before the interview. The manager was interested in hiring me, which surprised me since I'm a Senior in High School with community service experience. The manager even signed my work permit and accepted my food handler certificate. I was told to bring my school ID and social security card. I waited a week for a call, and called twice, but the manager wasn't available. Three weeks later, the manager said they were busy training managers at other stores and promised to call back the next day, but never did. My family friend called, and I was told I have a SECOND INTERVIEW at another location. I was ready, but disliked that the manager didn't call me directly. The other manager was nice. I arrived early while he was interviewing someone else. He asked me questions while looking at my resume, which felt great and familiar. I asked questions too, like 'how did Panda Express affect you?'. The interview went great, and I felt confident. He asked to keep my resume and confirmed my number was the best contact. A week later, I called him and was told positions are full but they'll contact me when available.

I applied online and then got a call that very night. The next day I went in for an interview with the general manager. It was pretty casual, they gave me a drink and we sat at a table. The interview lasted about 45 minutes. At the end, they said I'd hear back in 3-5 days, but I only got a rejection email. The manager was kind of rude during the interview, taking calls and texts while we were talking.