How many times have you heard someone say shameful or insulting things about working at McDonald’s? Something like “Oh, they’re so stupid, they can’t even get a job at McDonald’s!”
Countless times, right?
Well, there is an army of McDonald’s current and former employees that will disagree with this insulting misconception. Choosing to work at McDonald’s as your first job will teach you to value hard work, responsibility, and develop strong work ethics, and these are not the qualities of a “loser.” According to Jeff Bezos and P!nk, working at McDonald’s “played a big role in who they are today.” Whether they have learned a lot about working in teams, not giving up on their dreams, or coming up with inventive solutions, they all see McDonald’s as a good place to start gaining significant working experience.
If you want to join the club of these super-successful and rich people who chose to work at McDonald’s during their teenage years, keep reading this article.
We will offer you some tips and tricks on how to get a job at Mcdonald’s and provide you with all the information needed to go through their hiring process.
Table of Contents
McDonald’s Jobs
Being one of the most famous fast-food brands worldwide, the atmosphere in Mcdonald’s restaurants can’t but be hectic most of the time which is perfect for outgoing and ready-for-action people. Also, when you start searching for jobs at McDonald’s, you need to know that you will become a part of a people-oriented working environment and trained by supportive managers that will help you learn the ropes in no time. Also, by becoming a part of McDonald’s staff, you enter a close-knit community where everybody is ready to jump in at any moment and make an extra effort for the good of the whole team.
McDonald’s management also strives to invest in the continual professional development of their employees. You may expect swift promotion from a crew member who earns around $10 per hour to a shift leader with bigger responsibilities, but also a higher salary if you work hard and are ready to learn on the go.
Last but not least, while working at McDonald’s you will get additional help for your education. There is a company-run high school completion program, college tuition assistance, and English lessons for everyone who needs them.
Hiring Requirements
You can apply for an open position at McDonald’s if you are 16 or older, and a legal resident of the USA. To prove this, you need to file a birth certificate and a social security number. Furthermore, McDonald’s incorporates background checks into their hiring process, so be prepared for this. However, a felony does not necessarily mean you won’t get a job at McDonald’s. People who want to apply for managerial positions may expect drug tests and also various skill tests to prove their competency for the job they are applying for.
Does McDonald’s Offer Benefits?
When you get hired at McDonald’s, you will become eligible for Health insurance, food discount, and free meals at work. The longer you work there, the more extensive the benefits package becomes. Here is a list of all benefits McDonald’s offers to employees:
- Insurance: Health, Dental, Vision, and Disability insurance
- Leaves: Vacations, paid holidays, paid time off
- Retirement: 401k retirement plan
- Financial Benefits: Bonus pay, Yearly bonus, Employee discount, Stock options
- Other: Flexible spending account, Matching gift program, Tuition assistance, Adoption assistance
Careers At McDonald’s
We have already mentioned that people from McDonald’s take care of their employees by ensuring constant professional growth through their excellent training programs. This means your hard work and dedication to the company will be recognized. You will advance on your McDonald’s career path with clearly defined milestones, showing you the progress you made.
McDonald’s Manager
McDonald’s Manager is a demanding position perfect for people who are great at multitasking. The manager is responsible for leading a team of Department Managers, helping them reach set goals, providing effective training, and monitoring their progress. McDonald’s Store Managers are also in charge of hiring, training, and developing Shift and Crew Leaders. They are responsible for making the restaurant they are in charge of a profitable place that meets all McDonald’s standards regarding customer service, food quality, and cleanliness.
McDonald’s Manager Salary: $ 41,306/year
McDonald’s Assistant Manager
Assistant Manager at McDonald’s is responsible for running a profitable restaurant, making sure that the place meets high company standards related to customer service, quality, and cleanliness. Together with General Managers, they make plans to reach set goals.
McDonald’s Assistant Manager Salary: $33,533 /year
McDonald’s Shift Leader
The perfect candidate for the Shift Leader position is a customer-oriented person with exceptional leadership skills. They are also able to motivate and lead the team towards meeting set goals and, of course, providing excellent customer service.
McDonald’s Example Pay: $ 12/hour
McDonald’s Crew Member
The role of McDonald’s crew member requires you to receive orders and prepare delicious McDonald’s meals, providing an excellent experience for customers. Crew members work together with their co-workers and managers to meet set goals and the high McDonald’s standards on a daily basis.
McDonald’s Example Pay: $10 /hour
McDonald’s Application 2021
Besides updating your resume and writing an engaging cover letter, try adding a personal touch to your McDonald’s application by making a short video or another kind of presentation. By utilizing a visual tool, you may focus on the reasons why you are the perfect fit for the job, and talk about your top skills and achievements. Make sure that your presentation reflects the company’s culture and values. In this way, you may gain a significant advantage over other candidates and leave a great first impression on the hiring manager.
Filling in the McDonald’s application form is a very simple process. All the needed information is divided into sections. First you fill in the General information section with essential information such as name, age, address, position you are applying for and the location. Also there are some questions of availability and transportation.
In the Education section you need to write down the names of high school or a college you have graduated from, or still attending.
You fill in the Work Experience section by listing all your previous jobs and giving some basic information about each of them. This is followed by a section related to US Military service.
Finally, you have to spend some time to read the last section of the McDonalds job application carefully and fully understand it. If you agree with everything you have read, sign the application form or have a parent or a guardian sign it if you are under 18. This said, let’s see the ways you can apply for a job at McDonalds.
You can apply for the wanted McDonald’s job by visiting their “Careers” page. Follow the instructions to find the job and location that suits you and let the chatbot take you through the McDonald’s online application process.
On the other hand, if you want to submit the job application personally in the nearest restaurant, you can download a printable McDonald’s application form here.
Do You Need A Resume For McDonald’s?
You may think that adding a resume to the job application is unnecessary since you have already given all the significant job-related information required by you. Better think again, though. A sleek and well-organized resume can make a significant difference, and can easily set you apart from the competition.
Manager Resume Template
This resume template will allow you to list all your professional experience and relevant skills by presenting them in a neat and easy-to-read way.
Cashier Resume Template
If you want to be recognized as a well-organized and reliable candidate, you should use this CV template. It’s very easy to follow, clean, and simple.
Customer Service Resume Template
Here, you can satisfy the interviewers by listing all your relevant skills and responsibilities you had in your previous jobs in more detail.
McDonald’s Interview
We understand that going to your first job interview may be an overwhelming experience. You do not know how to dress, what to take with you and how to battle anxiety. Don’t worry we got you. After reading this section, you will be ready to shine in your McDonald’s interview and nail that job.
According to numerous employees, your style should be business casual. By wearing sleek clothes you show respect for the company and the job you want. Therefore jeans with holes and flip-flops are out of the question.
Besides, confidence and honesty will definitely payout at the job interview. Try to hold your head high, smile often, and maintain eye contact. This will give the impression that you are the right person in the right place, and you know what you want.
Being honest about your previous working experience and job-related skills is essential for gaining employer trust. By saying that you don’t have previous customer service experience but you are willing to learn will show that you are reliable and ready to work hard.
Now let’s talk about the most common questions you will hear during the McDonald’s job interview so that we can offer you some effective answers.
McDonald’s Interview Questions
Q: Why do you want to work at McDonald’s?
A: Because you have heard that it is a great place to build work ethics, a sense of responsibility and that it is a good starting point for any career. You can use the experiences of all those famous people we have mentioned in this article to back up this statement, adding that having this fast-food giant in your resume is a significant recommendation.
Q: What are your top 3 strengths?
A: Since the fast-food business is customer-centered, you may name some skills that will align with the company’s culture. You may say that you are a people pleaser willing to learn and meet customers’ needs. It is always a good idea to give an example of a situation where these qualities set you apart from others. You can use a school event or even a garage sale, it doesn’t matter as long as you have provided great service and put a smile on someone’s face.
Q: What are your top 3 weaknesses?
A: Be honest about this one and relate your weakness to the job you applied for. You may say that you tend to panic when under pressure, but that you have found ways to overcome this anxiety and keep calm when needed. This is just an example of what your answer is supposed to look like. We know that no one enjoys talking about their shortcomings, but this shows that you are aware of your weak sides and are ready to make steps towards improvement.
Q: Why should we hire you?
A: Because you are a hard-working, dedicated person who will go above and beyond to contribute to the team and make customers happy. Also you have an enormous respect for the company’s culture and how they achieve the highest possible standards in the fast-food industry. Mention that you believe you will fit perfectly in their fast-paced, yet well-organized working environment.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
A: The most favorable answer would be that you want to build a career in the company. But if this is not the case, be honest. For example, you can say that you will be studying management and the experience you gain at McDonald’s will be an invaluable asset. Moreover, you can mention that this job will surely turn you into a responsible person, willing to work hard as a part of a team and achieve set goals.
Q: How would you handle a customer that’s upset because their order was wrong?
A: You will stay calm and collected and replace the order with a smile on your face. Serving customers isn’t always an easy or pleasant job. For this reason, try to stay cool, listen carefully to the customer and try to help them in the most effective way. However, if the customer continues to complain, you will address your Shift Manager and ask for help.
Q: Are you able to perform under pressure?
A: You can say that you like to work in a fast-paced environment and that you don’t mind asking for help when you think you need it. McDonald’s is the most famous fast-food brand worldwide, serving millions of people daily. This is why you have to be prepared for a hectic atmosphere, especially during rush hours, where you will have to act quickly and think on your feet. When the pressure starts getting the best of you, ask a coworker or a manager for help. This is always a better solution than to act like you can handle it, and stress out.
Q: What does “great customer service” mean to you?
A: The best thing would be to describe one of your experiences at McDonald’s. For, example, you can say that you expect to be welcomed with a smile and treated with respect. Also, great customer service should turn a visit to a fast-food restaurant into a memorable experience that people share with their families or friends.
Q: Do you have any cash handling experience?
A: It is preferable you do, and it can be any previous cash-handling experience. Seriously, you can talk about selling lemonade in front of your house during the hot summer days when you were a kid. Or, you were collecting money at some charity event in your neighborhood. The hiring manager needs to know whether you know how to handle cash, or you need to go through the training first.
So, if you have never handled cash before, feel free to say that.
Q: If hired, how long do you plan on staying in this job?
A: Try not to say something like “Oh I am just here for the summer.” Try saying something like until I perfect my customer service skills instead. People from McDonald’s do not expect that every teenager they hire wants to permanently stay and climb up to a managerial position. However, they offer amazing professional training and education assistance to their employees. These advantages set them apart from the competition, and give the employees great reasons to stay with the company longer than they may have initially planned. You can mention these incentives in your answer.
Q: What is your availability?
A: When you start working in a busy McDonald’s restaurant, the more you are available for work, the better. Of course, this does not mean that you should say you are available 24/7. Try to make a weekly plan including days when you will be able to work, and time off that you need to spend at school, with friends and family. In this way, you will give a clear answer to the question, giving the impression of a reliable and well-organized person.
Q: How do you stay motivated to always perform to your best even if the tasks are monotonous?
A: Try to say that you are good at finding different ways of keeping yourself motivated. For example, you can engage in more conversations with customers, or something similar. By asking this, the interviewer wants to find out if you are a proactive person who will take an initiative and be ready to jump into various roles to help the team, no matter how monotonous tasks may be. Furthermore, the job can get repetitive and they want to know if you can deal with it in a creative way, or you will get overwhelmed quickly and lose interest in it.
What Happens After The Interview?
Now that the hiring process is over and you have met all the hiring requirements, filled in, and handed your application, and have gone through your job interview, try to be patient. If you don’t get a call from a McDonald’s manager within a week, make sure to follow up and get feedback.
If you have additional questions or comments on this topic, feel free to let us know!
Good luck with your job search!
