Who doesn’t like a trip to the movies, whether it’s with friends, for a date, or as a family outing? All that popcorn and the bedazzlement of Hollywood can easily leave you daydreaming of working at the cinema yourself.
If you do want to work at the cinema, it pays to be prepared for common interview questions at a movie theatre. In general, these questions will ask you about cash handling experience, people skills, and availability. However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
If you’re ready to launch your new career at the local movie theater, this guide is for you. Here’s everything you need to know about interview questions at a cinema.
Applying for Jobs at the Movie Theater
Before we jump into interview questions at a movie theater, let’s take a second to go over how to start the application process in the first place.
Back in the day, you’d have to walk into most movie theaters and ask for a physical job application. Today, however, most theaters have online websites where you can apply to a number of different positions.
A few of the entry-level positions at movie theaters include:
- Ushers
- Projectionists
- Cleaning crew
- Shift managers
- Concession attendants
- Box office attendants
The majority of these positions give you the opportunity for growth. That means if you’re good at what you do, you could wind up as a team lead or general manager!
How to Prepare for a Cinema Interview
Next, let’s take a second to talk about preparing for your interview at the movie theater. Although knowing what kinds of questions will be asked is important, it’s far from the only thing to be aware of when applying for a job.
You’ll also need to prepare in a couple of other ways, too.
One way is with your clothes. Although you don’t need to put on a full suit to go to an interview at the movies, you’ll still want to dress nicely. Chinos or khakis are a nice choice for guys, whereas girls could wear a casual dress or slacks. Skipping the jeans, especially ripped jeans, helps leave a positive impression on future employers.
On top of that, it pays to do a bit of research about the movie theater. Check out what services they offer, and take a minute to review any previous skills or jobs you’ve had that might be relevant to your position. Doing so can help you feel confident and relaxed when it comes time to interview.
Topics and Questions to Expect
Although I’ll cover some of the main questions in a minute, there are a couple of general topics that these questions fall into. For the most part, movie theater interviews focus on your customer service and social skills. Since these positions are highly customer-facing, you need to know how to treat clients well and make them feel comfortable.
You may also be asked questions related to heavy lifting and cleaning. These types of questions are to get a feel for whether you’ll be able to properly carry out the tasks that make up your job description.
Other topics that might be covered have to do with your availability and willingness to work late shifts. Most movie theaters are open until late at night, which means they’ll need you to have some degree of flexibility with your hours if you get the job.
16 Common Interview Questions at a Movie Theater
Now that we’ve got some of the preliminary information about applying for a job at a movie theater out of the way, it’s time to get into the interview questions. Although there are tons of different questions a potential employer could ask, here are a few that you might want to keep your ears peeled for.
1. Why Do You Want to Work Here?
This is one of the first questions just about any employer will ask you when you go to apply for a new job. The reason for this is that with this question, employers are looking to learn more about whether or not you’d be a good fit for their team.
When answering this question, you’ll want to say something that shows the interviewer that you’ll provide value to the team and have a positive attitude about your new job.
Think about what makes you passionate about working at the theater and work that into your answer. Plus, try to highlight some skills you have that would be valuable to your potential manager in your new role.
2. Tell Us About Yourself
Just about any job you apply for will ask you to tell them about yourself. Now, although it’s easy to go off on a tangent here, you’ll want to keep this part of the interview relatively brief.
Try to limit what you’re going to say to two minutes or less. Talk about any previous, relevant work experience you have. You can also talk about any relevant education you have or any soft skills you possess that would be good for this position.
Remember, this part of the interview needs to be memorable and succinct. This is what will ultimately make your elevator pitch stand out and help hiring managers remember you over other candidates. As a result, try to say something that will separate you from the crowd and make them remember you when it comes time for a final decision.
3. Are You Available to Work Weekends or Late Hours?
Movie theaters get a large share of their ticket revenue from weekend sales, which is why being able to work Friday through Sunday is often a must for theater employees. On top of that, most movie-goers head to the cinema in the evening, meaning you’ll need to be able to work nights and not just afternoon performances.
If you’re going to apply for a movie theater job, it pays to have this in mind. Interviewers will often ask you about your availability, so the more available you can be, the more likely you’ll be to get the job.
4. Do You Have Any Customer Service Experience?
Most jobs in movie theaters are customer-facing, which means you’ll be interacting with movie-goers on a regular basis. As a result, many interviewers want to know if you have any prior experience in customer service.
Although it’s okay to be honest and answer ‘no’ to this question if you don’t, if you do have customer service experience, this is a great chance to highlight it. Let employers know how long you’ve been in customer service or what types of accomplishments you made. Doing so helps show them how you might behave if you get the job in their cinema.
5. What Would You Do If You Caught a Coworker Stealing?
Although you’re not likely to catch a coworker stealing, many cinemas and entry-level job interviewers will ask you this question. The reason for this is that they want to learn more about your integrity and your responsibility.
If you’re asked this question, you’ll want to answer that you’d report the theft. This helps show responsibility, and helps show that you care about keeping the workplace safe and honest.
6. Do You Have Cash Register Experience?
A number of jobs at the theater, such as box office sales or concession sales, involve working a register or handling cash. Some interviewers may ask you if you have prior cash register experience to see how you’d perform if you get one of these positions.
Once again, you don’t have to have cash register experience to apply for a job at a movie theater. However, having some background in responsibly handling money and transactions helps show employers that you’ve got the skills needed to excel at your new position.
7. What’s Your Favorite Movie and Why?
If there’s one question that a movie theater interviewer is likely to ask you, it’s this one. This question helps interviewers get to know you a little more and learn more about your interests and how well you know the industry.
To answer this question, give an overview of a couple of different genres that you like to show your knowledge of the movie industry. Then, segway into your favorite movie, pointing out specific plot points or scenes that you liked about the movie.
This helps show not only more about your interests and who you are, but it shows movie theater interviewers your critical thinking skills. It’s also a chance for you to display any industry knowledge you have that could be useful for movie goers who need help with questions.
8. What’s Your Experience Working With Food?
Just like how many movie theaters will want to know if you’ve got cash-handling and customer-service experience, many will also want to know if you’ve got experience working with food.
This is a good place to talk about any prior experience you have working with food, whether that’s prepping food in bulk or taking a food safety course. These types of details help show the interviewer that you’d be an asset to the team.
9. Do You Have Experience Working as Part of a Team?
Movie theater workers have to interact with a lot of different team members on their shifts. That includes security guards, cleaning crew, upper management, and more.
If you’ve got any experience working with a team, this is a good place to let the interviewer know. On the other hand, if you haven’t had a previous job, you can also talk about any situations you’ve had to work as part of a team in volunteer opportunities, at school, or as part of religious organizations.
10. Why Did You Leave Your Past Job?
For applicants who have a past work history, it’s not uncommon for interviewers to ask you why you left your last job. Often, interviewers want to see what went wrong and how likely you are to stick it out with them in the future.
Try to give an honest yet benign answer here. Relocation, family emergencies, school, or a change of passions are all good reasons why you might have left a past job. On the other hand, looking for more money, being fired, or incompatibility with your coworkers are going to be red flags for an interviewer.
No matter what the reason is that you left your last workplace, make sure to frame it in a positive way. This helps reassure your future employer that you aren’t going to skip out on your job the second you get a chance.
11. Are You Able to Stand on Your Feet for Long Periods of Time?
Many movie theater workers don’t get the chance to sit down while on the job. This is especially true if you’re working at concessions or the box office.
To make sure you’ll be able to perform your job duties, interviewers may ask if you’re able to stand on your feet for long periods of time. Letting them know that you are will help show that you’ll be able to properly handle your job duties without a problem.
12. How Is Your Attendance?
Some interviewers may ask about your attendance at past jobs. This helps them get a feel for how likely you are to show up for your shifts and to arrive on time.
Let your future employer know any details that you can, such as having achieved perfect attendance for a semester, to help showcase how good your attendance is. You can also give examples of what you’d do in a situation where you were sick or stuck in traffic to help show how you responsibly handle unpredicted disruptions.
13. How Well Do You Know the Theater’s Layout?
Knowing the movie theater’s layout is going to be a key part of helping customers find the right room and their seats. It’s also important for movie theater workers to help assist with exit strategies in the case of an emergency.
If this question comes up during your interview, let the employer know a bit about your knowledge of the theater’s layout. Give them a walkthrough of where the different rooms are and how to get to them.
14. What Experience Do You Have With Projector Systems?
Depending on the position you’re applying for, you may need to know how to operate or clean projector systems. Any knowledge that you have on this subject can be applied to this position and can help you excel at the job.
Again, it’s never a good idea to lie, so if you don’t have any projector system experience, don’t say that you do. However, if you have worked with these systems in the past, this is a good place to let your future employer know.
15. What’s an Example of a Situation Where You Might Have to Call the Police?
Although no one wants to have to call the police, sometimes, movie theaters face issues like rowdy movie-goers or theft. In these situations, you may have to call the police to handle or de-escalate the scene.
Knowing when to call the police (and when not to) is an important part of your responsibilities as working at a movie theater. Being able to show your interviewer that you’re aware of this and how to handle tough situations can help show them that you’d be a good fit for the position.
16. Do You Have Any Questions for Us?
The last question in an interview is always a great opportunity for you to show interest in the company. Although it’s okay not to have any questions, having a few questions about the theater or how you can succeed at the job is useful for showing the interviewer that you care about the position you’re applying for.
A couple of good questions you can ask interviewers at this stage include:
- What qualities would help me succeed in this role?
- How would you know that I’m a successful pick after one month, three months, etc?
- What was the top-selling movie at this theater?
- What does the busiest shift look like and how can I succeed at it?
Wrapping Up: Be Prepared for Your Next Movie Theater Interview
Landing a job at the movie theater is pretty easy as long as you’re properly prepared. That means showing up in appropriate clothing and knowing what questions and topics will be covered in your interview.
Although there are tons of questions that interviewers may ask, the above questions go over a few of the more common ones you can expect on your next interview. Practice your answers to these questions before you go in for an interview at the movie theater, and you may just snag the job of your dreams
