Interviewing for waiter position...should I say I'm going to med school?

[ausom]

I'm all set to interview next week at various chain restaurants and my neighborhood Starbucks. I have very little work experience, most of it is in research and totally unrelated to the restaurant/hospitality business. So strike one against me. Also, I have a degree in Chemistry from a very prestigious, private university. My town is fiercely loyal to our state college and thumbs their nose at out-of-staters. Strike two, against me. Finally, the only personal references I have are from PIs and post-docs that I've worked with. They're also impossible to reach because they're so high up in those stupid ivory towers. I think a hs student would have an easier time getting this job than me. But, I really need the money, and I need to get this job.

So should I dumb myself down? Neglect to mention I'm going to med school? One thing that could save me is that I took 6 courses from my local college while in hs, sooooo, it's feasible to claim I'm still a student at my state school...that I've just taken a long break abroad because of family issues (half my family lives out of the country) and I need to get a job in order to pay for the rest of my education at my state school? What do you think? Will I regret lying about this? Do any of you have problems getting entry-level jobs like these when you mention you're going to med school and you actualyl belong in a lab somewhere?

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[NapeSpikes]

So should I dumb myself down?

So you think you're over-qualified because one day you'll be in med school?

 

[LO281OK]

Absolutely not!! You never know, you might find your calling and shift your career focus...

 

[rcmustang65]

I was "sort-of" in the same position as you this past year. From my experience, mentioning medical school is only a disadvantage when the job requires a large amount of training. Why train you (spend time and money on you) when you are just going to leave in a couple of months. As far as being a waiter or working at a coffee shop I really dont think it matters.... I dont think you should come off like you are doing them a favor because your services are so high and mighty, but I DO think you should come off as a person who likes gaining new experiences in life and who is also trying to save money for one of your goals!

 

[notdeadyet]

I think you are WAY overanalyzing this. This is for wait and counter staff at restaurants and Starbucks. Not one's interviewing there for a career track. They'll want to know if you can learn very basic tasks and how dependeable you'll be.

 

[Depakote]

It's not like they're going to have to spend hundreds of hours training you or that finding a replacement will take months, so I don't think that will kill you. I would be honest if asked, but don't volunteer it, in the end your call though.

 

[medicomel]

it's basically a revolving door over at starbucks and at chain restaurants. don't worry about not disclosing where you'll be in the fall. trust me, i have friends who are managers and baristas over there, and they totally expect to have summer workers who quit once school starts.

 

[Lorrayne]

A lot of those places are busier during the summer months (when kids are out of school), so some actually prefer to hire people who will just be there for the summer.

 

[NonTradMed]

I'm doing something similar this summer. One of my options is to work at Borders or Barnes and Nobles. I'm going to be honest and tell them i'm headed off to med school come fall and I'm only looking for a summer position. I think the OP is way overanalyzing a job as a waiter. For simple temp jobs which requires minimal training, they're always in need of more people and most assume it's a temp position for you anyway so they aren't going to scrutinize your school or your recommendations or what your future plans are. Be honest and tell them it's a temp thing and go from there.