Working at Chipotle?

Post Reply New Topic

I recently applied for a job working at Chipotle, which I have an interview set up for in a few days. Does this seem like a bad job for someone with Aspergers?

Was this the interview you were talking about in your other post?

I would say they definitely had a "type" they were hiring for. Also, a friend of one of the current employees could have applied and they would have gotten the job over anyone else. You shouldn't worry about not getting this. It's basically a crapshoot getting this type of job.

Any food industry jobs can be hard if you struggle socially. I cannot hold a social job for longer than three months before breaking down publicly, quitting, or getting fired because I'm not personable enough. Just treat it as you would treat any other interview. Just sell yourself to the best of your ability, and remember to smile and be chipper about your life. Holding a server or host job is all about physical show, and being an outgoing and responsible person who caters to people's needs. I was a hostess for a little while. It was a crappy job for someone like me who can't even stand being in a public place for longer than an hour (I took a LOT of bathroom breaks on that job), but it was a job nonetheless and I learned a lot of social interactions from it.

Yes, that was the interview I was talking about. And they were definitely hiring a "type," which I apparently wasn't.

Yeah, don't feel bad about that. I also agree with LittleLu's post.

A LONG long time ago when I was a young person I worked in food service myself. I'm NT, but I'm also not the right "type." I could tell that the customers wanted me to flirt with them and make small talk and that type of thing. I just couldn't bring myself to act that way. I would rather make a dollar an hour than do that. And I literally did make one dollar in tips an hour, so I quit and went to work in a factory. Which you could, back then, it was the 90s.

Not all food service is that bad, though. My nephew is pretty shy but he did well working in the back at McDonald's for a couple of years. He was Sandwich Assembly. I asked him for a detailed explanation of his job once and he said, "I put the patty on the bun." Lol. Didn't sound too bad.

While I have never worked in the fast-food or restaurant industry, my first jobs were all cinema related involving popcorn, drinks and hot dogs instead of burgers and fries; a kind of restaurant-lite. It is true that a certain degree of socializing is expected, but, such socializing can be masked and made into a routine. Without emotion, asking a customer "would you like fries with that?" isn't the same as preparing for a lifelong relationship; it is simply a question and an expected answer. Learn the script of most job duties, and I suspect that almost any autist could perform well enough to thrive in the environment.

Yes, it is like being an actor or actress--you just follow a script to given your audience the canned answers you were taught. You shouldn't be working there if you obsess over whether it is right or wrong to do that.

Having discussions like you find on PPR or even the Love and Dating forums--well--that leads to a poor customer experience--big business doesn't want that.

To me yes it does seem like a bad job for as aspie I had an interview their once but I couldn't make it (I had some test to take.)

I have worked in fast food though and it was hell for me but I don't know you and I can only speak for myself.

My feet would freaking hurt after standing for so long (yes I'm a big baby

I've been yelled at by customers because I didn't understand what they wanted.

People ask me can I read because someone in the back got their order wrong.

Weirdos come up in their and I have this fear of being robbed while on cashier.

Needless to say I've been fired from most fast food places I worked at for not being friendly and customers reporting me for whatever them not understanding me...

I hate serving other people and I hate being nice to them too...

I hate smiling at people who I don't know, I hate them catching a tude with me saying I don't have manners and all this other shitz
And now i'm just ranting...

But money is money so you should go.

But, it you can recite your lines with a smile, accept that its just business and don't take it personally, you may be able to handle it...

All jobs have their bad points--even being a doctor or fireman has it bad sides--sometimes, no matter what you do, you just can't help someone...

I think what also turned off the interviewer was the fact that I said I could learn how to do the job with lots of repetition, which got some weird looks from him. That probably sent the wrong message, even though I think he knew I could do the job. I also think the fact that I'm only here for the summer detracted from my attractiveness as an applicant.

Yeah, don't say the repetition thing next time, just say "yes, I can do that." But that's not horrible. The summer thing shouldn't have mattered for that type of job. It would matter if you were interviewing for, say, a desk job.

As someone who eats at Chipotle at least twice a week, the interacting you'd have with customers is almost purely formulaic.

"What would you like?"
"For here or to go?"
"White or brown rice?
"Black or pinto beans?"
"What kind of meat?"
"Is there anything else you'd like?"

There is very little actual "conversation" going on, if that is something that you worry about.

I worked at one and didn't last a week before being fired for lack of effort.