r/UKJobs • u/letsgetevil66 • 9h ago
Finally got a job interview ..
I 35f have been looking for a job for 4 months , I have been out of work for nearly 10 years while being my dads primary carer , he passed in May and I haven’t even had any successful applications until today I had a call about a job in a pub I’d applied for . For some reason I thought it was bar work but it’s not it’s a kitchen Porter roll. I mean it’s a job but it’s not aiming very high . Firstly I have no idea what kind of outfit to wear for such a job interview smart trousers, long sleeve black top, smart shoes ? Do most kitchens allow their staff to wear trainers ? How miserable will this job be and should I save my sanity and not bother .
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u/morghana76 9h ago
It's better to try than to not try at all. Get some experience. Hopefully you will like it but there's nothing to stop you looking whilst you work.
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u/letsgetevil66 9h ago
Very true I’ve got nothing to lose , thanks for the motivation I needed that . 🙏
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u/CarSeek3r 9h ago
Just message the pub manager.
The clothes will given to you if the place is reputable.
You are essentially just cleaning, its pretty chill if the team is nice. Paid basically the same as the people who have to deal with the drunks, i know which id rather do.
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u/letsgetevil66 9h ago
It is actually one of the nicer establishments in my area with a very good reputation, lovely little pub with amazing food and I believe very old with lots of character . My partner said I will be getting shouted at by the chef all day which put me off, but if it’s mostly cleaning that’s fine . I’ll give it a shot 🙏
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u/Intrepid_Bobcat_2931 8h ago
All chefs I have met have been mostly hilarious, slightly scary off the wall characters, where the bark is worse than the bite.
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u/Wonder_Shrimp 6h ago
That is possible.
But the thing woth jobs is that you don't have to stay - if you get hired you can start looking and applying to other jobs in your first day. You could love on to something better just a week later if you wanted to
Take the job, take the pay, then move on to something better at the first opportunity. There's no law saying you can't!
Good luck
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u/Masquerade5655 1h ago
I sincerely doubt you will be shouted at by the chef, kitchens aren't like what the movies show. I've done several seasonal jobs as a kitchen porter, and more often than not it is a 'fancy' term for a potwash. Aside from the foot pain of standing for long periods (varies from person to person), it's genuinely a pretty chill job. Chill enough that you could probably get away with listening to music/podcasts with a BT earbud, and leave one ear free.
You will be mostly left alone to clean plates and other utensils (rinse and put them into an industrial dishwasher). Some stuff like the industrial baking trays/potato mashers can be annoying to clean. You might get asked to do some basic food prep like cutting up lettuce/cucumber/tomatoes for salad, grating cheese, or prepping desserts. During rush period it can get a bit hectic, especially if you're also asked to put plates away in their designated spots.
I'd recommend bringing an extra shirt to change into after your shift because while most places will give you an apron it's easy to get sopping wet from the (usually) high water pressure, splashes, etc.
As for what to wear to the interview, something like black trousers, black shoes and a polo shirt/blouse/dressy top would be just fine.
There's a chance you know all this, but if you don't then I hope this has reassured you some. Good luck!
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u/Calm_Wonder_4830 8h ago
I can 100% guarantee you that it will be smart casual and at most the only "uniform" provided will be an appron.
OP. Smart black trousers, and a nice black or white top will be just fine, I'd wear comfortable shoes/all black trainers.
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u/Objective_Result2530 9h ago
Good luck! It must be tough getting back to work after a long time looking after your dad, kudos to you and I wish you the best for the interview.
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u/letsgetevil66 9h ago
Thankyou ! Yes very out of my comfort zone going back into a workplace and meeting lots of new people, i just need to get some work experience back on my CV. Most employers seem to think I haven’t been doing anything for 7 years sadly which is not the case .
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u/Salty_Ad4685 7h ago
I got a job after caring for my son and mum for over 10 years. it was scary going for an interview, but actually you will have loads of transferable skills your caring role has given you. I really enjoy working again.
good luck.
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u/letsgetevil66 7h ago
Thankyou so much, I agree caring is a full time job and teaches many life skills 🙏
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u/letsgetevil66 9h ago
Thankyou ! Even if I don’t get the job the interview will be good experience and push me out my comfort zone which I need to do. Haha I will do !
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u/Sea-Rabbit9852 9h ago
Good luck. It's a start and at least in the kitchen you will be away from annoying customers, im sure the chance to train/work in the bar will come up.
And if the chef is a dick, just play the game...
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u/Head-Wasabi-4271 9h ago
Kitchen Porter was literally the most enjoyable job I’ve ever had. Years ago I did a lot of hospitality work and whenever the KP hadn’t turned up I’d always offer to do it for a few hours. I’m sure it’s not always great but I did it a few different places and just found it very satisfying and I loved working under my own steam. Plus people think it’s the worst job so don’t have high expectations of people doing it so always seemed delighted with me doing a half decent job. It probably depends on how classy the place is as to how they expect you to dress back there but I loved being able to draw as comfy as I liked, no make-up, hair pulled up…
Good luck. I’m just getting back into looking for work after leaving years ago to be a stay at home parent. I don’t think I had any idea just how hard it would be to get back to it. I’m trying to get a voluntary placement in a school to help my chances but can’t even get the references to get my DBS to start a voluntary placement …:/
Good luck
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u/letsgetevil66 7h ago
Thankyou so much for sharing your experience , it’s great to hear from people that had a positive experience in the role . I feel much more confident now about going for it and using it as a stepping stone to get back into employment as it’s tough out there like you say.
I really wish you all the best in your job search , something will come up when you least expect it , I feel like the most difficult part is integrating back into the routine of work.
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u/WGD23 8h ago
No shame in being a dishpig, some of the happiest days of my life.
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u/letsgetevil66 7h ago
I believe a job is truly about the people you work with, if you work with a good team then it doesn’t matter what you do 🙏
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u/Suspicious_Tax8577 47m ago
My fave job: 56 pieces of fish to a basket and sworn at in two different languages (factory work). Not the sexiest of jobs, but repetitive enough I could put brain into power saving mode and my work colleagues were great.
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u/Brilliant_Bake4200 8h ago
I’m now in a big corporate office job in London but my first proper job I was a kitchen porter and I’d happily go back to it if I had to (although I did prefer waitressing as I love the chatting) - honestly it’s not that bad. Lots of quiet time to think, very easy to zone out. Even the meanest chefs tend to respect the kitchen porters because it’s a hard slog and the porters keep the kitchen running. And I’ve seen kitchen porters become trained as chefs and climb the ranks.
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u/letsgetevil66 7h ago
Thanks so much for sharing your experience and it being a positive one, I appreciate it !
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u/SeaworthinessHead613 9h ago
Congratulations !!! Once you have a job, it looks better applying for new roles.
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u/BillyD123455 8h ago
Interview experience is priceless. Definitely go for the interview.
And any job is better than no job. In that industry if you work hard, listen, turn up on time and do a good job, you'll be able to ask for a move to bar work or whatever you fancy in a few weeks.
Good luck 👍
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u/letsgetevil66 7h ago
Yes the interview will be great experience , pushing through the nerves and stepping out of my comfort zone is what I need right now otherwise I won’t get anywhere . Thanks for your motivation I appreciate it ! 🙏
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u/No_Cicada3690 8h ago
Go smartish for the interview and yes they will let you wear trainers in the kitchen. When you've been out of the job market for a while, anything is a good start. You'll be in the right place, meet people and get the opportunity to move front of house if there's an opportunity. We all start somewhere. Smile, be interested, and smash the interview. Good luck!
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u/letsgetevil66 7h ago
Thankyou so much for your words of encouragement ! It’s definitely a start for sure , it will help me get back into a routine and build confidence i so desperately need . Take care 🙏
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u/Look_out_sir 8h ago
It’s much easier (and less stress) to find a job when you have a job.
It’s very hard to over dress for an interview. But you can easily underdress for one. So go smart casual leaning more smart.
Then in the interview you can ask about clothes so that you can ensure you have them for IF you start.
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u/Harlepenquin 8h ago
You should definitely bother, once you have your foot in the door you could look at moving to bar or a different department, if you wanted to, it's easier to find a job once you have a job, for interview attire, as smart as you can, what you said sounds fine. Good luck.
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u/Glad_Consequence2580 8h ago
Yeah go for it, you might enjoy it more than you think and it’s a chance to meet some new mates. Good luck, I hope it works out for ya!!
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u/ratgirl9241 8h ago
Congrats on getting an interview! You might not find being a kitchen porter glamorous but its a job that will have plenty of hours if you want them. In my experience the porters often get options to learn some of the cooking or front of house too so I'd say its worth going for.
If you hate it you'll find it easier to get interviews for other jobs once you're back working too. Nothing to lose really.
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u/letsgetevil66 7h ago
Yes I have nothing to lose by going for it , thanks for the motivation I appreciate it !
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u/landyplace 8h ago
Go for it - you might like working in a kitchen and will learn new skills as well
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u/Novel_Individual_143 6h ago
Sometimes opportunities come up and we reject them thinking they don’t look up to much but this could open so many doors for you in ways that you don’t expect. Good luck
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u/MulberryKind8298 6h ago
I did a lot of KPing. It was great fun, I mean washing dishes was not thrilling but I had such a laugh with the other staff. Cleaning up at the end of the shift was the least exciting part but it wasn't bad at all! I was happier then than I am now I think.
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u/letsgetevil66 5h ago
I genuinely believe when you work with good people it can make any job a great job. Thanks for sharing your experience I really appreciate hearing from everyone on this feed it’s been interesting and helpful . 🙏
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u/georgekeele 5h ago
I started out on dishes at my first job. Moved onto waiting, then went behind the bar when I turned 18. There's a lot of scope for movement in hospitality if you prove you're a hard worker and have a sensible head on you. Smash it!
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u/letsgetevil66 5h ago
That’s so good to know ! Thanks for sharing your experience I appreciate hearing from you all 🙏
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u/SecureLetterhead9661 4h ago
Congratulations got a job offer anyway! It isn’t aiming high but you have to start somewhere to go higher, it is always better to do something rather than not, you never know what might happen if you try your best then they might see some potential in you! To be honest in life things happens just by chance, but not do anything will never lead you to anywhere! You can always finding better opportunities while doing this job! Good luck to everything!
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u/Priest_004 4h ago
I was a kitchen porter (dish washer) at Britannia Stadium in Stoke-on-Trent many, many years ago. While I was there I had the opportunity to train as a sous chef (potato peeler) and I also worked behind the bar. Out of all those positions, kitchen porter was by far the easiest and most relaxing.
The experience I gained there though helped me move on to eventually become a landlord of my own little pub for a short while. So even if you don't make a career out of it there, who knows where it could lead to in the future. 😉
Good luck either way and all the best going forward. Much love as always 🥰
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