How to Apply at McDonald's

Obtaining and Submitting Your Application

Check to make sure you meet the requirements for a job at McDonald’s. Restaurant jobs at McDonald’s don’t have a specific minimum age requirement, although your state or local government may have limitations on how old a person must be before getting a job. Most individual locations require you to be at least 18 years old to work as a manager. Some states will allow people as young as 14 to work as cashiers or other non-food service personnel. The types of entry-level positions you can apply for at McDonald’s typically include crew member (general restaurant staff member), maintenance, and beverage specialist (the person who runs the McCafe station). These positions don’t require any prior experience. Management positions can include shift manager, assistant manager, and department manager. Note that management positions typically require at least some prior experience at McDonald’s or another food service establishment.

Ask for a job application at your local McDonald’s or look for one online. There is an online jobs portal on the McDonald’s website, but many restaurants don’t actually participate in this hiring portal. This means that the most reliable way to get an application is to just go into the restaurant and ask for one. The URL to search for McDonald’s jobs online is: https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/mcdonalds-careers.html You can typically just ask a cashier working the register to hand you an application. If you see the restaurant manager, ask them for the application so that they’ll know you want a job.Tip: The McDonald’s restaurants that are directly controlled by the McDonald’s corporation have applications online. The independent franchises not controlled by McDonald’s only have paper applications.

Fill out your application completely and correctly. You’ll have to provide information that will be used to perform a background check on you, such as your full name, Social Security number, and address, so it’s important that this information all be accurate. Try to provide as much information as possible in order to make hiring you an easier process. For example, if you have previous work experience, list your former employer’s name, address, and telephone number on your application, rather than just their name. Avoid leaving any parts of your application blank, if you can. Answer as many questions as you can, even if they aren’t required. Be sure to indicate your availability on your application, including how many hours a week you can work and on which days. Remember that the more hours you can work, the stronger applicant you’ll be.

Submit your application to the restaurant manager or online. Handing your application directly to the manager will allow them to match your application to your face. This will hopefully make them look more favorably on your application. If the manager isn’t around, you can also simply give your application to one of the crew members. If your application is online, you can simply hit the “Submit” button in order to turn it in. You can expect to hear back from the restaurant’s hiring manager within 1-2 weeks of handing in your application.

Taking the Assessment Test

Speak to the hiring manager to schedule your assessment test. The hiring manager will call you after they have read your application to schedule a 5-minute interview and this test. This manager will have you come into their restaurant to pick up your test and either complete it there or take it home and bring it back. If you don’t hear from the hiring manager within 2 weeks of turning in your application, call the restaurant directly to ask about your application status.

Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to take the test. The assessment test is composed of 64 questions that ask how you react to certain situations. As a result, it may take you 1-2 hours to completely fill it out.

Select those answers you most identify with to complete the test. The assessment test is essentially a personality test, so there are no right or wrong answers. Just answer each question based on how you feel you would act in the situation described. For example, a question on the assessment test might read, “A customer approaches you and insists that one of your coworkers insulted them. What do you do?” Most of the questions center around scenarios involving conflict, often between a customer and a member of the staff.

Give your finished test to the manager and wait to be called back. Stick around and go over the answers to your test if the manager invites you to. Otherwise, it should take them less than a week to get back to you to either schedule your final interview or tell you you will not be hired. The assessment test is scored on a color rubric, from green to yellow to red. Only those tests that score in the red result in the application being terminated.Tip: It’s ok to call the restaurant after a week to ask about the status of your test and your application. In fact, this makes you look like a go-getter!

Interviewing for the Job

Prepare answers for some common interview questions ahead of time. The interviewer is likely to ask you questions about why you want to work for McDonald’s, what your strengths and weaknesses are, and where you see yourself in 5 years. By preparing answers to these predictable questions ahead of time, you can seem much more composed and prepared in your interview. Other questions you can expect to be asked include “Why should I hire you?”, “Are you good at math?”, and “How many hours can you work?” If you can, have someone ask you these questions and practice giving your answers verbally.

Dress in business casual attire for the interview. You’ll want to look professional without looking over-the-top. If you have long hair, be sure to tie it back. Refrain from wearing any jewelry on your hands and arms. For men, a business casual outfit would probably include a collared shirt, dress pants, and formal leather shoes. For women, a business casual outfit might include a skirt or dress that falls just above the knee, formal pants (if you choose not to wear a skirt or dress), a conservative shirt that isn’t too revealing, and flat trouser shoes or high heels. If you have any tattoos, it’s a good idea to cover these up if they’re otherwise visible.

Show up for your interview on time with your resume and references. Bring a copy of both your resume and a references sheet for the interviewer to look over as they ask you questions. You may also want to bring something to write on so you can take notes about the job during the interview. Remember, it’s much better to arrive 15 minutes early to an interview than it is to arrive 15 minutes late.

Emphasize any skills you have that make you a good fit for the job. Talk about any prior restaurant or customer service experience you have had whenever you have the opportunity to. If you don’t have this kind of experience, simply talk about those traits that would make you a great addition to the restaurant staff. For example, talk about traits like strong leadership skills, good time management skills, or the ability to work well with others.

Be as flexible as you can when it comes to availability. The manager will want to hire a candidate who can work a lot of hours, so having a flexible availability will make you a much stronger applicant. Tell the interviewer your most optimistic guess of how many hours you can reasonably work each week. Don’t lie about your availability by saying you’re available when you actually aren’t. Just be truthful about how much free time you currently have and how much of that time you could actually spend working.Tip: Be open and honest with all of your answers to the interviewer’s questions. You don’t want anything you lie about in the interview to come back to haunt you later on.

Wait to be contacted by the hiring manager about the job. If they don’t offer you the job right away, the interviewer or hiring manager may just need a day or 2 to talk over your answers. If you don’t hear back about the job within 3-5 days, call the manager and ask about your application status. At the end of your interview, feel free to ask questions like "What next steps should I take?" or "When can I expect to hear from you?"