Cook Interview Questions (Canada, NOC 63200)

What to expect

Cook interviews in Canada (NOC 63200) often include a stage. Expect direct questions on stations, cover counts, food-cost discipline, FoodSafe, and how you handle a busy service.

See the matching NOC 63200 guide, the resume example, and the cover letter example.

Behavioural questions

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. Why do you want to work here?
3. Tell me about a time you handled a difficult coworker.
4. Describe a time you had to meet a tight deadline.
5. Tell me about a mistake you made at work and what you learned.
6. Walk me through a time you had to learn something new quickly.
7. Describe a situation where you had to push back on a stakeholder.

Cook-specific questions

1. Which stations have you owned solo?
2. How many covers can you plate solo on a Saturday night?
3. Walk me through your mise-en-place routine before service.
4. How do you keep ticket times under 14 minutes when the printer floods?
5. What's your approach to food cost and waste?
6. Tell me about a time you handled a special-diet ticket (gluten-free, allergen).
7. How do you handle a chef yelling at you during service?

Culture-fit questions

1. Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
2. What's your salary expectation?
3. Why are you leaving your current role?
4. How do you handle feedback?
5. What's your preferred working style — independent or team-based?
6. Do you have questions for us?

STAR-method sample answer

Question: Tell me about a time service went sideways and you held it together.

Situation. On a 220-cover Saturday at Boulevard, sauté lost the second cook to a cut and we were 90 covers in.

Task. Hold ticket times under 18 minutes solo on sauté and not 86 anything from the menu.

Action. I batched fish protein 4 portions at a time, called the expo to slow seater pacing by 5 minutes for an hour, and pulled garde manger to plate sides.

Result. Ticket times averaged 16 minutes through the rush, no 86s, and the chef gave me sauté lead the next week.

Smart questions to ask back

1. What does success look like in the first 90 days?
2. Who would I be working with day-to-day, and how is the team structured?
3. What's the biggest challenge facing this team right now?
4. How is performance measured and reviewed?
5. What do you enjoy most about working here?

Related guides

• STAR interview method
• Common interview questions Canada
• When to follow up after applying