Open Interview Definition: What It Is and How to Prepare

By Mustafa Tarabya, founder of CVBooster · Published 2026-10-07 · Updated 2026-10-07

8 min read

An open interview is a hiring event where an employer interviews anyone who walks in during set hours, with no appointment and often no application beforehand. You arrive, fill in a short form or hand over a resume, wait your turn and get a short interview on the spot, sometimes with a job offer the same day. Restaurants, retailers, warehouses, call centers and hotels use them when they need many people quickly. They work like a small job fair for one company, so the advice from CareerOneStop's job fair guide, run by the U.S. Department of Labor, applies directly. Below are the definition, what happens on the day and five scripts you can use. Written by Mustafa Tarabya, who hired for his own company, read every application himself and now writes CVBooster's guides.

A normal hiring process takes three weeks, two portals and one rejection email that calls you by someone else's name. An open interview takes forty minutes and a plastic chair. The chair is not comfortable, but at least you find out where you stand.

Open interview meaning in plain words

The word open means the door is open to everyone. Nobody is preselected. The employer posts the date, time and address on a sign, a social media post or a job board listing, often worded as open interviews every Tuesday from 10 to 2. You might also see the same thing called a walk-in interview, an open house, a hiring event or a hiring day.

What happens at an open interview

The order is nearly always the same. A greeter takes your name, gives you a short application or a tablet to complete, and checks your ID if the job needs it. Then you wait. A manager or recruiter calls you over for a short conversation, asks three to five questions and either moves you to a second conversation, makes an offer or tells you when they will call.

The first thing you say is your introduction, so prepare it at home. CareerOneStop's advice for job fairs is to "Practice your introduction/elevator speech. For example, describe your job goal, and 3-4 of your best work skills and experiences."

Complete Entry level: 30 second introduction at a restaurant open interview example, 68 words, laid out as it would sit in the application form

Entry level: 30 second introduction at a restaurant open interview (68 words)

Hi, I am Jordan Ellis. I saw your sign about open interviews for servers and hosts. I have worked as a cashier at a grocery store for a year, so I am used to busy lines and handling cash accurately. I am available evenings and weekends, including Friday and Saturday nights. I would like to start as a host and move to serving once I learn your menu.

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How an open interview differs from a scheduled one

The format changes what you prepare. Five differences matter:

No appointment. You come during the hours given and wait in line.
Short. Most conversations last five to fifteen minutes, because the manager is seeing many people.
First come, first served. Arriving early matters more than in a scheduled interview.
Fast decisions. Some employers offer the job the same day, others call back within a few days.
High volume roles. Servers, cooks, cashiers, stockers, drivers, seasonal staff and entry level agents.

What to bring to an open interview

Bring more than you think you need, because you may meet two or three people. CareerOneStop's job fair checklist says: "Make several copies of your resume to bring and be ready to take notes with your phone or bring paper and pens." Its guide to handing out resumes at job fairs adds that "Some recruiters will review your resume on the spot, so make sure you know it by heart and are ready to discuss your qualifications."

Five copies of a one page resume, printed, in a folder so they stay flat.
A photo ID and, if you have them, the documents that show you can work in the United States.
Your availability written down: days, hours, start date and any planned time off.
The names and phone numbers of two references.
Any certificate the job needs, such as a food handler card or a forklift certificate.
A pen, water and something to read while you wait.

Some employers will not take paper at all and ask you to apply online on a tablet. CareerOneStop warns: "Some companies do not accept hard-copy resumes at job fairs because of processing issues." Have your resume saved on your phone as well, so you can copy from it.

What to say: introductions for other levels

The introduction is the part that decides whether the manager keeps talking to you. Change it for the job and the level. Keep it under forty five seconds and finish with your availability, because in high volume hiring that is often the first thing a manager writes down.

Complete Mid level: introduction at a warehouse hiring event for a lead role example, 72 words, laid out as it would sit in the application form

Mid level: introduction at a warehouse hiring event for a lead role (72 words)

Hi, I am Marisol Vega. I am here for the shift lead openings on nights. I have worked three years in a distribution center, the last year as an acting lead for a team of eight pickers. I am certified on a sit down forklift and a reach truck, and I trained four new hires on the scanner system. I can work nights, including weekends, and I can start in two weeks.

Open interview questions and short answers

Questions at an open interview are short and practical. The manager wants to know if you can do the job, when you can work and whether you will show up. Answer in two or three sentences each and give one real example.

Complete Entry level: three common open interview questions answered for a retail job example, 141 words, laid out as it would sit in the application form

Entry level: three common open interview questions answered for a retail job (141 words)

Question: Why do you want to work here? Answer: I shop here and I like that the staff know where everything is. I want a job where I am on my feet and talking to people, and I live ten minutes away, so I can cover early shifts.

Question: What is your availability? Answer: I can work any day from 7 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon, and two evenings a week. I am free on weekends. I can start next week.

Question: Tell me about a time you dealt with an upset customer. Answer: At my last job a customer was charged twice at the self checkout. I apologized, called the supervisor over to void the second charge and stayed with her until it was fixed. She came back the next week and asked for me by name.

After the open interview

If you get an offer on the spot, ask for it in writing, including the pay, the start date and the schedule, before you accept. If you are told someone will call you, ask when, and write down the name of the person you spoke to. CareerOneStop's last step for job fairs applies here too: "Send a thank-you. Follow up by e-mail to remind your contacts of who you are and any specifics you discussed."

Complete Entry level: follow up email after an open interview example, 85 words, laid out as it would sit in the application form

Entry level: follow up email after an open interview (85 words)

Subject: Thank you, open interview for host position

Dear Ms Brooks,

Thank you for speaking with me at the open interview at your Elm Street location today. I enjoyed hearing about the new patio opening and the training you give new hosts.

As we discussed, I am available evenings and weekends and can start the week of October 19. I have attached my resume for your records.

Please let me know if you need anything else from me.

Kind regards, Jordan Ellis (555) 014 2286

Open interview in research: the other meaning

If you are a student, open interview has a second meaning. In qualitative research it is an unstructured interview where the researcher has topics, not a fixed list of questions. Sustainability Methods defines it this way: "Open Interviews are a form of qualitative data gathering through open conversations with interviewees." It adds that the questions "are not strictly pre-formulated but rather represent general topics of interest to the researcher" and that "The interviewer tries to understand, not to measure, what the interviewee is saying".

Complete Student level: opening of an open research interview with a restaurant manager example, 87 words, laid out as it would sit in the application form

Student level: opening of an open research interview with a restaurant manager (87 words)

Topic guide (not read out word for word): how hiring has changed, how open interviews work at this restaurant, what makes a good new hire.

Opening question: Can you tell me how you usually find new staff here? Follow up, from the answer: You mentioned open interviews on Tuesdays. What does a typical Tuesday look like? Follow up: What makes you decide to offer someone a job on the spot? Closing: Is there anything about hiring here that I have not asked about but should have?

The job seeker and the researcher mean very different things, so check the context. If the word appears next to a job title, a store address or a date, it is a hiring event.

Getting ready

Your resume is the one thing you hand over, so make it one clean page with your availability near the top. If you need help with the basics, see our job interview tips, our guide on how to prepare for an interview and what to bring to an interview. If the open interview is at a coffeehouse, the Starbucks interview questions show the behavioral answers baristas get asked. CVBooster needs an account: the free plan lets you fill in your resume by hand and see your ATS score and the keywords you are missing, and the AI writing, templates and the finished file are Pro.

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Frequently asked questions

What does open interview mean?

An open interview is a hiring event where an employer interviews anyone who comes in during advertised hours, without an appointment. You usually complete a short application, wait your turn and have a brief interview the same day. Employers hiring many people at once, such as restaurants, stores and warehouses, use them most.

Is an open interview the same as a walk-in interview?

Yes, in practice the two terms mean the same thing: you walk in without an appointment and are interviewed that day. Some employers call it a hiring event or an open house. A job fair is different, because many employers attend at once and you usually do not get a full interview at the table.

Can you get hired on the spot at an open interview?

Often, yes. Many employers hold open interviews because they need people quickly, so the manager may offer you the job that day, sometimes after a quick second conversation. Ask for the pay, schedule and start date in writing before you accept, and expect a background check or paperwork before your first shift.

How long does an open interview take?

The interview itself is usually five to fifteen minutes, but plan for one to three hours in total, because you may wait in line and fill in an application first. Arrive early, ideally when the doors open, because managers are fresher and some events close once they have hired enough people.

What should I wear to an open interview?

Dress one step above what staff wear for that job. For a restaurant or store, clean dark trousers and a plain shirt or blouse work well; for an office or call center, business casual. Wear comfortable shoes, because you may stand in line, and avoid strong perfume or anything with logos or slogans.

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