If you’re looking for a job in the cannabis industry, you’ll need to prepare for your upcoming interview. Proper preparation will help you land your cannabis industry dream-job! Not sure where to start? Get some practice with our list of key cannabis interview questions:
1. Common interview questions
Like with any industry, your interviewer will want to evaluate whether or not your working style aligns with the job. Some common interview questions include:
What are your greatest strengths? And your weaknesses?
What motivates you? How do you motivate others?
How do you deal with conflict?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Why should we hire you?
How would you describe your working style?
2. Personal questions
Personal questions are a chance to show individuality, personality, and fit within the company. These personal questions include:
Tell me about yourself?
Tell me about your hobbies
What is your greatest accomplishment?
Don’t ramble about your unrelated interests when answering these questions. Open ended personal questions are an opportunity to show how your personality, interests, and goals make you the perfect candidate! If the company has an upbeat, energetic culture, show you are an upbeat, energetic person. Relate your hobbies and interests back to the job you applied for.
For example: if you are applying to be a budtender, focus on hobbies that utilize your people skills!
3. Work history related questions
You will likely be asked about your previous employment. This is an opportunity to showcase your experience in the cannabis industry—if you don’t have direct experience, show what transferable skills you’ll bring to the job! Some of these questions include:
Why are you looking for a job? Why are you leaving your current position?
If your previous co-workers were here, what would they say about you?
What did you like or dislike about your previous job?
What have you learned from mistakes on the job?
What was your biggest professional disappointment?
Tip: Never bad-mouth a previous employer. If you talk about a negative experience at a previous job, make sure you are solution and learning focused: talk about how you grew from the experience and how you will prevent similar situations in the future.
4. Company-related questions
Your interviewer might ask questions about your knowledge of the company, so do your research on the company. Some of these questions are:
Are you familiar with the products we sell? What do you know about them?
Tell me what you know about this company.
Explain how you would be an asset to this organization.
Understanding the company’s mission, vision, values, and corporate culture is essential—you can’t prove that you are a great fit unless you know the culture that you are trying to fit into! Research shows you care, and you have put the time and effort into preparing for the interview. This early effort shows you will be engaged with your work if hired.
5. Job-related questions
These are an opportunity to showcase your understanding of the job you applied for. If you’ve worked in similar jobs before, this is your time to shine! If not, read over the job description and make sure you understand your responsibilities, do additional research into the role, and read other people’s experiences in your desired position.
Do you understand the main responsibility of a budtender/extraction technician/greenhouse worker etc…)?
What do you think the hardest part about being a budtender/extraction technician/greenhouse worker etc…) is?
How would you know if you were successful at this job?
What experience do you have related to this field?
What have you done in the past that is relatable to the position you’ve applied?
Even if you’ve never worked directly in your desired role, knowledge of the job expectations will prove your commitment to your future job.
6. Industry related questions
You will likely be tested on your experience in, or knowledge of the industry.
Have you worked in the cannabis industry before?
What attracts you to the cannabis industry?
What’s something cool you learned recently about the cannabis industry?
Even if you’ve never worked in a cannabis-related job, proof that you up to date with trends, news, and changes to policy prove your interest and engagement with the industry.
7. Questions about personal use
It’s important to remain professional when discussing your personal uses of cannabis. You might be asked:
What is your experience with cannabis?
Tell me a story about a strain you love
How has cannabis impacted your life?
Cannabis is legal now, so it is acceptable to be honest about personal use. Refrain from using words like “pot” and “weed”, and don’t express your passion for the product in a way that might jeopardize your passion for your work.
Remember that employers are searching for reliable, dedicated workers—make sure the way you talk about cannabis doesn’t take the focus away from your capabilities as an employee.
8. Product-related questions
Once again, always do your research before you start an interview. Research different strains, learn what terpenes are, and teach yourself the language of the industry. You might get asked:
What are the characteristics of indicas and sativas?
What do you think about our competitors and their products?
Do you know what terpenes are?
What do you know about medicinal cannabis?
If you begin the interview without product knowledge, these questions are an opportunity to show your willingness to learn! If you are faced with a question that you don’t have the answer to, tell the truth—but let them know you are willing to learn anything and everything about the topic. A motivated learner looks better than an apathetic expert!
9. Scenario questions
You might be asked specific, scenario related questions:
What would you do if you caught a coworker stealing?
Tell me a conflict you had with a coworker and how it was resolved
How would you make new customers feel welcome?
How would you talk to customers about different cannabis strains?
For these, research different scenarios that are common in your desired position, and read about how to best prepare for situation-style questions. There are many different situations that you could be asked about, so practice as many as you can!
Tip: When in doubt, give your best answer and add “I would deal with the situation in a way that reflects company policy and training.” Employers will appreciate your willingness to adapt to their policy and procedures.
10. Do you have questions for me?
At the end of your interview, you will likely be asked if you have any questions. Never answer “no.” Your interview is as much a chance for you to get to know the company, as it is for your employer to get to know you. You could ask:
What do you enjoy most about working for this company?
If you could change one thing about this dispensary, what would it be?
What is the most challenging part of the job?
What challenges in the industry do you foresee in the near future?
Is there any reason you wouldn’t hire me?
There as many bad questions as there are good ones. Remember:
Don’t ask questions about the benefits too early
Don’t ask about time off too early
Don’t ask questions you could easily find the answer to
Don’t ask how soon you can start applying for other positions in the company
There’s an appropriate time and place to ask about time off, benefits, and immediate opportunities for career growth—you interview is not that time or place.
If you’d like to learn more, follow our blog for additional cannabis industry tips and best practices!
