More than 100 people queued in the Northern Quarter for one part-time barista job

If you're job hunting in hospitality right now, you're not imagining the competition. More than 100 people queued outside Fig & Sparrow, a coffee shop on Oldham Street in Manchester's Northern Quarter, for a single part-time barista role, the Manchester Evening News reports.

Why a queue? The shop asked applicants to turn up in person for a face-to-face chat after a similar vacancy a few months earlier brought in hundreds of emails and CVs. Meeting people directly also helps get past AI-written applications.

The bigger picture - Operators told the MEN that higher wage bills and employer national insurance are making it harder to hire new and younger staff. - A government-commissioned review found hospitality vacancies have roughly halved in four years. - Around 981,000 people aged 16 to 24 were not in education, employment or training between April and June, according to ONS figures.

So what for you: walk-in hiring is coming back at smaller independents, and that rewards people who show up prepared. Have a short, honest answer ready on why that venue, know your availability to the hour, and if you've got a reference from a previous shift, bring the name and number with you. A CV still helps, but how you come across in two minutes counts for more.