<p>So I've never successfully gotten a retail job. </p>
<p>I've always wanted to work a clothing store rather than an office desk job. It's really boring to me and I'd prefer to walk around/interact with people/perhaps get discounts on clothes.</p>
<p>What's the secret to scoring them? I always thought I did well on the interviews, but apparently not...</p>
<p>Also, how do you answer, "Why do you want this job?" when you apply to like every store you shop at? My answers are always like, "because I really like shopping at this store, I think it'd be nice to work here" but it seems generic and I feel like this is part of why I'm not getting the job. LOL.</p>
<p>Do you have experience working in retail in the past? This is often an important factor. I’m an HR manager and I always look for the applications with the most relevant past experience first. Then I look at their availability - all managers always request open availability, but this is very scarce. However, I do look for people with open night and weekend availability. </p>
<p>During the actual interview, I try to read the applicant to see whether they are being honest or not, since a lot of people lie and try to make up the best stories they can think of but would never really act that way. Natural smilers and talkers with peppy personalities are great for sales roles. Someone results/goal driven is great for cashiering. Someone who is looking to grow with the company is desirable. Unfortunately, some managers at my store do not want people who will just work for the summer and then leave. This affects our turnover scores, which goes to corporate and then we hear a big fuss over it. It is also an expensive investment every time we hire and train new associates. The only time (at my store) that seasonal associates are desirable is during the late October - late December period.</p>
<p>Be confident, stress relevant skills (customer oriented, outgoing, persuasive, independent, and reliable). Draw from honest experiences. Make sure you are answering the actual questions completely. Lots of people only answer part of the question I ask, or they go off on another irrelevant topic. Say more than “yes” or “no,” because you only make a first impression once and you want to be positively remembered. </p>
<p>As for why you want to work for the company? I like to hear that applicants love the products and service, and are looking to develop their skills. Those who are looking to eventually move up in the company is a plus (assuming they are good applicants to begin with).</p>
<p>That’s not necessarily a bad thing but you just have to be more precise! What a lot of interviewers are looking for when they ask “Why do you wanna work here instead of the other countless clothing stores” it’s because they wanna see what you know about the company. I was asked a similar question when I applied for a job at Whole Foods and told them I admired the company’s values and involvement in corporate social responsibility, seeing it as an investment rather than a cost. I was sincere about it too! If they ask “Why do you want this kind of job?” then just be honest, tell them you love working with people and interacting with them rather than being confined to an office behind a computer screen. </p>
<p>Heck, if you notice that most employees there are friendly and happy then tell them you wanna work in an environment where people are upbeat and gregarious.</p>
<p>Lullabies, am I understanding correctly that you have worked desk jobs before? Any tips on how to get those? I’m really trying to avoid working retail this summer.</p>
<p>Cristiline - when I interviewed people for my office assistant position, I looked for a friendly, professional way of communicating (due to answering the phone and assisting customers). I looked for past experience in office settings, and taking initiative rather than waiting to be told what to do. Attention to detail (make sure your application has no spelling mistakes), and maybe include a resume with some extra details.</p>
<p>My friend lied on her resume about past experience and got a job… She just put down her friend’s number as the past supervisor. Another friend of mines lied about being able to drive a forklift and he got the job… now he’s driving a forklift around kinda clueless but he’s getting the gist of it, LOL.</p>
<p>Honestly, I’d probably lie a little to plump up my resume if I never had past experience. I notice that most employers look for people with experience, so I would try to add something in. You can lie, but be subtle about it. Be sure to know everything you put on your resume, just in case it comes up during the interview.</p>
<p>Yeah, thought it was dumb when he told me also, but he somehow managed pulling it off, so more power to him, LOL. </p>
<p>I think lying a little on job apps are ok… if it’s just for a job that’s paying a little above the minimum wage and you’re really in need of a job… you gotta do what you gotta do. You just have to be discreet about it and not exaggerate too much.</p>
<p>If someone lied about experience like that and didn’t do well when they started, we can fire them with no questions asked within 45 days of hire. And the forklift example is just dangerous.</p>
<p>I still don’t understand why you guys want to work in a store so badly.
Even if it helps you earn a little money during college, you’d be MUCH better suited to take more classes and just graduate earlier. Then you can start your real career and hopefully make much more.</p>
<p>I have worked retail/food service for over two years. Retail is great while you’re in school, because the hours are pretty flexible and it doesn’t require you to work a specific schedule every week. That said, its hard to get hired at certain stores, especially ones that have commission based sales if you have no experience. What stores have you been applying to? In my own personal experience, some stores won’t hire you unless you are bilingual (where I live most people speak spanish). </p>
<p>My advice is to apply to an Abercrombie and Fitch brand like A&F or Hollister if you have one in your local mall. I know, most people hate the brand or whatever, but seriously they are the most flexible when it comes to having a summer job. And they do not require past retail experience. If anything just get your foot in the door so you have retail experience and you can move on to another store that you would prefer working at. Sports Authority is also flexible when it comes to students. I would avoid department stores (the ones around me rarely hire young people). A&F hires people every tuesday and friday and the company looks for students in your situation. They realize turnover is high and they will allow you to work seasonally. That said, retail doesn’t bring in the dough. The hours are flexible so if you want to go on vacation or take summer classes it works, but the pay is not that great. Most stores over staff associates and won’t give you great hours. Plus, usually the good hours go to the people who perform the best and have been with the company the longest. As previously mentioned, some corporations cannot have high turnover rates so they refuse to hire seasonal workers other than for the holidays. If you’re looking to make more cash with less flexibility I would consider finding a summer job waiting tables, you make more money especially in sports bar types of settings but you have to give up your weekends and work long hours (double shifts).</p>
<p>As for the interview, stress that you are outgoing, friendly and love to interact with others. I also agree with thismortalsoil, research the company beforehand, find out some info and use it to your advantage. Be friendly, don’t be nervous. Sales people are “always on stage” which means any interaction you have with others reflects on the store. Managers are looking to hire people who are not timid or nervous when it comes to approaching people. For Hollister/A&F, they honestly don’t care what your answers are as long as you can fit in their clothes and make coherent sentences.</p>
<p>I worked retail for a few summers in college and ended up going back afterward in order to make money while I worked at an unpaid internship. I feel like this is common sense, but I’ll state it anyway: when you show up to the interview, make sure you look nice! If you are wondering if an outfit is too flashy or not right, go more conservative. It wouldn’t hurt to wear anything you have from that store, but this isn’t necessary. I worked at a store geared toward professional women in their 40’s up, and I still was hired without a wardrobe full of sweatersets and suits. Looking back, I think one of the big reasons they hired me instead of someone with more experience is because I had the look of the store absolutely down! </p>
<p>In terms of how to answer questions during the interview, it never hurts to say how much you like the brand, but it would be more powerful to say: “I’m familiar with the merchandise here, but what impresses me more is the level of community and camaraderie I see in the sales associates who work here.” Or something along those lines… Key words: community, excellence in sales, etc. Managers like to hear good things about the people they already have working for them. The other thing is, make sure you tell them why you would be such a good person to hire. “I LOVE talking to people, helping guide their tastes, I have excellent organizational skills” etc etc. </p>
<p>Because not everyone has everything handed to them. If I hadn’t worked nearly full time through college, I would not have been able to afford going to/graduating from college. For some people, working is a necessity. They are not given food or clothing or gas money by their parents. They pay for their own car insurance and phone bills. Life is not cheap.</p>
<p>And for other students who have parents who pay mostly everything, sometimes it’s just nice to have a little cash of your own, to know what it means to actually WORK before entering your first serious job. There are lessons you learn working in retail that college courses simply do not teach you.</p>
<p>What Nova said. We aren’t getting much of a real experience just by taking college classes. I’d like to have something I can put on my resume when I graduate college and obtain my first real job. And while my parents do help me financially, it’s always different being able to use the money that you earned yourself. I feel guilty every time I spend my parent’s money, whether it be on rent or school-related things. I feel less guilt driven when it’s my own money.</p>
<p>I usually just tell them that I’m really good with computers and office equipment, I’m familiar with many different programs on both PC and Mac, and I have 90+ WPM with little to no errors. I also add on that I’m very good with multi-tasking (as I found you’re given a lot of tasks at one time), I’m good with being organized, I’m quick with filing, I’m good with working with others. If you know this office job includes using a phone, I’d mention customer service as well but none of my jobs have had that. I was always just an assistant who ran around the office doing paperwork, scanning, inserting data. </p>
<p>PS, my first job I had no experience with but went with what I said above ^. I genuinely am just a computer person + dressed professionally and landed a job luckily!</p>
<p>Edit: Sorry for the lateness; I didn’t even know this thread got any replies until I checked lol.</p>
<p>My friend works for abercrombie and all she does is fold clothes, cashier, and say, “Hey, how’s it going.”
You don’t need retail experience for A&F/Hollister.</p>
<p>I would looove to have a retail job. I’d probably dance and be so happy to get people to try on clothes. Too happy that I’d probably scare people away.</p>
<p>^^ I have to admit, at my area’s A&F and Hollister, I felt very discriminated against during the group interview and was not hired. People who work there have told me that some of the managers are very judgmental and ARE actually racist or don’t hire you because they think you are ugly. On top of that, my friends get very low hours there because they hire so many people. There are downsides, but it may just be my local stores.</p>