Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
When you are applying for a job in mid to high end retail, remember you are going to be working with customers. You need to give the impression to the HM that you have a sunny and friendly attitude with strangers. That means you have to demonstrate the right personality to the HM.
You have to look the part, dressed ready to go to work in that store. Clean hands and fingernails, reasonably good hair style. Not too much makeup for ladies, as over blown makeup and hair styles turn off HM types. Ladies, dresses not too short, or too revealing on top. Men suit and tie. You have to look like a proper representative of the store. Too casual look, and you turn off the HM. Too far out look, and you turn off the HM. Before your appointment, go to the store, look around as if you are a shopper, and try to imagine how you should look and act to fit into the store as an associate. When you apply, look and act like the employees.
You have to be ready and willing to answer any question asked, to show you are not easily flustered and not work well with customers.
To put it in overall terms, your appearance, and how you handle questions are going to determine if you get the job or not. I know as I worked in retail for over 10 years, including managing stores. I once had to leave the Silicon Valley leaving the corporate world due to either move my wife and one son out of that smog, or they would die. Moved to a smaller city with clean air. I needed a job to support them. I had worked for years in retail selling furniture, and appliances before going into the corporate world. Saw an ad for one of the nations top retail stores, wanting a furniture salesman. Sent them a resume, and was called the next day for an interview, for the following day. Went to HR for the interview, who looked me over and approved the first impression and sent me to the division manager for a personal interview. Found later if they had any doubt about me being the right person and not showing the right personality or not dressed right, I would have had an interview with HR before being sent to the HM. The HM within 5 minutes showed me a stack of over 300 applications for the job, and told me that from my resume and the way I carried myself and answered a few questions told me I had a job if I wanted it. I was then offered the job of being department head so the current head could slow down a little as he was retiring in 4 years. I found it did not pay enough to make up for the money I would lose in commissions being department head and turned it down. I was taken out to the floor, and met the department head and the other salesman, and shown my desk and was to start to work t he next day. This was one of t he high paid positions in the store. Furniture salesmen made at least $125,000 in today's dollars on commission. Clerks made minimum wages. The furniture salespeople, major appliance salespeople, and major electronics salespeople, all earned considerably more than t he department heads, division heads, and the assistant manager of the store.
The reason I got the job, was I had experience in the field, but not in such a fancy store. Plus: I gave the appearance and was dressed for the job. I was very friendly, outgoing, and had a good personality to work with customers.
In the first 5 to 10 minutes, the HM in retail is going to make a decision to you being a sales associate for the store. You may not get hired on the spot as I was in this situation, but you are either going to be not hired, or placed in the running for the job at least. The interview may last longer, but they will have made the decision in short order. If you are getting interviews in retail and not getting the job, it is because you are not convincing the HM you would make a good associate. It is one of the easiest places to get a job, for the right person. But to get the job, you have to look and act the part of one of their sales associates. Make sure you dress for the job, and show you have the right personality for the job.
When you are applying for a job in mid to high end retail, remember you are going to be working with customers. You need to give the impression to the HM that you have a sunny and friendly attitude with strangers. That means you have to demonstrate the right personality to the HM.
You have to look the part, dressed ready to go to work in that store. Clean hands and fingernails, reasonably good hair style. Not too much makeup for ladies, as over blown makeup and hair styles turn off HM types. Ladies, dresses not too short, or too revealing on top. Men suit and tie. You have to look like a proper representative of the store. Too casual look, and you turn off the HM. Too far out look, and you turn off the HM. Before your appointment, go to the store, look around as if you are a shopper, and try to imagine how you should look and act to fit into the store as an associate. When you apply, look and act like the employees.
You have to be ready and willing to answer any question asked, to show you are not easily flustered and not work well with customers.
To put it in overall terms, your appearance, and how you handle questions are going to determine if you get the job or not. I know as I worked in retail for over 10 years, including managing stores. I once had to leave the Silicon Valley leaving the corporate world due to either move my wife and one son out of that smog, or they would die. Moved to a smaller city with clean air. I needed a job to support them. I had worked for years in retail selling furniture, and appliances before going into the corporate world. Saw an ad for one of the nations top retail stores, wanting a furniture salesman. Sent them a resume, and was called the next day for an interview, for the following day. Went to HR for the interview, who looked me over and approved the first impression and sent me to the division manager for a personal interview. Found later if they had any doubt about me being the right person and not showing the right personality or not dressed right, I would have had an interview with HR before being sent to the HM. The HM within 5 minutes showed me a stack of over 300 applications for the job, and told me that from my resume and the way I carried myself and answered a few questions told me I had a job if I wanted it. I was then offered the job of being department head so the current head could slow down a little as he was retiring in 4 years. I found it did not pay enough to make up for the money I would lose in commissions being department head and turned it down. I was taken out to the floor, and met the department head and the other salesman, and shown my desk and was to start to work t he next day. This was one of t he high paid positions in the store. Furniture salesmen made at least $125,000 in today's dollars on commission. Clerks made minimum wages. The furniture salespeople, major appliance salespeople, and major electronics salespeople, all earned considerably more than t he department heads, division heads, and the assistant manager of the store.
The reason I got the job, was I had experience in the field, but not in such a fancy store. Plus: I gave the appearance and was dressed for the job. I was very friendly, outgoing, and had a good personality to work with customers.
In the first 5 to 10 minutes, the HM in retail is going to make a decision to you being a sales associate for the store. You may not get hired on the spot as I was in this situation, but you are either going to be not hired, or placed in the running for the job at least. The interview may last longer, but they will have made the decision in short order. If you are getting interviews in retail and not getting the job, it is because you are not convincing the HM you would make a good associate. It is one of the easiest places to get a job, for the right person. But to get the job, you have to look and act the part of one of their sales associates. Make sure you dress for the job, and show you have the right personality for the job.
thanks for the advice here, before i begin to reply.
dressing the part i haven't had a hard time doing. i have invested in 'interview clothing' that is high end and makes me look serious. nails i always keep short and neat, and hair...that's another story. think esperanza spalding or macy gray, although i do not always wear it that way. now that we've addressed the issue that i might just suck at interviews, what can i do about it? i don't want to be overly enthusiastic and appear desperate. i drink coffee before interviews, but i find that it turns me into an annoying chipmunk and just makes me tired later. i'm really friendly and outgoing and i have to talk to strangers all day at my current job because it's a huge store.
oh--and to add, these are the only two interviews i've had outside of through a temp agency this year, which did nothing but waste my time. i care about these last ones because i know i'm qualified and should have the job. if i get any more interviews, which i doubt because most applications are online nowadays and i never get a response, i just want to know if there is a way i can demonstrate that i'm awesome without making myself look like an horses's A? i love retail and i love working with people. but interviews just make me feel weird and uncomfortable and i always feel like i'm bound to lose in a group interview. it feels like the louder and dumber you are the higher your chances are.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
