(no subject)

[rynne]

Thanks for the advice, people who commented on my last post. :) I'll answer comments later, when I don't have to go to work in a few minutes.

So, I've got an interview tomorrow with Barnes and Noble. Any advice? I've never had a real interview before (Round Table was desperate enough for drivers to hire me on the spot), and while I do know enough to dress nicely and be polite and respectful, I'm nervous.

My mom suggested I ask questions, but what should I ask? I want to know about starting wage and if requested schedules would be respected, but I'm not sure what else. And what can I expect for them to ask me?

Comments

[sandy-phoenix.livejournal.com]

Wages and schedules are good questions. If they don't cover duties and responsibilities, you can always ask about that. Very likely, you will find something to ask about as they talk. That is always good as it shows you were paying attention.

It has been so long since I interviewed for a summer job, I don't really remember what they asked me. I do remember that I once interviewed for a job in a pet shop at a mall. I had to go to the corporate office and talk to their HR person and he had to be the biggest horse's arse in the city. Seriously, he was a nightmare. It took all I had to maintain decent composure and a polite demeanor. Afterward, I was sent to interview with the manager of the store where I would be working. She was lovely and we chatted for quite a bit. Afterwards, she said, "I don't understand it. When HR sent you over here, he said he only sent you because he knew we were desperate to fill the position. He said you weren't very warm or outgoing and he thought you wouldn't do well in retail. See, I don't get that at all."

I was all >_< because I could tell her that I couldn't chat up a horse's arse. I just shrugged and smiled.

I figured the moral of that story was that you really need to seem personable, even when dealing with someone who may not even be human. :P

Good luck!

[thistlerose.livejournal.com]

The most important question: how big a discount do you get on books?

You might also want to ask what a typical day is like, what sort of unexpected things have come up in the past, how long your interviewer has been working with the company. Things that show you're interested in the place, and that give you a good idea of what to expect.

[thunderemerald.livejournal.com]

Well, you'll probably be asked what sort of things you like to read -- what's your favourite book, what's the last thing you read, etc.

Ask about the discount too, but for future ref, it's 30% off books, 20% off music, and 50% off cafe items. Also, if you have a particular section you're interested in working with, let them know. Especially if it's a huge subdivision of the store, like kids' books or music or bargain books or whatever (depending on what this store has).

Also, ask about how the workload is divided, on a day-to-day basis and also on a more permanent basis. For example, at my former store, new hires were generally trained as cashiers first (with the exception of the people who went directly to music, cafe, or kids), and THEN taught about the layout of the floor, so that eventually they'd be able to do either or both, depending on the store's needs on a day-to-day basis. On the other hand, a lot of the big city stores train each employee in only one thing: cashiering, shelving, information-desk, etc. So definitely find out how much cross-training you'd get.

And yeah... be enthusiastic. This isn't an office, where people are basically hoping everyone will stay out of everyone else's way -- this is a place where they want Really Happy Customer Service Reps Who Know What They're Talking About And Want To Make People Buy Books That They Like! :)

[neatokates.livejournal.com]

Don't be too honest. I once had to take some weird phone survey that judged if I would be a good employee. I didn't get the job because I admitted I would steal small office supplies.

Good luck! Don't let the discount get too tempting - I'm pretty sure I spent all of the money I made at Sam Goody on discounted DVDs.

[jedibix783.livejournal.com]

Congrats on even getting the interview... Barnes and Noble is wicked hard to get hired by, at least in the Denver metro area. Good luck with that!

[latentfunction.livejournal.com]

What do you think are your best qualities? Describe a situation where you had to take control. What are you bringing to B&N? What is your greatest weakness? ETC. I've had four interviews for retail things, and all of those questions showed up at each one.

(Btw, make sure your greatest weakness is something that's actually good, like you make sure everything's done even if it means doing other people's work, or you multitask so hard that sometimes it confuses coworkers/other students.)

[ginchy.livejournal.com]

Oh, good luck! I saw this too late to leave any advice--you've probably already had the interview. I'm sure you'll love it, though--working with books is always a plus. :)

*keeps fingers crossed*