Job interview tips/advice

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  AdzPower Posts: 4,861

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  15/08/13 - 02:32 #2

  Ok, that's retail, they have one in my local shopping mall.
  First off, they will ask you about past experience in such an environment, if you have none, be honest but maybe give an example from your life or volunteer work of how you have treated customers, helped people etc.
  Most likely they will ask about strengths/weaknesses, so think of a couple and apply them to the job, what could you work on? How would your strength apply to the job?
  
  They may also present you with scenario's that may happen in the work environment, an angry customer? Someone with a complaint? Think about some of these situations and how you would resolve them.
  
  A couple of pointers, think of it like this, this is a job interview, but it's as much of a chance for you to see what the job would be like as well as for them to see what you're like.
  Take your time with your answers, don't splutter messy phrases out, think about what you want to say. It'll show them you really want to do well.
  
  Anyways, that's all I can think of lol, and don't worry about the acne, tons of people have it, it's all about being human, don't sweat it!
  
  Remember to sit up straight and not to slouch, smile and act confident!
  
  Good luck and please let me know how you get on!
  
  EDIT - They may also just ask you straight out why you want the job, be honest, don't lie and say it's your dream, say you need the money and once you're in a company opportunities may present themselves in the future for you to advance, but if you genuinely like arts/books etc then tell them.

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  [Deleted User] Posts: 10,561

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  15/08/13 - 02:35 #3

  Thanks. ^ I worked in my Gran's charity shop for a few summers years ago, is that worth mentioning or is it pointless? I've always had real difficult with the "name your weaknesses" question. I don't want my weakness to sound so bad that they won't hire me but at the same time I don't want to say I don't have a weakness!

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  AdzPower Posts: 4,861

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  15/08/13 - 02:36 #4

  Shadow2009 wrote: »

  Thanks. ^ I worked in my Gran's charity shop for a few summers years ago, is that worth mentioning or is it pointless? I've always had real difficult with the "name your weaknesses" question. I don't want my weakness to sound so bad that they won't hire me but at the same time I don't want to say I don't have a weakness!

  
  If they ask abot previous experience be sure to mention that! Say how much you enjoyed working in an environment where you got to provide people with a service.
  
  What do you think your weaknesses are just out of interest? I may be able to help.

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  d0lphin Posts: 25,365

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  15/08/13 - 03:15 #5

  Shadow2009 wrote: »

  Thanks. ^ I worked in my Gran's charity shop for a few summers years ago, is that worth mentioning or is it pointless? I've always had real difficult with the "name your weaknesses" question. I don't want my weakness to sound so bad that they won't hire me but at the same time I don't want to say I don't have a weakness!

  
  Absolutely mention it!
  
  Re. the weakness question, pick something that's totally irrelevant to the job. For example, at a recent job interview, I said I wasn't good at delegating as I was used to doing everything myself - I knew there'd be no-one to delegate to!
  
  I have also said that I am not good at PowerPoint, knowing they mainly wanted spreadsheets experience.
  
  A recent question I have been asked, was to describe myself in 3 words.

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  [Deleted User] Posts: 1,156

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  15/08/13 - 03:26 #6

  AdzPower and d0lphin have given you some really good tips. I think it might also be really useful to say that you can be really flexible, and that even though the job is only 12 hours per week you've got plenty of spare capacity to fill in at really short notice if and when required? I'd have thought that would be really helpful in that kind of environment.
  
  As for weaknesses - maybe suggest that you're lacking a bit of self-belief right now, due to being out of work for a while, so you'd really really love to be given the opportunity?!
  
  Good luck!

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  YaffiYuk Posts: 1,167

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  15/08/13 - 03:51 #7

  Hi Shadow,
  
  I'm a retail manager and I have a few tips for you.
  
  1. Research. Research the company, research what they sell, research what they're good at. Go in to the store for a browse, if you haven't already. It's important to know about what they sell, but you, by no means, need to be an expert
  
  2. Show passion. OK, you don't need to scream from the rooftops about how much you love the new Hollyoaks calendar, but show that you care about what they sell, to a certain degree. They'll more than likely ask you "What do you know about The Works?" Speak briefly about the company history (from Google or Wikipedia) and say something like "You've got so much stock and a great reputation - the Back To School range is great, and nearly all my friends at school and college have been in to get stuff for September. This shop is actually where I always came in to get pens and files for back to school" Don't be afraid to compliment the store - it builds up the interviewer's ego!
  
  3. Examples, examples, examples. Back up every question you're asked with an example, no matter how silly it sounds. Give an example of how you dealt with a previous experience well, and what you learned. It doesn't need to be from working in a shop. The interviewer wants to know how you deal with a certain situation - are you sensible? are you a people person? do you get flustered easily? etc. It's no good saying you're customer foused, unless you tell the interviewer what you've done before to help someone - eg, "My gran's friend broke her hip recently. I help my gran wth her shopping on a Saturday, so I've been getting her friend's shopping at the same time, and bringing it to her house" (Or something like that - skills are transferable - they don't need to be from a shop environment)
  
  4. Be confident. This sounds easier than it seems, but it is possible. Just fake it. I do it all the time. Imagine all the reasons why you'd be a good employee. Now imagine telling your best friend this. Just pretend the interviewer is your best friend. (But be professional!) Sell yourself - if you truly believe you're a good worker, then let them know this. Again, back this up with examples.
  
  5. No-one cares what you look like (to a certain degree). Teenagers have acne, and I bet it's not as bad as you think it is. If you have a bad flare-up at the minute, don't worry about it, It really won't affect your chances. Just don't be scruffy for the interview! ;p
  
  6. Be positive! About yourself, about work, about The Works. OK, you're on the dole, The Works isn't really where you want to spend the rest of your life, but spin everything into a positive. Like a previous poster said, be honest about the fact that you need money, but say things like "I want to learn to drive. The staff here are so friendly, so I'd love to have a bit of fun while I earn some money"
  
  Finally... some common interview questions for retail:
  
  - What, in your opinion, is good customer service?
  - Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult person. What happened? How did you over come this?
  - What are the advantages of being part of a team?
  - You have a problem at work, but don't know how to deal with it. What would you do?
  - A customer wants to make a complaint. What would you do?
  - How do you organise yourself on a daily basis? (eg school work, etc?)
  - You're trying to work, but a colleague is chatting to you constantly. How do you deal with this?
  
  
  The "What would you do?" questions: usually the answer is that you would ask a manager for guidance.
  
  Usually, the other ones mean "give me an example". So give an example!
  
  I hope it goes well for you, and if you need anything else just post on this thread, or PM me.
  
  Good luck, you'll do great
  
  
  ETA - They might ask "Do you have any questions for me?"
  Don't ask about the rate of pay - you probably know it already, or they will tell you if/when they offer you the job.
  
  A good question to ask is "What is the best thing about working here?" It shows that you have a positive mindset, and that you really are interested in the job.

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  pugamo Posts: 18,039

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  15/08/13 - 13:53 #8

  Perfect advice above! I would also just add, don't stress too much. For a position like yours, your interview will most likely be a general chat with the manager to see if you're friendly and flexible, as opposed to a panel with structured questions.
  
  Don't forget, they've seen what you have to offer on your CV and have decided that's good enough for them. Now they just have to make sure you're normal and polite.
  
  You should also see your DR about your acne. Ask for hibiscrub or see if the chemist will give you some. But it won't affect your interview.
  
  Lastly, stop letting your brother get to you. At least you're not being used for child labour!

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  [Deleted User] Posts: 10,561

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  15/08/13 - 18:01 #9

  thanks so much for the help! I've put my answers in bold to the questions, do you think they're any good?
  

  YaffiYuk wrote: »

  - What, in your opinion, is good customer service?
  Making sure that when the customer enters the shop, they know they can trust to ask staff for help and that they will happily answer any question regarding the products and in the process make the customer feel welcome and make sure when they leave the store they were happy with their experience?
  - Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult person. What happened? How did you over come this?
  (I haven't had any experiences with difficult people that I can think of. I had a call centre job last year and there were sometimes some angry customers on the phoning demanding to know why they kept getting cold calls, would I say anything about that? And say that I dealt with it in a calm and professional way and asked the customer for their details so that i could remove them from the system?
  - What are the advantages of being part of a team?
  Your weakness is probably someone else's strength. It helps you get to know other people and you can delegate certain tasks and responsibilities to certain team members and if there is good communication involved, it means everyone is working happily on certain parts of the job and the job gets finished quicker?
  - You have a problem at work, but don't know how to deal with it. What would you do?
  It depends on the problem. I'd say if there was absolutely nothing I could do and it was out of my hands, I'd make sure to speak to the manager or whoever was in charge. If nobody was currently available to deal with it I would work on my other responsibilities until there was someone else there?
  - A customer wants to make a complaint. What would you do?
  (I have no idea as I've never really been in this situation before. Would I ask them if they would like to return their purchase or get it refunded instead? Or would I just say that I'd put them through to the manager?)
  - How do you organise yourself on a daily basis? (eg school work, etc?)
  II get the most important tasks completed 100% first before moving on to my smaller tasks? If I ever needed help I would ask, I would always make sure to attempt every job and....? I don't know how to answer this one.
  - You're trying to work, but a colleague is chatting to you constantly. How do you deal with this?
  Tell the colleague politely that I want to talk to them but I have alot to do and really need to focus but will chat to them during break?

  ETA - They might ask "Do you have any questions for me?"
  Don't ask about the rate of pay - you probably know it already, or they will tell you if/when they offer you the job.
  
  A good question to ask is "What is the best thing about working here?" It shows that you have a positive mindset, and that you really are interested in the job.

  
  This question really makes me nervous because I'm always paranoid then when I ask a question, it sounds really robotic and rehearsed as if I've just Googled it (or asked on a forum ). I want it to come out naturally as if I've just thought about it and came up with it. I also don't like it when I ask them a question and they answer it, and then there's a bit of an awkward silence where I'm like "cool " and they just smile at me. Is it absolutely necessary to ask a question at the end? I've heard that if you don't ask a question you automatically fail an interview?

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  pugamo Posts: 18,039

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  15/08/13 - 22:47 #10

  I was asked yesterday if I had any questions and I just said I think they've covered everything but would they be looking someone for an immediate start. They rang me today to say i'd got it. I don't think the question at the end has to be compulsory or even a good question if you do ask one.

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  [Deleted User] Posts: 10,561

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  17/08/13 - 13:09 #11

  Guys I just realised I've forgot my passport (which they asked for specifically). I'm at my Grans which is only half an hour from my house where my passport is but would I be able to phone them up and tell them i've forgot it but can bring my NI number and provisional as I.D or should i really just go and get the passport? Problem with the latter is that I don't have a key and will need to wake everyone up and it means I'll end up being sweaty and stressed out for the interview.

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