Sunday, August 21, 2011

Job Interview Questions: What do I wear to a Guitar Center job interview?

I have a job interview at Guitar Center and I am a female. I am at a loss of what to wear; I've never attended a job interview before. I also don't know what to wear since it's Guitar Center. Help!

How to Prepare the Best Job Interview Answers

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An interview is an interview...I don't care if it's at IBM or Guitar Center.

You should always dress better than the employees there on an interview. At the high tech company I work at, there's a very relaxed dress code for those of us in Research and Development (in fact, the only rule is that you have to wear shoes on the first flow and in manufacturing). However, I expect a candidate at an interview to at least have some decent slacks and a nice shirt (at least something like a polo style).

For GC, you don't need to wear a suit, but don't fly your freak flag at the interview. You could probably get away with some nice jeans or slacks, and a blouse (or a nice T shirt with a jacket with it).

I know I'm going to get slammed here, but I interview people and I'm just saying what I'm looking for. If you come in dressed professionally, you'll make a much better impression. And here's another little secret...most interviewers know in 5 minutes or less if you're right for the job or not. How you dress, speak, and carry yourself conveys just as much information to the interviewer as does your resume.

And since this is your first interview, let me give you some other tips as well:

- Know something about the company you're interviewing with. With the Internet, there's not reason not to already know how big the company is, how many stores they have, when they were founded, and last years sales figures. If someone comes into an interview knowing things like that, it tells me they're serious about working there. It might now come up, but if the interviewer asks "so...what do you know about GC?", you've got a very powerful answer.

- Have answers about yourself ready to go. A good interviewer is going to ask you things like "why do you want to work here" (and "I need the money" is not a good answer). They could also ask something like "what has been your biggest success" or "your biggest failure and what did you learn from it". Think that through before the interview.

- The big one for me...maintain eye contact. If a person can't look me in the eye, I've got no use for them. Don't turn it into a staring contest, but don't look down at your lap when you're answering a question. I had a brilliant technician come in on an interview. On paper, this guy rocked. But, he never looked me in the eye and so I passed on him. Another group in the company wound up hiring him, but he didn't last.

- Don't talk salary...let them bring it up. For a retail position, there's probably no negotiations there. This sounds like your first job in this kind of business, so just get in the door.

- Some interviewers will give you the opportunity to ask questions. You need to have one ready...something like "if I do well in (whatever position you're applying for), what kind of path for advancement exists with the company".

- Be aware of your body language. Sitting with your arms crossed sends the signal of being on the defensive. Leaning in when someone is speaking says "I'm interested in what you are saying".

I know this is a lot more than you asked, but I wish someone had passed all of this along to me when I first started working. Good luck to you.

Greetings from Austin, TX

Ken

Job Interview Tips Begin With Knowing the Process
  • Wear a Jimi Hendrix T-shirt, or maybe a Stevie Ray Vaughn T-shirt, maybe a Metallica shirt if this place caters to rock 'n rollers. If it's a place that country musicians are the main customers wear something that fits in there, like a Johnny Cash shirt. Wear guitar-shaped ear-rings, a Black Sabbath or Ozzy Shirt or Led Zepplin. I'd wear a "Madman Bites the Bat" T-shirt with Ozzy biting the head off a bat on the front of it or a "Diary of a Madman" Ozzy shirt. And a foxy long flowing dress and some comfortable walking shoes, nothing fancy. A guitar necklace or even a guitar-maker's shirt ( I think it says "Fender")that says "Play it Loud" and there's a guitar on the front of it.

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