I have my first job interview tomorrow at a local retail store and was wanting to know what to expect. I've never done this before so I was hoping someone could give me some tips and what general questions might pop up.
Any help would be much appreciated!
Top 10 Tips for Excelling in a Panel Job Interview
Recommended Answer:Hey I am not sure what type of retailer this is but most interviews follow a general pattern.
For a start if it is a clothing store then by all means feel free to wear their clothes but remember its an interview not a photo-shoot so keep it professional. it is said employers know within 5 seconds if the candidate is suitable so make sure your first impression is the best it can be.
Try to keep your makeup natural.
allow plenty of time to arrive and settle in about 5 Min's before the interview is a good time to arrive, Introduce your self and explain your purpose of visit for example '' good morning / afternoon my name is ********* and i have an interview at *********''. if you don't know who your interviewer is then skip to the time. or you could just say '' good morning / afternoon I have an interview at ****''
Remember to great your interviewer with a smile and shake their hand if they extend it first ! If there are two interviewers then one will be asking questions and one will be observing your body language and your responses. this is a sneaky way of doing it but it helps them so see you from all angles. if there is just one then your fine ;) ok now to the tricky part what you will be asked;
each interviewer has their own technique but the general questions are mostly the same.
a typical interview will have the following structure;
Icebreakers-
these are to settle you in but don't let your guard down and say something you know you shouldn't, so be vigilant at all times. The types of questions may include hobbies etc but try to relate them to the job your applying for, for example '' I am in the school netball team and this allows me to understand teamwork and the benefit of it to achieve a single goal'' Company
This section is a little more tricky and you have to think about your answers but one major flaw most people make is not to fully understand the question being asked so if your not sure feel free to ask the interview to repeat the question. this type of question may be '' why do you want to work for us ?'' or ''what skills do you think you could bring to the team?'' etc just be honest and try to keep your answers to the point ( you don't need to use fancy words, just tell them the main point)
Situation Questions
ok now these questions are very sneaky most big companies use them but some smaller ones may also. now the trick to getting these questions right is to fully understand them as i mentioned before. for example '' its a busy day and the store manager asks you to replenish the ***** department as the stock is quite low, after 30 minutes your assistant manager asks you to go on to the tills as there is a long queue. what would you do ?'' this is not the question you will be asked but its to give you an idea.
just remember this is assessing how you react in situations so just think on your feet.
ok if you get through all of this they will then start talking about the job and tasks in entails. they will also chat about uniform and pay and also when you will be told when you will receive your results from the interview some may tell you on the day or ring you or send you a letter.
then when the interview is over be sure to shake the hand of your interviewer, tell them how lovely it was to meet them and thank them for taking the time to see you. ( its cheesy but it can make a big difference ;) ) I hope this information is a help to you
And I Wish you the very best of luck ;)
Some Sound Job Interview Advice
- if its a clothing store then wear there clothing to the interview and if its not then dress professionally. review your resume because they will do background checks and see if your lying about it. learn about the company and don't tell them your applying because you need a job.
be ready to talk about your previous employment
be ready to answer "what would you do in this situation" questions
they will ask why you want to work for them
they will ask why you decide to leave your previous job
make sure after you ASK when to hear back from them and ask for a business card. ALOT of employers now a days will leave job seekers on the dust. good luck and hope you get the job!
- Sometimes interviews can be short, sometimes long, it really depends, you can't guess at that.
Wear some black trousers, a white blouse, something like that, no matter what type of job it is, first impressions are vital.
Remember to keep eye contact at all times and give a firm handshake.
Be confident but don't over-do it.
As for hair and make-up, I don't think they'd care tbh. It's about how you act that's more important.
They ask you about your expierience you've had with work, or any things you've done that could contribute towards the job, your hobbies, any sources (people) that could back you up, they might ask you to confirm information about yourself, they'd ask you what subjects you took in high school.
If you don't know an answer, don't hesitate to ask any questions to them, and be honest.
x
- ask the interveiwer loadsa quessies... it always flumuxed em!.. voila... the job is yours! lolololololololol
