Yay, I got an interview for this week for a place that I like that's close to where I live- The problem is that it'll be a group interview with maybe 3 other people in it! Yikes! One on one interviews are nerve wracking enough with just one person, at least for me!

How do these interviews work? I might have been to one a very long time ago, so I have no idea what to expect. Would I look desperate or professional if I were to print out copies of my resume?

I'm wearing a dress, and since I'm getting my hair done the day before, I'll look extra sharp- This is for a major beauty retailer. One time I did apply for a job there and the lady asked me the most difficult questions that I ever had to answer such as how I once handled a difficult situation with a boss or coworker. I don't have any good examples to offer.

So, what can I say that will be believable if this happens again? How do I answer the dreaded tell me about yourself question and what is your greatest weakness? I'm going to google all of this, but any help would be great! Short and vague answers are best for me as I don't have the best memory.

I hope that I get this job as I know that I'd enjoy working at this place. They don't dress in uniforms, just black clothing, and the discounts are generous too- And I'm a makeup junkie! I need to take two valiums for this interview! I hope that I won't be nervous, and I hope that I get hired for the position that I want the most. I'd rather do stock than cashiering, but beggars can't be choosers!

Wish me luck!

Oh, it's for this Wed. too!

[divine1966]

They'll just take turns asking questions. Be natural. Research info on their company. Tell them you want life long career in retail. Not just a job

Good luck

Thanks. I'll try my best to appear natural, but that's not easy for when you have anxiety! Good answer, thanks! I'll look up what people have to say on indeed.com. That's how I found out how to pass the test for Walmart-

[Moogieotter]

What are you going to tell them about Walmart?

[LucyG]

Don't buy into the old idea that the job applicant has to know how to solve every issue the company has. I remember reading job hunting books years ago, and they'd always say things like 'you need to have a plan for solving X problem the company is known to have.' I think that's just stupid.

Don't go with canned answers you get online either. Write out a few sample answers that are reasonable and honest. For example if they say 'tell me about yourself' you can say something about your interest in the beauty industry and how you've shopped at their store for years, maybe something about any education you have and why this job interests you besides the discounts. Your answer needs to be realistic even if you have to say something like 'what would you like to know exactly?'

Dress as nicely as possible which it sounds like you're planning on doing. I can tell you from my years of experience in working in offices that how a person dresses for an interview is about as nice as they'll ever dress, and it shows respect for the interviewer for you to dress up.

Be sure and get the interviewers name and send them a thank-you note saying you appreciate them taking the time to meet with you, etc., etc. You can find out how to write a nice thank-you note online, but do it.

Be on time.

Good luck.

[TishaBuv]

Why not go to the interview dressed in the all black outfit you would wear to the job?

I'd tell them you really like make up and trying out different brands. You read fashion magazines and stay up on trends.

You are friendly, always acknowledge and approach customers, listen to their needs, suggest they try new things, are enthusiastic, etc...

They want to know you are honest and reliable, a team player, friendly with the coworkers and respectful of the manager, etc...

You pay attention to detail and would make sure the stock is always replenished.

I remember you did have an incident at Wal Mart where someone broke into your locker and stole your money, right? You could tell them how you handled that, if they ask. Maybe you will say that is partly why you left there.

[guilloche]

For the group interview, do you mean that there will be more than one person interviewing just you? Or will there be multiple people being interviewed at the same time?

I'm familiar with the first situation - and have been one of the interviewers at my work! My boss liked to have a couple people from our team meet people being interviewed, so that we could see if we thought we could work with them.

We all know how crazy nervous this can make the person being interviewed, and they should be conscious of this. Just try to relax as best you can (yeah, I know!) and connect with people.

Remember that part of the interview is that you're also judging them - you're trying to determine if this place is a good fit for you. Even if you're sure that you'll love it and are desperate for a job, keep this in mind, and try to have a couple questions ready for the end (when they usually ask if you have any questions). Hard questions can be OK, but I wouldn't string together too many negatives, and I'd stay away from questions about benefits, vacation time, salary, etc... (you want to show that you're interested in the job and the people that you'll be working with, not in how much time you can get away from the job!).

I think that what is a good question to ask them can vary a lot, depending on the job. If you're stuck, you can always ask, "what do you like best about working here", "what are your biggest challenges here?", "what's it like working in this team, how do you guys function as a team, what are the group dynamics like?" - and if you get to talk to people without their manager, I always ask "what's your manager's management style? what do you like most/least about working with him/her?"

You should know, they might not be allowed to tell you anything negative. I had to take training from my company to be involved in interviews, and we weren't allowed to say anything negative about the job, because it could be construed as trying to sway someone to not take the job, and that could look discriminatory.

As far as answering questions... you said you want to be short and vague, but if you can manage actual stories, it would be better. Vague can look like you're hiding something, and not give them enough info to feel like they got to know you. Interviewers are told to ask these questions (that ask for examples from your past) as they're a bit more concrete then asking you to hypothesize about an imaginary situation.

So, for something like how you handled a difficulty with your boss or co-worker... can you think back and try to think of anything that could fit as an answer? Have you ever had a boss that you didn't get along with at first, but that you managed to work successfully with? Or a co-worker who caused you grief, but you eventually figured out how to deal with them? It could be as simple as... you had an honest conversation with the person, and you both began to understand how the other thought, and were able to make some minor changes to what you were doing to accommodate each others preferences.

This a good chance to highlight the things that you want them to know about you - like that you're a good team player, that you work well with others, that you're flexible and accommodating... etc.

Good luck! I'm nervous and excited for you just reading through this! I wish there were a better way to get jobs... interviews make me insanely nervous too!

Originally Posted by Moogieotter

What are you going to tell them about Walmart?

-------------------------------------------------------
Nothing at all. It'll make me look bad as I was only there less than a month and quit right away w/o notice after my stuff was stolen. The next day that is.

Originally Posted by LucyG

Don't buy into the old idea that the job applicant has to know how to solve every issue the company has. I remember reading job hunting books years ago, and they'd always say things like 'you need to have a plan for solving X problem the company is known to have.' I think that's just stupid.

Don't go with canned answers you get online either. Write out a few sample answers that are reasonable and honest. For example if they say 'tell me about yourself' you can say something about your interest in the beauty industry and how you've shopped at their store for years, maybe something about any education you have and why this job interests you besides the discounts. Your answer needs to be realistic even if you have to say something like 'what would you like to know exactly?'

Dress as nicely as possible which it sounds like you're planning on doing. I can tell you from my years of experience in working in offices that how a person dresses for an interview is about as nice as they'll ever dress, and it shows respect for the interviewer for you to dress up.

Be sure and get the interviewers name and send them a thank-you note saying you appreciate them taking the time to meet with you, etc., etc. You can find out how to write a nice thank-you note online, but do it.

Be on time.

Good luck.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks! I'll do just that tomorrow. I'm so overwhelmed now because of this:

Anyways, I'm nervous as hell! I looked up a ton of stuff on here, including youtube and the good news is that sometimes employees get full sized products when training is done by retailers.

You wear all black which I can do- You always have to look perfectly made up with perfect nails and hair though, ugh! And no one gets f/t hours, boo! Employees do get 25% off though and 50% off the salon!

Anyways, I'm upset now since last night the roof was leaking so I slept on the couch. Well, it's a good thing that I did as the ceiling feel on my side of the bed and there is now a huge hole in the wall!

OMG, scary! It's all wet and moldy in there and it stinks. I found a mouse in the room when I was cleaning stuff up. My husband was supposed to come home early to help fix things. That mouse is still on the loose, so I locked the door. ****!!!!

And we have no money to fix the roof! It'd cost 10,000 to do so! I talked to my dad today after fighting with him over other stuff and he might help us. He'll ask what my husband needs first.

Well, I sure hope that he does! I told him that I'm livid that he'd pay for my sisters Lexus and not help us out and claim it's because I'm married and she's not. WTH? What a lame excuse! Clearly he favors her! I had to threaten him by saying that he'll never see us again if he doesn't help out when he clearly can!

He didn't even offer a word of sympathy and neither did my mom. She flat out ignored me! Who the hell does that to a daughter they supposedly love? That's not love at all!

Anyways, I will take your advice! And I will bring along a cover letter, resume, and dress in my best all black outfit. Every person told me to wear black and look like I already fit in and wear a full face of makeup, have perfect hair (good thing that I'm getting it done tomorrow, and I recently got it colored and cut too). Tomorrow it's getting straightened. And I'm getting my nails done.

I'm going to look like the best and most put together person there probably! I'll send them a thank you letter too! Oh, I also just applied for a job at amazon and they'll email me the place to go to soon.

I also called back Cost Plus Market who I haven't heard from yet. I left a message for the manager to call me back. OMG, I need a job so, so bad now!

Originally Posted by TishaBuv

Why not go to the interview dressed in the all black outfit you would wear to the job?

I'd tell them you really like make up and trying out different brands. You read fashion magazines and stay up on trends.

You are friendly, always acknowledge and approach customers, listen to their needs, suggest they try new things, are enthusiastic, etc...

They want to know you are honest and reliable, a team player, friendly with the coworkers and respectful of the manager, etc...

You pay attention to detail and would make sure the stock is always replenished.

I remember you did have an incident at Wal Mart where someone broke into your locker and stole your money, right? You could tell them how you handled that, if they ask. Maybe you will say that is partly why you left there.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks, I'll do just that! I have the perfect black outfit planned! My hair, makeup, and nails will be perfect too! I like your answers! I'll just leave WalMart out and make something up.

Anyways, I'm nervous as hell! I looked up a ton of stuff on here, including youtube and the good news is that sometimes employees get full sized products when training is done by retailers.

You wear all black which I can do- You always have to look perfectly made up with perfect nails and hair though, ugh! And no one gets f/t hours, boo! Employees do get 25% off though and 50% off the salon!

Anyways, I'm upset now since last night the roof was leaking so I slept on the couch. Well, it's a good thing that I did as the ceiling feel on my side of the bed and there is now a huge hole in the wall!

OMG, scary! It's all wet and moldy in there and it stinks. I found a mouse in the room when I was cleaning stuff up. My husband was supposed to come home early to help fix things. That mouse is still on the loose, so I locked the door. ****!!!!

And we have no money to fix the roof! It'd cost 10,000 to do so! I talked to my dad today after fighting with him over other stuff and he might help us. He'll ask what my husband needs first.

Well, I sure hope that he does! I told him that I'm livid that he'd pay for my sisters Lexus and not help us out and claim it's because I'm married and she's not. WTH? What a lame excuse! Clearly he favors her! I had to threaten him by saying that he'll never see us again if he doesn't help out when he clearly can!

He didn't even offer a word of sympathy and neither did my mom. She flat out ignored me! Who the hell does that to a daughter they supposedly love? That's not love at all!

Originally Posted by guilloche

For the group interview, do you mean that there will be more than one person interviewing just you? Or will there be multiple people being interviewed at the same time?

I'm familiar with the first situation - and have been one of the interviewers at my work! My boss liked to have a couple people from our team meet people being interviewed, so that we could see if we thought we could work with them.

We all know how crazy nervous this can make the person being interviewed, and they should be conscious of this. Just try to relax as best you can (yeah, I know!) and connect with people.

Remember that part of the interview is that you're also judging them - you're trying to determine if this place is a good fit for you. Even if you're sure that you'll love it and are desperate for a job, keep this in mind, and try to have a couple questions ready for the end (when they usually ask if you have any questions). Hard questions can be OK, but I wouldn't string together too many negatives, and I'd stay away from questions about benefits, vacation time, salary, etc... (you want to show that you're interested in the job and the people that you'll be working with, not in how much time you can get away from the job!).

I think that what is a good question to ask them can vary a lot, depending on the job. If you're stuck, you can always ask, "what do you like best about working here", "what are your biggest challenges here?", "what's it like working in this team, how do you guys function as a team, what are the group dynamics like?" - and if you get to talk to people without their manager, I always ask "what's your manager's management style? what do you like most/least about working with him/her?"

You should know, they might not be allowed to tell you anything negative. I had to take training from my company to be involved in interviews, and we weren't allowed to say anything negative about the job, because it could be construed as trying to sway someone to not take the job, and that could look discriminatory.

As far as answering questions... you said you want to be short and vague, but if you can manage actual stories, it would be better. Vague can look like you're hiding something, and not give them enough info to feel like they got to know you. Interviewers are told to ask these questions (that ask for examples from your past) as they're a bit more concrete then asking you to hypothesize about an imaginary situation.

So, for something like how you handled a difficulty with your boss or co-worker... can you think back and try to think of anything that could fit as an answer? Have you ever had a boss that you didn't get along with at first, but that you managed to work successfully with? Or a co-worker who caused you grief, but you eventually figured out how to deal with them? It could be as simple as... you had an honest conversation with the person, and you both began to understand how the other thought, and were able to make some minor changes to what you were doing to accommodate each others preferences.

This a good chance to highlight the things that you want them to know about you - like that you're a good team player, that you work well with others, that you're flexible and accommodating... etc.

Good luck! I'm nervous and excited for you just reading through this! I wish there were a better way to get jobs... interviews make me insanely nervous too!

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks! I love your great answers! I'll take your advice! As for who is going to interview me, I have no idea! I just asked the lady I talked to and she said 3 people, yikes! And I might have to try to sell them a product on the spot according to what I saw on here! Right now I'm finding it hard to focus, so I'll have some last minute things to do tomorrow like get my nails done, and print out a copy of my resume and cover letter.

Anyways, I'm nervous as hell! I looked up a ton of stuff on here, including youtube and the good news is that sometimes employees get full sized products when training is done by retailers.

You wear all black which I can do- You always have to look perfectly made up with perfect nails and hair though, ugh! And no one gets f/t hours, boo! Employees do get 25% off though and 50% off the salon!

Anyways, I'm upset now since last night the roof was leaking so I slept on the couch. Well, it's a good thing that I did as the ceiling feel on my side of the bed and there is now a huge hole in the wall!

OMG, scary! It's all wet and moldy in there and it stinks. I found a mouse in the room when I was cleaning stuff up. My husband was supposed to come home early to help fix things. That mouse is still on the loose, so I locked the door. ****!!!!

And we have no money to fix the roof! It'd cost 10,000 to do so! I talked to my dad today after fighting with him over other stuff and he might help us. He'll ask what my husband needs first.

Well, I sure hope that he does! I told him that I'm livid that he'd pay for my sisters Lexus and not help us out and claim it's because I'm married and she's not. WTH? What a lame excuse! Clearly he favors her! I had to threaten him by saying that he'll never see us again if he doesn't help out when he clearly can!

He didn't even offer a word of sympathy and neither did my mom. She flat out ignored me! Who the hell does that to a daughter they supposedly love? That's not love at all!

Interviews suck, and they're a nightmare for a shy person with social anxiety! I hope that I get the job! If I don't, there's always amazon, and Cost Plus (no interview was confirmed yet, but I left a message for the manager). I'll be getting an email from amazon for where the interview will be taking place soon.

Oh, I'll keep on applying for as many jobs as I can around here if I don't end up getting hired at any of those places soon. I'd love to work for amazon! The beauty store happens to be Ulta btw. Has anyone ever worked there? The perks are great, but I probably won't get f/t hours.

[Trippin2.0]

So your house is literally falling apart, and you're stressed out about finances, to the point of emotionally blackmailing your father, but you're going to have your hair and nails done by a professional???


Please tell me someone gave you a gift card!!! If not, I only have one word for you: Priorities.


Ps. Also you don't have to keep repeating what you typed to each poster... We can all see it, or you can use the multi quote function. You're making your own thread hard to follow by repeating yourself three times in a row, verbatim

Okay, here's what I would do:

1) Prepare for those tricky scenario questions - the one you got asked about difficult situations is very common, I got asked it lots. So you haven't worked in years, they saw your application and know that, so it's okay to explain you don't have recent work experience but instead give an example in your daily life (I used volunteering examples), what they are interested in is how you think/operate - they want to know what kind of person you are. Tip - they want someone who will keep calm and diffuse any conflict - remember the customer always comes first.

2) Think through what you will say about why you left your last job, spin it as positive as you can - do not be tempted to lay blame at your employer even if it's true, it will raise red flags for them. Say something like you wanted more customer contact orientated work - make it look as good as possible.

3) In group interviews they will be watching how you interact with other candidates, whatever your opinion of them make sure you communicate pleasantly - they will be watching for how you will interact with others. My present company uses this method and they are looking at your manner. Keep it light, breezy, make sure you smile and make eyes contact.

Good luck for Weds!

[divine1966]

Roof collapsed???

[divine1966]

Are there any TJX stores by you? Tjmax, marshals or homegoods. They hire anybody. All the time. They always need people. No fancy interviews. You just have to be alive to get a job with them

Originally Posted by Trippin2.0

So your house is literally falling apart, and you're stressed out about finances, to the point of emotionally blackmailing your father, but you're going to have your hair and nails done by a professional???


Please tell me someone gave you a gift card!!! If not, I only have one word for you: Priorities.


Ps. Also you don't have to keep repeating what you typed to each poster... We can all see it, or you can use the multi quote function. You're making your own thread hard to follow by repeating yourself three times in a row, verbatim

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, first of all, I NEED to look professional for this job. Most places will not hire you if you go there looking like a hot mess with chipped nails.

Besides, what I invest in my look to get a job will not save our house. A job might though. So my priorities are spot on. As for my dad, call it what you want, I was only telling him that it's ridiculous how he has money to pay for my sisters Lexus, meals, clothes, rent, and he can't even help us. He did agree to help, but my husband is way to proud to let him help us.

You don't know how he is. I don't matter to him all, so what else can I do? If it were only that easy to just ask him for help, that'd be great. Not to be mean or anything, but you seem to be kind of judgemental and critical. Try seeing things from my POV before judging me please.

It's not like I can go to a job interview in jeans and messy hair you know. I'm going to another one tomorrow.

Originally Posted by prefabsprout

Okay, here's what I would do:

1) Prepare for those tricky scenario questions - the one you got asked about difficult situations is very common, I got asked it lots. So you haven't worked in years, they saw your application and know that, so it's okay to explain you don't have recent work experience but instead give an example in your daily life (I used volunteering examples), what they are interested in is how you think/operate - they want to know what kind of person you are. Tip - they want someone who will keep calm and diffuse any conflict - remember the customer always comes first.

2) Think through what you will say about why you left your last job, spin it as positive as you can - do not be tempted to lay blame at your employer even if it's true, it will raise red flags for them. Say something like you wanted more customer contact orientated work - make it look as good as possible.

3) In group interviews they will be watching how you interact with other candidates, whatever your opinion of them make sure you communicate pleasantly - they will be watching for how you will interact with others. My present company uses this method and they are looking at your manner. Keep it light, breezy, make sure you smile and make eyes contact.

Good luck for Weds!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks once again for your great advice! I'm aware of all that. I think that I did fairly well yesterday, especially for a group interview! I wasn't that nervous. The two valiums helped a bit probably, lol!

There were four young girls there and two managers. We were all asked some hard questions based on how we dealt with certain situations in the past, or how we would deal with customer issues.

One of the managers liked some of my answers- Two of the young girls thought that I did great afterwards- Later that day I wrote the manager a thank you letter and included an extra copy of my cover letter.

Whoever gets hired will get a call back on Monday. The hours won't be f/t. We'll be expected to work on Fridays at 4:30 in the morning doing stock, ugh! I hope that will be the only day to where I'll have to work that early!

If I get the job, I'll take it even though the hours won't be f/t and the job will probably only last until Feb. It could turn into a permanent job though. I'm going to another interview tomorrow for amazon that I hope I'll get as the pay and benefits are better. And the job will be much better suited to what I like to do as well as my personality. I'd much rather not deal with people if I can help it.

I can if I have to, but personally, it's hard for a shy introvert like me to do who has anxiety issues you know. I'm going to apply for a few more jobs and hope that my past DUI isn't going to effect my ability to get a job. I still haven' heard back from two of the other places that I applied at yet.

Wish me luck!

Originally Posted by divine1966

Roof collapsed???

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, part of it. My husband patched it up with a huge wooden board and he'll replace the tarp soon. The mouse was caught btw, yay! My poor kitty's foot got stuck in the sticky trap this morning, lol!

Originally Posted by divine1966

Are there any TJX stores by you? Tjmax, marshals or homegoods. They hire anybody. All the time. They always need people. No fancy interviews. You just have to be alive to get a job with them

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, there is. Wow, I didn't know that! Thanks for the info! If I don't get the job at Ulta or amazon soon, I'll apply to both places! And lol @ just having to be alive to get a job there, ha ha!

[Trippin2.0]

Originally Posted by Shy Introvert

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, first of all, I NEED to look professional for this job. Most places will not hire you if you go there looking like a hot mess with chipped nails.

Besides, what I invest in my look to get a job will not save our house. A job might though. So my priorities are spot on. As for my dad, call it what you want, I was only telling him that it's ridiculous how he has money to pay for my sisters Lexus, meals, clothes, rent, and he can't even help us. He did agree to help, but my husband is way to proud to let him help us.

You don't know how he is. I don't matter to him all, so what else can I do? If it were only that easy to just ask him for help, that'd be great. Not to be mean or anything, but you seem to be kind of judgemental and critical. Try seeing things from my POV before judging me please.

It's not like I can go to a job interview in jeans and messy hair you know. I'm going to another one tomorrow.

Firstly, I was not judging you, I'm calling it like I see it. But you may call it what you like, doesn't bother me in the least.


Secondly, As for your priorities?

I assure you that everyone does not go to a salon to look good for job interviews, most of us are way too broke anyway, which is why we need the job in the first place. Salon visits happen after actually receiving a paycheck.

But that doesn't mean any of us showed up looking like a hot mess.


So I'm really confused by your logic.


You say the money you spend on the salon wont make a dent in the payment you need for the roof, fine, that's all good and well. But you can't tell me you're completely unable to do your own hair and nails, its like the basics of being female. I flat out refuse to believe you go to a salon everytime you need to leave the house.


My point is this, yes you need a job, but if you're so stressed about money, learn to try and live within your means. From what you've described about your house and finances, beauty salons are not included.


Ps. If my point is once again missed under a cloud of perceived judgment, no need to respond because I will disengage. I don't have the energy to keep repeating myself.

[divine1966]

To all honesty I worked many random jobs in retail (and similar unprofessional jobs) and do now three nights a week because my school district took pay cut and I lost 10k a year. Stores hire all the time. And I live in the state with high unemployment.

Everybody always gets job in retail as long as they are hiring. You have been talking about finding job for so long yet you don't work. I don't understand why. I teach high school and many of my students hold jobs in retail or restaurants etc and these are minors and have documented special needs. They just go fill applications and get hired. Yet you can't get a job at a store

Why don't you spend a day driving around and fill applications for 20 stores. If you do it tomorrow you might already work on Monday!

[~Christina]

Why not apply for a housekeeping job at a hotel ? No degree needed. There are tons of jobs that do not require prior experience. Cashier,waitress, retail, coffee shops , McDonald's and fast food in general hire All the time.

It's the holiday season damn near any retail store needs seasonal help.

I'm sorry but I am with Trippin , having salon hair and nails done is not necessary to get a job. Any woman I know can wash there own hair and fix it enough for a interview, nails ? File them evenly and apply a clear coat it's not rocket science.

I hope you find a way to contribute financially in fixing your home.

Good luck I'm bowing out of this now.

Can I ask how old you are, Shy?

Pennies are very important when saving money. The dull stuff, like clipping coupons, finding sales at grocery stores, doing without. It all matters.
That means (also) no trips, no matter how good of a bargain they may seem to be....it's still money spent.

I suggest house keeping. I don't remember how much you can make without claiming on taxes, perhaps someone could help out here. I had some good clients when I had that as my second job and I was newly married and broke.

If not that, I suggest a job where you don't have to wear nice clothes (jeans or a uniform are better)...it's just less expensive that way.

That said, and if you have the clothes already, retail is a good bet this time of year, but you have to be willing to do the day after thanksgiving and Christmas.