Applicant Interview Tips

Typically, the day before a job interview, your brain goes into overdrive imagining all the things you might do wrong. What if your alarm doesn’t go off? What if you bungle an answer? What if… Stop! Anyone with a pulse will experience some anxiety about a job interview, but there’s no need to let fears race out of control. Our guide can help you relax, arrive on time, look your best, and sound like the professional you are.

We’ve taken a tactical approach to job interviews. We’ll guide you through the research phase, help you decide whether to apply or not, encourage you to do your homework, prepare you for the interview, ease you into the interview and help you follow up. This information is focused specifically on retail management—and applies to all levels from one store to multiple stores.

Research
Company research is very important in retail, and fortunately today with the Internet, Google and organizations like PRnewswire.com, it’s gotten easier to conduct. You want to know everything possible about a company, including:

Number of stores
Company history
Volume
Earnings
Profits
Stock price
Merchandise
Customer profiles
Expansion plans
Philosophy/Mission Statement/Vision
Geographic reach (local; global via website catalog, etc.)
Stories in the press (their press releases; things written about them by outside sources, such as magazine or newspaper reporters; ratings such as “Best Company to Work For.
Employee programs and relations (incentives, culture, turnover)

Prepare yourself to be able to speak about your current sales performance in terms of comp stores (stores that have been open for at least a year) and whether sales have increased or decreased as a direct result of your involvement. Learn enough to speak intelligently about the prospective company’s earnings, profit, and contribution (which is the same as profit). What about its expansion plans? Is it moving into new markets? Speak to the specific merchandise that it sells. Know who the current company executives are and be prepared to speak to what their goals are.

Apply or Pass?

Carefully review the job expectations/requirements listed on the job posting. Does it sound right for you? Would you be happy there a year from now? We all tend to project good things onto new situations—when we know very little about them! Make sure you are looking objectively at this opportunity.
Can you speak effectively about everything listed for that job?
How would you be able to achieve and succeed at those tasks and responsibilities?

Details of the Interview

Can you effectively explain gaps in your resume or lack of qualifications, such as education?
Can you speak to/about the company’s “problem(s)” and specifically how you will solve them?

Once you have decided you want to apply, and once you’ve gotten an interview, you might say you’ve got your work cut out for you.

While still on the phone about the interview, get a clear “contract” about what will take place there. Who will you meet with? Where? For how long? You might expect an hour; they might need two hours. You want to budget enough time to complete the process.

One Week Before
The way you handle the day(s) before can make or break the interview. Give yourself time to get it right.

Review your performance metrics and practice discussing numerous results you’ve accomplished. Results are a big factor in retail, so this is no time to wing it. Pull together your thoughts on results such as: performance; sales—numbers, and how you drove them; shrinkage results; employee turn-over; recruitment efforts; expense control; how you went outside of the box to make your store better or increase your performance. Other topics include your:

Ability to manage payroll. This is an issue at all levels of retail. Obviously retailers work on a budget with set payroll hours that you have to work around, even if you think you need more. How do you cope with this thorny issue?
Have you tapped into some creative solutions?
Presentation skills. Delivering presentations and meetings to large groups of people happens often in retail.
Communication skills. Both written and verbal communications are important in retail.
Thoughts on the importance of diversity. What does diversity means to you? How does diversity helps drive business?
Record on safety and risk management. How did you contribute to promoting a safe working environment?
Ability to maintain inventory levels and inventory management in general.
Understanding of basic employment laws. What’s legal? What’s not? Mastery of performance management—i.e., how well you manage people, whether hiring, mentoring, holding them accountable, or firing them.
Success with developing those who work for you. Did you promote people to the next level? How did you accomplish that? What kind of preparations were necessary?
Project management and completion. Show how you can set a plan and follow it through.
Leadership skills. Retail store managers and executives are leaders and have to be great leaders to achieve great results.
Reasons for seeking a new job. This may be similar for every position, but in most retail situations you should be looking for a new job to take your career to the next level, take on more responsibility, etc.
Problem solving skills. In retail, you need to be self-motivated and be able to solve problems with little or no guidance.
One-year plan? Five-year plan? What would your Day One On the Job look like? What goals do you hope to accomplish? In what timeframe?

Day Before

Get your clothes in order. Dress in a way that your mother would approve of
Confirm time and location. Print—don’t try to memorize—a map from the Web. Estimate travel time and add a half hour.
If you are driving, determine parking locations and cost. If taking the bus, get clear on the route, where you will board and have the right bus fare with you for both legs of the trip.
Prepare your information for the interview with the company’s environment in mind. For example, if you research the job and learn the company is strong on customer service, highlight your customer service-related skills. Or if you find that the company conducts several “mystery shops” a year, focus on your results in this area.
Get a good night’s sleep.

During Interview

Build rapport with a few appropriate comments not related to the job.
Try to “match and mirror” the person interviewing you in terms of body language, vocal tone, etc. People like people like themselves. This doesn’t mean be phoney, just aware of your surroundings.
Listen carefully to everything said to insure you are addressing what they are really asking. Ask for clarification, if necessary.
Speak clearly and confidently. Talk conversationally.
Take part in the interview. Be an active, enthusiastic participant—which also illustrates that you would be a good addition to the company. Ask key questions (see below).
Talk about your skills, but don’t just repeat your resume. Offer stories that illustrate your accomplishments. Show that you can think on your feet.
Don’t respond negatively to a question. This includes any comments about a former employer. If you haven’t done something requested, mention what you’ve done that is similar in scope or skills required. Remember this axiom: negative stops; positive persuades. If you must speak about the former employer, do so factually, without extraneous story or drama.
Be sure to mention that you are interested in the position and how you can help the company.
Ask about the next steps following the interview. You need to know what to expect in the days/weeks ahead.
Try to maintain your peace of mind. Relax and enjoy the process.

After the Interview

Congratulate yourself for giving it your best.
Take yourself out to lunch or dinner.
Write a note (handwritten preferred, but at least e-mail) expressing your appreciation for the opportunity to interview and how you believe you can do a great job for the company.

Questions
Asking questions during the interview illustrates your confidence and professionalism. You don’t just want this job, you want a job that suits you. Ask questions to make sure you’re headed in the right direction.

Is this a new position? If not, what didn’t work well with the last person who held it? What could be done differently?
What are the main objectives of this position? What is the most important one? The most time-critical one?
What problems would you face in this position? What staff would assist you? What other resources would you bring to bear?
What kind of budget would you have?
Who do you work for? How will your performance be measured?
What kind of autonomy would you have for developing new ideas, procedures, scheduling, etc.
What advancement opportunities are possible? After what length of time?
What has been the company’s biggest success? Why? How?
What are their plans for growing to the next level?
What changes lie on the horizon?

This looks like a lot of information to consider, but much of it boils down to commonsense. Treat your future employer like you would a friend or family member, and your that much closer to your first paycheck with that company.

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