5 Questions to Expect in a Retail Job Interview

5 Questions to Expect in a Retail Job Interviewyouve turned in a rockin retail resume, showing that youre a mature, responsible, personable individual. the you-on-paper is looking better than ever. but youre not doneif they like what they see, its time for the next stage the interview. what can you expect there? googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1472832672400-0) ) whats your experience?the interviewer is going to know what kind of retail experience you haveor, if youre new, what your relevant experiences are. as a starting point, your resume has the outline of your answer here. in the interview, its your job to flesh those out. heres where youll want to fill in some context about your previous jobswhat kinds of environments have you worked in?how big were your previous stores/employers, and what were the daily operations like?what were your past responsibilities?do you have specific stats to illustrate your past jobs? (sales figures, concrete growth, any awa rds or recognition)did you progress/take on increasing responsibility/get promoted during your time there?how do you serve customers?the customer may or may not always be right, but one of the top things a retail employer will want to know is what kind of service you provide. specific anecdotes work great here. do you have a knack for converting medium interest into an actual sale? how have you handled difficult customer situations or angry customers? how did you take company policy and best practices to resolve challenging customer situations? how do you approach customers? again, use real stories from your experience, preferably ones that highlight good customer outcomes, examples of you thinking fast on your feet, and/or ones that show you enhancing your stores brand.what do you know about the industry?its important to know how store operations work. retail jobs can call on you to be a jack-of-all-trades when extra hands are needed in a variety of departments, so an interviewer m ay want to test your versatility. be prepared for questions on things like handling sales/money, inventory, point-of-sale (pos) systems, security, and loss prevention.what makes you a great salesperson?an unavoidable part of working in retail is working with the public. the unpredictable, not-always-pleasant public. the interviewer is going to want to make sure youre enough of a people person to provide a good customer experience, and stay cool in a variety of situations. if you get a question like this, be sure to emphasize your personal qualities, like good teamwork, positivity, the ability to work independently on projects without constant guidance, and the ability to work under supervision and take direction just as well.what are your expectations?retail is an industry thats famous for unpredictable hours and shifts, as well as for requiring working nights, weekends, and holidays. during the interview, its important to be up front about your schedule and availabilitythe more fle xible, the better. you may also be asked about what you expect for compensation. your best bet is to do a little legwork ahead of the interview, and research what similar jobs are making. hourly wages? commissions based on sales? then in the interview, you can give reasonable ballpark figures if asked, and you can also ask more specific questions about how compensation will work in this job, once the interviewer opens that door.if you organize your interview prep around behauptung areas, youre well on your way. be ready to provide specific stories that back up your resume bullet points, and dont forget to emphasize your next-level customer service skills. good lucksearch for retail jobsthejobnetwork has you covered, with thousands of listings in all areas of retail. start searching below, and use the above interview tips to land your next gigretail merchandiser jobsretail clerk jobsretail store manager jobsretail buyer jobs