OT: Retail people - when is best to apply for holiday work?

rae

Hi, again! Many of you were so kind and helpful when I first shared my idea for entering the retail realm. Could I bother you for another bit of advice? If I can't get work right off the bat, my next plan is to try and get in for the holiday rush and hopefully impress the heck out of someone. When do stores usually start hiring for this? Thanks so much in advance!

13 years ago

General

13 replies

Latest reply was from kellygirl

Julie

Veteran

Don't wait for them to start looking. Present yourself, front and centre, right away!! Ask if they have any openings for interns. You want to be at the front of the line for seasonal hiring, because if the retail numbers don't come up well, they will stop hiring, even lay some off. When you go in, dress in labels the store sells, tell them you enjoy shopping in the store. I think you get the picture. Before you get to sell any clothing, you must first sell yourself, and the better you do that, the easier the job will be.

One additional piece of advice. Banish the word "cost" from your vocabulary. That word has killed more sales that were 95% complete than you can count. No one wants to hear that something they want, covet, desire, drool over, etc. has a cost associated with it. The dress they are looking at doesn't "cost" $100.00. It's "Priced at $100.00." or "It's only $100.00."

Sign yourself up for some retail seminars, or browse the library or local book stores for books on retail selling. Learn how to avoid the sales killing, "May I help you?" to which the answer is a sale killing, "No thank you, I'm just looking." Learn the proper open ended questions. Never ask questions that can be answered with either a yes or a no, because the answer will inevitably be "No,"

I think you get the idea. Now go knock 'em dead!!

13 years ago

jayne

Veteran

Julie, I loved reading your answer. Where I live the sales associates have no training and I get a nearly physical angst to go in a store and hear yet again 'can I help you' ....every store, and every SA in it will ask the same thing. I find it anti-helpful....it is so inane! I know how to walk up to you and ask for help if I want it. Else, let me look in peace! This is not US, there I find it actually refreshing to just get a 'hi' and or 'nod' which is all we really need to acknowledge each other

13 years ago

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I also appreciated your answer, Julie.

I also hate the SA who follow you around like a leach and try to suggest various things to be helpful. ie: When I look at a shirt I'm thinking if I can wear with a skirt, she throws five pairs of pants into my face: "THEY WILL ALL GO WITH THAT TOP." okay? AHHHHH!

13 years ago

rae

(website)

Veteran

Thank you, there is so much good stuff in that comment, Julie!

So since I'm exploring other options right now, I guess my next question is when to give up on that and apply my efforts to seasonal retail? I'm only thinking of places that offer personal shopping services right now, since that would be where I want to work up to (Nordies, J. Crew, etc.). So no boutique-like settings or anything like that. I am not personally in any rush, but I don't want to miss the boat on the hiring season.

13 years ago

Krista

Veteran

Hi Rae,
I worked retail many years ago, but in general I remember that if you're interested in getting hired for the fall rush, you need to be getting out there now. If you're looking at Christmas, then I would be waiting until October. When I worked at the Gap, holiday staff were hired in time for December 1, but that is probably because Canadian Thanksgiving is so early and has no effect on Christmas shopping. My understanding of the US market is that many people use the American Thanksgiving as kind of like a holiday shopping time - so I would say you will want to be in the retail market by that time.

The best way is to probably phone a store and speak to the manager (if we're talking Gap or J Crew), but if you're looking at something like Nordstrom, they probably have an HR department who fields calls like that. I worked at the Gap, a small high-end boutique and a few flower shops and every single one of them had different approaches to hiring people. It's worth a call to double-check - you wouldn't want to miss out on sharing your fantastic fashion sense with anyone!

13 years ago

Julie

Veteran

Krista, I have to disagree with you on one point. Don't call, go in person!! A person on the phone, unless they are a potential customer, is forgotten before the phone is even cold, and sometimes even the potential customer.

If the manager or other person responsible for hiring is not there, leave your card, yes, you heard me, your card. Find out when she will be in and come back at that time. Ask if she got your card, introduce yourself, and give her another card. Treat this like it is the sales call of your life, because it just may be.

Rae, you may not be looking or wanting a sales job right now, but get yourself out there. Practise makes perfect and when the hiring season starts you want all the bugs worked out of your pitch.

Seasonal hiring gives you the best chance to get on staff, so give yourself an advantage, now. Take a seminar, read a book, then rent a stall at your favourite flea market and apply the lessons learned. Use that time to polish your technique. Don't be afraid to ask shoppers or browsers what convinced them to buy , or not to buy, from you as opposed to someone else. Have friends or your hubby stand back and watch you work. Get their critique, and more importantly, try their suggestions.

A little anecdote: a friend once wanted a job really bad in a boutique she loved. She tried all the "normal" approaches and was not getting anywhere. So, one day she went in when she knew the manager was there and one of the staff was off on summer vacation. She was told they still weren't hiring, although she did notice a couple of new faces. She asked the manager what the daily sales targets were, then asked if she were to sell that in two hours would she get a job. What could the manager say? My friend had scouted the store well enough to know when the best 2 hour window was and figuring the manager might not be aware of that asked if she should start right away. She wasn't going to give the manager a chance to think it over and most likely change her mind.

BTW, she now is national buyer and attends fashion week in NYC and Paris. Who would have thought?

Cheers

Julie

13 years ago

Jjsloane

Veteran

Hopefully Christianne will also reply as she is fully engaged in the field now. I think Julie has great advice and I would not wait until Holiday time to apply for seasonal. If you have explored your main options and let them know you are also interested in seasonal if that's the next opening they have. If you have to - revisit them to keep yourself fresh in their mind.
I would also argue that a boutique could give you great experience - not a formal personal shopping experience, but I suspect people who frequent them would benefit from assistance from someone as knowledgeable as you. You'd get to know more about all the ins and outs of retail

13 years ago

marianna

Veteran

In addition to what everyone else has said, some stores hire "seasonal" work for specific sales or events they are having, so not only for the holidays specifically. In general, retail stores are always hiring so you can apply anytime.

13 years ago

marianna

Veteran

Also, to add to some of the above comments -- if you are applying at a store like Nordstrom and try to go in-person to talk to HR, they will not see you. It's all done electronically and over the phone prior to coming in for an interview. Your best bet is to apply online and then call HR 2-3 days later to follow up (and I'm speaking from first-hand experience).

13 years ago

Mary

Member

Julie - would you mind explaining (or linking to an example) of the sort of design for a card that would be appropriate to leave at a retail store?

I've only worked in corporate jobs as a software developer and we only used resumes. This is great information!

13 years ago

rae

(website)

Veteran

Good stuff, thank you all so much!

I am thinking of Christmas, as opposed to Fall, good distinction, Krista. I need to be clear when talking to stores about that.

Well, I really can't get going right away, so I guess "as soon as I can" is going to have to be good enough. If I miss this time around, it is good to know that there are other sales that stores hire for.

For the places that require online application only, what are good things to have on a resume? Bad things? I have some sales experience - not in retail, but I have lots of experience serving particular and demanding clients and pitching financial products.

13 years ago

celia

Veteran

I was first hired for a job in retail as a add on for the Chirstmas holyday and I apply in September(in Portugal where there is no Thanksgiving ) and it was for a Nordstrom kind of retail.
I ended staying there for 2,5 years and just left because I wanted to change jobs.
So from my experience I would say to apply for the job you want now.

13 years ago

kellygirl

Veteran

I was in See's the other day and the manager was talking to a customer about seasonal hiring. After he left, she said that she was going to make a note of his name because he seemed like he would be fun to work with (not in an inappropriate way)--just that he seemed very personable. I guess there is no substitute for applying in person! I was eavesdropping--so naughty!

ETA: I forgot to say that she handed him the application and said to return it soon.

13 years ago

Category