I have a job interview at Abercrombie & Fitch (yes you are allowed to rant about them, I don't mind) and I have no interview experience. My first job didn't have an interview since my friend's mom owned the place. She just handed me a bunch of papers to sign and that was that. My mom just tells me to act perky (shoots self) and I'm waiting to hear back from my Dad (he does interviews for the Dick's Corporate office sometimes) since he's on a plane coming from Orlando. Any advice or tidbits would be appreciated :thumbsup:

I have a job interview at Abercrombie & Fitch (yes you are allowed to rant about them, I don't mind) and I have no interview experience. My first job didn't have an interview since my friend's mom owned the place. She just handed me a bunch of papers to sign and that was that. My mom just tells me to act perky (shoots self) and I'm waiting to hear back from my Dad (he does interviews for the Dick's Corporate office sometimes) since he's on a plane coming from Orlando. Any advice or tidbits would be appreciated :thumbsup:

the only things i learned in my interview skills class in college:

1. dress for the position "ABOVE" the one you're interviewing for
2. Avoid verbal crutches (um, uh, like, and, etc.)
3. no agressive body language but still remain confident
4. don't present your personality as something its not, i.e. don't be perky if thats not the way you're going to be on the job
5. DON"T STRESS OUT, its just an interview if you're qualified for the job, and you don't flip out at the interview you'll be fine. Think of it as just a formality!

wear something hot

haha I know I have to wear their clothes for the interview. My friend who used to work there told me that. Also how much should I ask for my pay to be an hour $7.50?? $8??

haha I know I have to wear their clothes for the interview. My friend who used to work there told me that. Also how much should I ask for my pay to be an hour $7.50?? $8??

skirt $8
short skirt $10
so short you can see the bottom of ur butt $15

:histeric:You guys crack me up!

IgotmeaV said it all. Do they really require you to wear their clothes in an interview? As an interviewer, I'd be more interested to see if someone knows how to dress tastefully. Wearing their clothes should come after the hiring.

I'm not so sure they will ask how much you want to get paid. They should make and offer and you can take it from there. Do they work on commission?

:histeric:You guys crack me up!

IgotmeaV said it all. Do they really require you to wear their clothes in an interview? As an interviewer, I'd be more interested to see if someone knows how to dress tastefully. Wearing their clothes should come after the hiring.

I'm not so sure they will ask how much you want to get paid. They should make and offer and you can take it from there. Do they work on commission?

They want us to wear their clothes to see if we can represent their brand since the employees are supposed to be models to the A&F brand.

let them bring up pay first and whatever you do be prepared to name your number.

Jason Stop Typing Under My Name!!!

Always make a good impression at first....every company has different policies. For a clothing company I would say sport their clothing line...and dress MEGA hott! Thats what they look for in the clothing industry...compared to others like looking for a high position where you should be dressed very professional.... there are ALWAYS younger people like u n I working there...

ATLEAST make them pay you what you got paid at your last job....why go work somewhere else if you are going to get paid less????

Sorry Jason is being an ******* and won't close my screen on his computer

i am not a whatever ******** is...
im amusing myself!

see
and im aiding in your post whoreism...
i rock
both sides win
bow down before me mere mortals!

I can see you are amusing yourself..and you seem to be doing a VERY well job at it too :D lol

skirt $8
short skirt $10
so short you can see the bottom of ur butt $15

Hahaha actually I'm thinking of wearing their sweatpants and shirt... or I might go with a pair of jeans a top. I just know I have to wear sandles which is good... I live in sandles :D

Uhhh that would be Jason amusing himself under my name...

YAY
yes i am enjoying myself
such fun
lol
and nicki or umm i mean i better not go dressed in hott clothing....
less i wanna be single...

I Am Nicki Do You Hear Me I Am!

no I am

no your not stop it you lying whore!
im the real nicki!

best thread evar

indeed is it not?

ahhh stop posting under my name!

no one can tell what posts im making and what posts IM making ahahahhaha

i keep typing and nicki cant post lol cuz of 30 sec rule!

yay i rule!

First of all I wouldn't post like that... all above was Jason. I really DO need advice on this subject since I am unfamiliar to it and I don't like BSin like that to gain posts. I'm gonna refrain from posting in this thread until 5 eastern time since then you will know it really is me.

noooo
well there goes my fun
f'n A
ill be good now ttyl

well there went the entertainment...
everyone back to their normal 9-5 now...
everyone can blame NICKI!
and her split personality...

Urby if you want you can delete some of my posts...

noooooo

Urby if you want you can delete my account

sure, gimme 1 minute

I said my posts of unneccessary information... meanie don't delete my account :(

I said my posts of unneccessary information... meanie don't delete my account :(

:gurl:

hahaha so any mroe advice besides wearing a short skirt Urby?

They want us to wear their clothes to see if we can represent their brand since the employees are supposed to be models to the A&F brand.

What a racket - they ask people to come in for an interview wearing their brand to boost their sales.

I used to do a lot of hiring. Some other suggestions aside from what's already been given:

- Brush your teeth before the interview. Bad breath or something silly like a piece of lettuce can kill your chances.

- Make sure you have clean leather shoes. If they can hold a shine, make sure they do.

- Arrive 15 minutes early. It shows you're interested in the job and if they are running ahead, they appreciate having another candidate ready.

- You should have a resume or at least a printed list of 3 non-family references that you have pre-arranged they can call. Be sure to tell the references know what company may call them.

- Be absolutely truthful about everything on your resume, the application, and every interview answer you give. If they discover a lie on your application 2 years from now after you've been promoted, you will still be fired.

- Smile. Make them believe you are someone co-workers customers will like to be around. A lot of the hiring decision is based on whether they think a person "fits in" with the workplace.

Break a leg.

hahaha so any mroe advice besides wearing a short skirt Urby?

yes be freshly laid before the interview so u r mellow

What a racket - they ask people to come in for an interview wearing their brand to boost their sales.

I used to do a lot of hiring. Some other suggestions aside from what's already been given:

- Brush your teeth before the interview. Bad breath or something silly like a piece of lettuce can kill your chances.

- Make sure you have clean leather shoes. If they can hold a shine, make sure they do.

- Arrive 15 minutes early. It shows you're interested in the job and if they are running ahead, they appreciate having another candidate ready.

- You should have a resume or at least a printed list of 3 non-family references that you have pre-arranged they can call. Be sure to tell the references know what company may call them.

- Be absolutely truthful about everything on your resume, the application, and every interview answer you give. If they discover a lie on your application 2 years from now after you've been promoted, you will still be fired.

- Smile. Make them believe you are someone co-workers customers will like to be around. A lot of the hiring decision is based on whether they think a person "fits in" with the workplace.

Break a leg.

Thank you!!!! :thumbsup:

yes be freshly laid before the interview so u r mellow
oh yuh urby
i love you bro!

Nik--just dress neatly & conservatively, meet the interviewer's eyes and be yourself. You'll bag the job. Good luck.

Stress that you are reliable; that you know how to get out of bed and get to work on time and be ready to go every day. Be sure to tell them you don't even bring your cell phone on the job with you. TURN YOUR CELL PHONE OFF BEFORE YOU GET THERE. Don't giggle and don't say stupid stuff like a bubble head. You're selling your abilities. Act like a serious and knowledgable sales person. Don't present yourself as a bimbo unless you plan on being one.

Thanks guys keep it coming.

At my old workplace, if the managers saw your phone out you were fired on the spot. I only keep it in my pocket just in case something bad happens.

Always make eye contact, keep good posture, don't spend too much time thinking of an answer to the questions, and say thank you at the end. They'll most likely ask you questions that deal with you being in a situation of some sort, so plan out what you want to say beforehand.

Thanks guys keep it coming.

At my old workplace, if the managers saw your phone out you were fired on the spot. I only keep it in my pocket just in case something bad happens.
Keep your phone turned off completely. If there is a genuine emergency the authorities can contact you through the business. If your house is on fire there isn't anything you can do about it anyway. "Bread and milk", or "I love you" phone calls will piss off any boss. 110% of your attention goes to the customer that's in front of you. If the company phone rings you put them on hold until you're finished with the sale in progress. It's amazing how far common courtesy, pleasantness, and paying attention to the customer will carry you. Nothing is more frustrating than to have a young salesperson in front of you with their mouth hanging open and their eyes glazed over as they think about how drunk they are going to get at the next party instead of you the customer.

skin
lots of skin

I read earlier about your question on pay. Let them bring that up. That often is second interview stuff (pay and benefits). In this interview, you need to convince them you are the person to hire.

Also, no one else has mentioned this yet. After the interview, go home and immediately write a hand written thank you note. Thank them for the opportunity to meet with them, for the information they provided, etc. and then close with how you feel confident that this is the right job for you and that you are looking forward to the next steps.

Thank you notes are BIG hits with those who are hiring! Makes a GREAT impression, and sets you apart from the others.

Good luck!

JRau in central Iowa

Thank you notes are BIG hits with those who are hiring!

:eek: I read that line fast and for a minute thought it said, Thank you notes and BIG tits:histeric:

I got to start wearing reading glasses.

I would have never thought of writing a thank you note, great idea.

1) Be honest
2) Convince them of your RELIABILITY - business people HATE kids who don't show up for work when they should.
2) Be friendly, but not over-anxious
3) If they ask you one of those questions like "why should we hire you?", the best way to answer that is to tell them how anxious you are to do a good job, to learn, to contribute to the "corporate image" and things like that - in other words a balance between "I need this job so I can buy clothes and gum and cd's and stuff" and the over-weening "A&F needs to hire me so their stock rises and the board members make millions of dollars" kind of bullshit.

After the interview, ask for the job. Specifically. They need to know you really DO want it.

But then again, it's just selling tube tops and khakis in the mall - if this one doesn't pan out, there will be more.

But then again, it's just selling tube tops and khakis in the mall - if this one doesn't pan out, there will be more.

Once again, Jim nails it.

Nice Jim :thumbsup: I appreciate it guys.

Nik--just dress neatly & conservatively, meet the interviewer's eyes and be yourself. You'll bag the job. Good luck.

Several very good points here. I am in retail, I interview applicants every week. Some things that always piss me off:

Peolple dressed to go to a junkyard. Dress professional, PLEASE! Nothing is more disrespectful.
Ask questions. This shows you are interested for a longer term position.
Do some research about the company, know some about the history and business.
Be honest. One question I always ask. Do you shop here often? If they say yes, I ask "what would you change about the store?". When I get a "nothing, everything is great" they are full of bs. I want someone who can think and offer honest opinions.
Look at me, not at the floor. If you can't look me in the eye, how will you deal with customers?
Fill out your application fully and neatly. If you can not do this, why would I hire you?
I know when you are lying to me!
Be prepared for a drug test.Good luck!

...oh, ya, a little skin does help too, but professional skin.

So??? Did you get the job?

she goes on tuesday when shes back home in Chi right now shes home with me... all weekend... alone.... no parents... busy... g2g have some cookie... buh buyes...

Several very good points here. I am in retail, I interview applicants every week. Some things that always piss me off:

Peolple dressed to go to a junkyard. Dress professional, PLEASE! Nothing is more disrespectful.
Ask questions. This shows you are interested for a longer term position.
Do some research about the company, know some about the history and business.
Be honest. One question I always ask. Do you shop here often? If they say yes, I ask "what would you change about the store?". When I get a "nothing, everything is great" they are full of bs. I want someone who can think and offer honest opinions.
Look at me, not at the floor. If you can't look me in the eye, how will you deal with customers?
Fill out your application fully and neatly. If you can not do this, why would I hire you?
I know when you are lying to me!
Be prepared for a drug test.Good luck!

...oh, ya, a little skin does help too, but professional skin.


Thank you for the info! The question "what would you change about the store?" is deffinately a good one. Thanks!:bouncy:

Thank you for the info! The question "what would you change about the store?" is deffinately a good one. Thanks!:bouncy:

Works everytime, I love that question. Then there is always the "do you believe in Aliens?" That one really messes them up!

Good luck!

Haha I could have fun with that alien question

Be honest, and never forget, the interview is also for you to interview the company you are being interviewed by, it is a 2 way interview. Never hesitate to ask questions, be honest, and never sell yourself short for who/what you are. Dress 1 level over the position you are applying for. Don't wear a suit to a gas station attendant job, but don't wear jeans to a high level postion in a big company.

The company I am at now (at the time a Fortune 50 company, might still be) the HR rep who was doing part of it (I got 3 interviews that day, HR, the sr technicians and the hiring manager himself) and she asked my why they should hire me and I piped up with "I'm good!" (I couldn't believe it!) but we laughed, and I did explain why I feel I am the best choice. I guess I was quite confident in what I could do for them, and it worked, I got the job! And after 10.5 years, I am still there, and just had my review on Friday, and did very well.

I used to do the factory tours for the perspective EE's and ME's at my group, and from time to time, they would call me in after the interview and ask me questions of what I thought. I wasn't official interviewer, but I did have some small weight to the overall opinion.

If it is a bigger interview that is long where they take you to lunch and all, watch what you say, avoid race or controverial answers. We had a guy they got on an interview and at lunch they asked him about playing golf. His answer? "Golf is for pollocks!" Well, the hiring manager is a golf fan and he made a slur against Polish. Needless to say after lunch the interview was over abruptly. They know the questions to ask you to get your true colors to show.

Hope you get the job! If you do, do we all get discounts???

Haha I probably would give you guys discounts, that is if you like Abercrombie & Fitch clothing
www.abercrombie.com

I remembered one more thing, don't wear black. They don't sell anything black in thier stores, and if you get hired you won't be able to wear anything black. One of my friends works at Hollister and that's thier policy, so I would think the same for Abercrombie.

Yeah I'm not really a black shirt/pants person anyway. Though I do have a bunch of black t-shirts from band concerts :thumbsup: normally wear those to bed.

Hollister and A&F are run under the same corporate unit so the policies are the same.

Thanks for the input Gary! :)

Welcome to the Machine!

Welcome to the Machine!

Explain.

My tips:

Be a 19 year old girl.

They'll pretty much hire you if you meet the above criteria, as long as you don't spit on the interviewer or something.

The first job interview is always the hardest.
The last two jobs I got, I didn't even have an interview.
I mailed them my resume and then I met with them to find out what I needed to know and let them ask me when I wanted to start ;)

I am not sure how much advice I could give to a 19 year old female, being an old man myself I never had an interview as a 19 year old female :)
I'd say, speak clearly, try to maintain good posture, eye contact and pay close attention. Try not be be nervous but try not to be too relaxed either.

Make sure you are groomed nicely, someone mentioned brushing your teeth, that is a good one.

As for how much to ask for, depends on the job, depends on the town.
I'd say if the job is in retail they probably already have a wage in mind, if you don't have much work experience I would say it is up to them to offer you a wage and you to accept it or hit the bricks.

Arriving a few minutes early is a good one.
Be sure to have your driver's license, a copy of your social security card, and if you haven't filled out an application be sure to take some information with you. Employers usually ask for your employment history including a contact name and the dates you worked there.
Also you will need 3 non-family personal references including phone numbers.
They always ask for education too, the name and city of your school and what kind of classes you took.

Bring a pad of paper and a writing instrument, anything that sounds important write it down, have some questions of your own ready.
I am not sure how retail sales is but when I have a meeting like that I like to ask about things I want to know, like what is expected of me, benefits, vacation time, some procedural things and make sure I know the details of my first day, like what time to arrive, where to go and who is your direct supervisor in case you have any questions.
What time to be there, dress code, is there a company policy handbook you can review.... etc.
Don't kill them with questions though.

Man, I can hardly remember 19.... *sigh*

Oh.... and good luck! I hope it is the job you want if you get it.

Lotta good advice here.

Long time ago, I used to interview people, and at one time, I also toured people, so while I had only a small say in the actual hiring, I saw a lot of candidates....

I have nothing big to add, there's been so much good said already... but let me give a few brief impressions:

#1. Ask good questions! That's been said before, but I stress the "good" part. Asking about hours, possiblities of promotion, frequency of overtime, those are good questions. That tells me you're interested, you're picturing yourself working here... I like that. I want to hire someone who WANTS to work here.... Also, I tended to be impressed if I sensed the person was interviewing US a little bit, to see if they really wanted to work here. That told me the person wanted to come here and succeed, not come here and fail. Everybody wants people who want to succeed.

In stark contrast, I was asked once "What is your discipline policy like?" I was a little surprised, and asked what he meant, and candidate x follows up with "Like if I'm late for work, what happens?" Not a good question.

Also, when touring people, some candidates would kind of get "too chummy" with me, and start asking "do you think I have a chance?" or "How many people are they interviewing?" That gave me a bad feeling, at times. It's like, dude, you don't work here yet, and we're not pals yet... cool it.

#2. This seems absurdly minor, but... bring a pen and paper. It can be just a little notepad, and a pen. If I say to the person "I'll give you my direct number, call me next Monday at 2PM and I'll let you know", it just gives me a bad impression when they ask me for a pen. And then write the number on their hand... it's just not good. I initially started doing that to find out if people would do what I told them to do, and to guage if they really wanted the job or not. But I ended up finding out so much more, sometimes... I got a lot of good results with that. People who really wanted the job would call at 2 on the dot on Monday, without fail...

#3. This is another interview trick, to ask "are you a lucky person?" This is more of a barometer of the person's attitude, and you get a lot of different answers. They don't really want to know that you hit a video poker machine for $1000 last week, or that you survived being lost in the Andes, okay, they want to know what your general attitude and outlook on life is. So the answer is yes, that good things have happened to you. Some really aggressive candidates have their obviously prepared answer ready, like "the harder I work, the luckier I get", or "I just believe in hard work, not luck"... which tells me they've been to some interview center and been trained to interview well... but then I have to guage their sincerity. But if someone seemed surprised by the question, and then would say "yes", and say something like "I have a great family, and I'm doing really well in school", Or "I have a great wife and a great family", something basic and sincere, I tended to like that... even something like "Our dart team won the city tournament last year", at least I know they are sociable on some level, and like to compete....

#4. Smells. This is a touchy subject, and has been mentioned before, but be clean, well, groomed, clean clothes... some people smell like they live in a house with 50 cats... not good. Some women are drowned in perfume... not good. Some men & women, I'm not even sure, but like, some use a lot of hair gel or something... and sometimes that has no smell at all, which is fine, and sometimes it fills the room with a strange smell... which is not fine. I don't care if the guy has the Pat Riley or Sonny Crockett slicked back hair do, but if it smells, that's no good. Just be careful you don't smell. If I can't stand how you smell in the interview, I sure as hell don't want to smell you every day at work.

#5. Get a good night sleep and come in attentive and alert. People sitting there yawning during the interview... not good. People who look (and smell) like they're massively hung over... not good. If you are sick, or something, try, try, try to pull yourself together and present yourself well in the interview.

#6. I like the advice here of "dress 1 level above", that's good. Don't overdo it, and don't underdo it.

Welcome to the Machine!

:histeric::histeric::histeric: Best post of the night. Points!

Explain.

Nah :) ;)

Thank you Dave, Ewill, and Patrick. Very good tips you're giving me, I appreciate it!

:thepan: Thank you Dave, Ewill, and Patrick. Very good tips you're giving me, I appreciate it!

no love... no love

i was even the first one in the thread

:crybaby:

Man I remember being nervous going into an interview to deliver pizza. LOL
Now if I want a job all I have to do is put a postage stamp on my resume'.
It is a nice change.
Oh to be young again.... NOT!

If I were a betting man, with some of the advice I have seen here, I'd say you'll be working there in no time.

:thepan:

no love... no love

i was even the first one in the thread

:crybaby:

I'm sorry I'll thank you now haha. I thought I said thank you in the beginning to you, my bad. THANK YOU!! :gurl:

Man I remember being nervous going into an interview to deliver pizza. LOL
Now if I want a job all I have to do is put a postage stamp on my resume'.
It is a nice change.
Oh to be young again.... NOT!

If I were a betting man, with some of the advice I have seen here, I'd say you'll be working there in no time.

Hopefully *crosses fingers*

Break a leg.

Ha. I broke my toe on my job tonight!

Just be yourself and be honest... That has always worked for me... Works every time

Thank you everybody! I'll let you know what the verdict is later tonight!

I didn't get the job so I'm going in on Friday to reapply and do another interview. If I don't get it again I'm applying to Southwest Airlines at Midway Airport to be a Ramp Agent. Free flights 401K stuff like that...