This was one of my best interviews ever. Partly because I reviewed postings on Glassdoor BEFORE going to the interview, did my HOMEWORK on the Ross Store Empire, and LISTEN to Clark Howard’s Radio show concerning new employment trends. I found out that Ross’s had just REPLACED 3 top CEO's with new CEO'S in December 2009. This information told me that the new elected CEO's were making changing like hiring new employee, changing the store layouts, restructuring the entire store operations.
I applied in November 2009 for a position either as a: Store Manager, Assistant Manager or an Area Manager. I have a degree and many years experience in department store retail sales. Ana Donelly sent me an email inviting me to an interview at the Lloyd Center Shopping Mall in Portland Oregon. Along with a RSVP phone number.
Interview:
1. Directed to a suite of offices where the interviews where being held.
2. I was the customary 15 minutes early, and was taken in immediately.
3. First I was asked to fill out a sign in sheet, and gave a brief history of my department store retail history. They really wanted to know the last retail store I had worked in.
4. One woman at the meet and greet desk, was the District Regional Store Manager. ( she appeared addicted to her Blackberry and was not paying attention to what was going on). The other woman turned out to have a common retail employment history with major department store. (this was good for me gave her the sense of my experience).
5. She directed me to the actual interviewer. He was 30 to 35. Very professional, didn’t play games, met me in the eye when speaking to me ( he did drift away towards the end, I think he started to worry about lunch, or up coming interviews),
6. He asked REAL JOB QUESTIONS, not the junk I have seen at other interviews.
7. Have you ever dealt with an angry, abusive customer or person in the store?
8. Do you have any experience or knowledge of store layouts, displays, set-ups?
9. Have you ever experience a fellow employee who stole, or dealt with an customer or person who has stolen from a store you worked at?
