I was a walk-in applicant and filled out my application on the spot. I was lucky enough to talk to the Captain directly when I applied, which helped him put a face to the name I believe. Be persistent... I had to make about 5 phone calls to the store to set up an interview, which took about a month to finally set up. Definitely call about once a week, I've been told by management that you can't annoy them and it shows them how motivated you are to get your foot in the door (also, they receive TONS of applications so keeping in contact helps make you stand out). I absolutely believe that experience is beneficial but the interview seems mainly based on your personality and motivation.