Would you buy you? How to succeed in the retail job interview

Interviews ñ nobody likes them but they cannot be avoided. To lessen the pain and help increase success rates, leading UK retail consultant, Karl McKeever, Brand Director of Visual Thinking, has compiled a retail interview masterclass guide to succeeding in retail job interviews.

DO!

- your preparation and attend every interview armed with some knowledge of the company. View its website and search for its news on the Internet. Also have an opinion - does it look good, does it reflect the companyís brand/image? Also be sure to visit the company before your interview to estimate the journey time, know where to park and know how to get there.

- visit a store or outlet to see what happens there, pretend to be a customer and see how the staff treat you.

- find out as much as you can about the companyís products and services, ask your family and friends what they know about them.

- arrive prepared and take two copies of your latest CV with you ñ interviewers may not bring yours to the interview, so hand them one of your spares to appear organised.

- wear appropriate clothing, footwear and jewellery for the interview. Wear a suit if it is a professional role or customer-facing role. If you are unsure what to wear, ask, employers wonít mind, as this shows that you prepare yourself well.

- make sure your enthusiasm shows through ñ this is not the time to be coy, too cool or reply with one-word answers.

- remember retail roles are all about effective communication, excellent customer service skills and interest in people ñ show this at your interview and you are half way there.

- prepare some relevant questions in advance, many may get answered in the course of the interview, but make sure you get the information you need too.

- offer some examples of when you have worked well with people, even if this is your first retail role, and explain how you worked well in a team at school or college.

DONíT!

- chew gum, look or be distracted, fail to give eye contact, be scruffy and, most importantly, donít be late!

- look blank when asked why you want the job, and prepare for this guaranteed question, and answer with something honest and genuine.

- criticise the competition, even when pressed in the interview. Itís OK to have a critical opinion of the retail competitorsí offer, but turn this into a positive and show the interviewer you can analyse why some stores offer better shopping experiences than others.

- be negative and sell yourself short. If the interviewer compliments your achievements then simply thank them. Donít be tempted to underplay them ñ these are your skills and assets and donít forget - you are there to sell yourself.

- be too arrogant. Many people assume they are just perfect for the job and spend the entire interview making this all too obvious. Interviewers want you to be self confident, but not over confident.

- be too honest when asked why you left your last job or asked what you didnít like about it - this is not the time to be that open. Simply state why you are looking for a new and fresh challenge.

- forget itís a retail role you are after, saying ëyou like shoppingí is not enough to get the job.

- forget to enjoy it. It will be a nerve wracking, but character building experience so get the best out it ñ hopefully a job!

Karl McKeever is one of the UKís leading visual merchandising consultants, and as part of his companyís offering to its global base of blue chip retail clients, it provides a specialist visual merchandising recruitment service.

This service takes retail clients through the entire recruitment process ñ from assessing the required role to be filled, writing the job specification, sourcing the candidates for interview, taking a major role in the interviewing process and even helping to induct successful candidates.