to anybody whos worked in retail

maryqwerty

Good afternoon all,

I've just started a part time job in Topshop. I'm working a 15 hour week. But i have plans to go away for 5 weeks to visit a friend. i am not sure yet when i intend to go as it all depends on what suits my friend.
1) LEAVING A JOB- i only just started this job last week. how much advance notice do i need to give this part time job? would it be acceptable for me to leave whenever i decide? how long does the employer expect people to stay in these jobs? im 26.
also, my friend has an interview for penneys on monday and she was asking me for interview tips. to be honest i dont know how i got the job, think topshop needed staff urgently and i was lucky.

2) INTERVIEW TIPS- can anyone give me any tips? what to wear etc.. how to stand out?
is there anything she can look at before she goes in?

3) PAY- finally, how often do part time shop jobs pay their staff? is it weekly or monthly? i still havent given my bank number to them..

4) i havent been given definite hours to work yet. i worked 15 hrs last week but not sure if its the same this week. does it tend to be the same hours each week? do i get to pick my hours?

thank you all for your time and help with this. id like as much detail as possible please

looksee

Since you are not proposing to take the job seriously and are leaving shortly I don't see how it matters too much about hours etc. You could arrange to see your manager or HR and ask them about pay arrangements. I would imagine that in the current circumstances a week notice would be sufficient, but its something you need to discuss with them, not us.

Gavin "shels"

maryqwerty wrote: »

Good afternoon all,

I've just started a part time job in Topshop. I'm working a 15 hour week. But i have plans to go away for 5 weeks to visit a friend. i am not sure yet when i intend to go as it all depends on what suits my friend.
1) LEAVING A JOB- i only just started this job last week. how much advance notice do i need to give this part time job? would it be acceptable for me to leave whenever i decide? how long does the employer expect people to stay in these jobs? im 26.
also, my friend has an interview for penneys on monday and she was asking me for interview tips. to be honest i dont know how i got the job, think topshop needed staff urgently and i was lucky.


3) PAY- finally, how often do part time shop jobs pay their staff? is it weekly or monthly? i still havent given my bank number to them..

4) i havent been given definite hours to work yet. i worked 15 hrs last week but not sure if its the same this week. does it tend to be the same hours each week? do i get to pick my hours?

thank you all for your time and help with this. id like as much detail as possible please

1) How long do you plan on going to visit you're friend for? Surely they can work around it if you're only going for a week or two.

3) Depends on the shop, I get paid a back week but I know one of my mates who gets paid monthly. Just ask them.

4) Just ask, they won't bite your head off or anything, I know in my shop it's roughly the same everyweek but there's only 4 of us who work there so we work it around everyone.

Denerick

OP,

I imagine this is a minimum wage job? In that case don't bother giving notice if its too awkward (If you know a week beforehand, all well and good, but I wouldn't lose sleep over it) There are literally thousands of people running around who will do this job and they will have no problems in finding a replacement. Its good to be loyal, but for somebody working 15 hours per week on mimum wage - fúck that.

RedXIV

As above, would you not consider seeing if they could just share your hours out for the weeks your gone? i'd say some of the others would be happy to pick up extra cash for a few weeks?.

As regards for an interview, if it's a retail outlet, they are going to look at first appearances, dress smartly, groom appropriately and be very poilte and as charming/charismatic as possible

looksee

The OP has been there one week and is looking to go off for 5 weeks. This is obviously not going to be paid holiday, and she is talking about leaving already. She has just been to China for 4 weeks with her friends.

I don't see the management being willing to share out her hours, if they could do that they would have done it instead of employing someone else.

She is 26 (depending on which thread you read, she is also 23, I suspect she is 16) and has apparently no interest in working. What stone has she been under since she left school - 'how long do employers expect people to stay in these jobs'?! :rolleyes:

maryqwerty

thanks all and thanks gavin for your great advice.
looksee, i never went to china due to unforseen circumstances and my friend is unsure when she'd like me to visit her so i don't know when- it could be next week, it could be 4 months.. all i am asking for is some help..


TO WORD IT DIFFERENTLY..
**how long does the typical part timer stay in a part time retail job?

and
also guys, what would you advise my friend to wear to her interview to dress smartly? would jeans be ok? are there any sample q's and answers?

Cherry Blossom

maryqwerty wrote: »

TO WORD IT DIFFERENTLY..
**how long does the typical part timer stay in a part time retail job?

This doesn't make any sense, anything from half an hour to 50 years . . . how ever long they can be bothered to do the job or untill they get sacked.

maryqwerty wrote: »

also guys, what would you advise my friend to wear to her interview to dress smartly? would jeans be ok?

You definately sound like your 16

Dressing smartly means a business suit or appropriate business attire if she is unwilling or unable to buy one ie. a black knee length skirt and blouse that sort of thing

maryqwerty wrote: »

are there any sample q's and answers?

Loads, all she has to do is google 'interview questions', there are no 'sample' answers to questions about a particular persons past work experience, qualifications, why they want that job etc. as the only person who knows those answers is the person being interviewed.

maryqwerty

why would she need to wear a suit? its only for a part time job also..

would jeans make her not get the job?

does the employer tell her there and then if she was successful?

MmmmmCheese

You should dress as smartly as you can for any job interview. Jobs are extremely hard to come by these days and you will be judged on your appearence. I went for an interview in Supermacs last week and wore a shirt and suit pants. (I did get the job! :P)

I find it hard to believe you're 26 and don't already know these things.....

wmpdd3

Topshop cover all the OP's questions in induction which every employee has to attend, I can't see how the OP doesn't know this.

Things such as you get paid into the bank on the last Friday of each month in arrears. The OP would have signed their contract before starting too which would detail their normal working week, sound like a 12 hr or 15 hr contract.

Magenta

maryqwerty wrote: »

why would she need to wear a suit? its only for a part time job also..

would jeans make her not get the job?

does the employer tell her there and then if she was successful?

I do not believe that you are 26 for one second. You sound like a 16 year old who just walked into their first job.
As for, how often you get paid, whether you get to pick your hours- I find it even more difficult to believe that any employer hired you without telling you these things.

If I could guess I would say you are 16, just old enough to start applying for jobs, are considering applying for Topshop and Penneys, and want to ask loads of questions about them based on your "1 week" old job at Topshop and the interview at Penneys your "friend" is going to.

looksee

My feelings exactly and if she came on and was straightforward about it we could give more useful advice/information.

Cherry Blossom

Magenta wrote: »

I do not believe that you are 26 for one second. You sound like a 16 year old who just walked into their first job.
As for, how often you get paid, whether you get to pick your hours- I find it even more difficult to believe that any employer hired you without telling you these things.

If I could guess I would say you are 16, just old enough to start applying for jobs, are considering applying for Topshop and Penneys, and want to ask loads of questions about them based on your "1 week" old job at Topshop and the interview at Penneys your "friend" is going to.

I just don't understand why you just don't be truthfull and give your real circumstances and ask exactly what you want to know, the answers would be much more specific and usefull to you

It is normal practice to dress smartly for an interview, if everyone else turns up looking like they are professional and are looking for a job they are going to take seriously (which they will) there is no chance whatsoever they are going to give that job to someone who turns up in jeans.

No employer will tell anyone then and there if they have got the job or not, they will be interviewing a lot of people and the main part of deciding who they take happens after the interviews have all finished. They will ask you questions and might take notes on what you say and go back over it later when you are gone. When going in for an interview don't take a load of clutter in with you (ie. don't go shopping first!) At most take your self and a small handbag if completely necessary. Arrive at least 10 minutes early, expect to be kept waiting, don't interrupt the interviewer, and have a list of questions you want to ask at the end - things like when do you expect the sucessful candidate would start?, not questions assuming you already have the job eg. can I pick my own hours? - you can't anyway

You will probably find they will already have told you most of what you want to know by that stage anyway. You can ask more specific questions after and if you get the job.

maryqwerty

i really like boards and it helps me get answers when i need them.
therefore i want to be honest. i am not 16 years old. i am honestly almost 18 yrs old and i finished school in may. i didnt get enough points to do a degree course so i want to get a job in a shop to help me make some money until i decide what i want.

i am terrified as i have never had a job in a shop before and i thought ud all make fun of me cos im quite old not to have worked b4.

i applied to penneys in dundrum and got called in for an interview and im freaking out.

the thought of having to sign a contract scares me. what if i sign it and then dont like the job or get called for a better one? can i leave after a day if i like or am i legally bound by the contract i signed?

sorry to all i annoyed

Denerick

maryqwerty wrote: »

i really like boards and it helps me get answers when i need them.
therefore i want to be honest. i am not 16 years old. i am honestly almost 18 yrs old and i finished school in may. i didnt get enough points to do a degree course so i want to get a job in a shop to help me make some money until i decide what i want.

i am terrified as i have never had a job in a shop before and i thought ud all make fun of me cos im quite old not to have worked b4.

i applied to penneys in dundrum and got called in for an interview and im freaking out.

the thought of having to sign a contract scares me. what if i sign it and then dont like the job or get called for a better one? can i leave after a day if i like or am i legally bound by the contract i signed?

sorry to all i annoyed

Awww. This is kinda cute. Don't feel bad for being honest. There is no big deal to signing a contract. You'll be like everyone else who has worked these kinds of jobs (Me included) - counting down the hours until you can finish and go to the pub!

maryqwerty

but will i have to sign an agreement that ill stay a certain length of time? cos i dont know how long i wanna stay

Lando Griffin

maryqwerty wrote: »

i really like boards and it helps me get answers when i need them.
Good.
therefore i want to be honest. i am not 16 years old. i am honestly almost 18 yrs old and i finished school in may.
So your 17 1/2 so.
i didnt get enough points to do a degree course so i want to get a job in a shop to help me make some money until i decide what i want.
Its good that you want to work.

i am terrified as i have never had a job in a shop before and i thought ud you would all make fun of me cos im quite old not to have worked b4 before.


i applied to penneys in dundrum and got called in for an interview and im freaking out.

Dont worry, they will understand, they have interviewed people in your situtation before, just be honest with them and relax.

the thought of having to sign a contract scares me. what if i sign it and then dont like the job or get called for a better one? can i leave after a day if i like or am i legally bound by the contract i signed?
Contracts, dont worry about them, if you dont like the job they cant stop you leaving, but to gain experience stick with it until you secure other options. alot of nice friendly people of all ages will be working with you, and some will even take you under their wing to help you along.

sorry to all i annoyed
You are all right.

Bless

looksee

maryqwerty wrote: »

but will i have to sign an agreement that ill stay a certain length of time? cos i dont know how long i wanna stay

No, you will just have to agree to give whatever notice they require.

And I have given out to you on the cv thread about not telling the truth so glad we have got that straightned out. (And see how easily we sussed it, don't lie on your cv or anywhere, its too complicated keeping track of lies )

Denerick

maryqwerty wrote: »

but will i have to sign an agreement that ill stay a certain length of time? cos i dont know how long i wanna stay

No, you'll be alright. You are not a slave to this little retail outlets. If you want to leave, there is nothing they can do.

pearljamfan

if you do decide to leave after a short time though, dont mess them around/make excuses, try and stay on good terms with your manager/colleagues because it will help you get a good reference for your next job , or you might hear about other jobs from them. if the shop is near other shops( shopping centres, retail parks) i have found this is always the way, they talk!

re: the interview- it doesnt matter if its only a part time job, you still have to be professional and dress smartly, first appearances count, and a smile and friendly manner will get you on a good start. the part time job could turn into more hours later on.

maryqwerty

pearljamfan? you say if i do decide to leave after a short time i should not mess them around and make excuses. im just curious, what do i say then?
anything i say will be an excuse. can anybody give me a reason to leave if i dont like it ?

Denerick

maryqwerty wrote: »

pearljamfan? you say if i do decide to leave after a short time i should not mess them around and make excuses. im just curious, what do i say then?
anything i say will be an excuse. can anybody give me a reason to leave if i dont like it ?

Just ring and say you're 'pursuing other opportunities'. Its meaningless business jargon but the world does expect you to play this merry go round of bull****. Unfortunately. how better the business world would be if people were just honest and companies didn't expect their staff to behave and think like robots.

skp120

You don't sound serious about wanting a job at all. I'm two years older than you and in a similar position and I never say "hmm what excuse can I use to leave the job" before I even GET the job. Why are you thinking about "what if's" now?!

No offense but you don't sound mature enough for a job or like you really want one. Anyone who wants a job will want to keep it when they get it and not make excuses to get sacked.

pearljamfan

well you could say youve been offered something closer to where you live, or that you dont think fashion retail is your kind of thing and you want to try something different, i dont exactly mean dont lie, i mean do everyhting right, give them enough notice-a letter or tell your manager first , then ask if you have to notify HR yourself or will they. dont say you dont like the shifts youve been given, or dont like a particular staff menber etc.

but you might really enjoy it and want to keep at it!

i remember my first job in a tiny restaurant, i was doing split shifts and lived miles away, i had a moped and was knackered all the time- my mum came and got me one day and wouldnt let me go back!

didntgotoplan

I've a question similar to question 1 above.
I've been in my job 4 and a half years but I'm leaving as soon as I get another job, tough times equals part time hours for staff. Love the job, just not enough income.
This job is as a shop assistant in a small shop. How long do you give notice of leaving? None of the other staff have left during my time here and we are in a pretty relaxed situation where my boss knows I'm handing out CV's and we are a bit overstaffed at the moment so a replacement wouldn't be needed if I left, the others will just get more hours.

I've had one job before getting this one, and gave a month notice (I was starting the following month ) as I told that manager about the job as soon as I accepted it so she could train another person in.


Back on the OP message.
I didn't get a job until I was 18, so don't worry about age. You were in school so employers don't expect you to have work experience as you are only beginning. But if you did any extra activities in school, joined youth clubs, did projects- these can be used to show your different skills of teamwork and interests. Not all jobs are based on previous experience alone.

Wear a suit, or at least look business casual/smart going to an interview always- no matter what the job is.
I began work in a takeaway and turned up looking like I was some professional food orderer! :rolleyes: But it shows that you think the job is important enough to impress the hirers.

Be truthful, everyone has to start out somewhere. You need to show them that you want to work and wish to learn how the the job works.

Not all work is for everyone but give it a try. Don't go into a job looking for the way out.

Good luck in the job hunt, it's difficult out there now.

looksee

didntgotoplan, a general rule is that if you are paid weekly a week's notice is ok, if you are paid monthly you give a month, unless you have agreed to other arrangements.

ari101

didntgotoplan wrote: »

How long do you give notice of leaving? None of the other staff have left during my time here and we are in a pretty relaxed situation where my boss knows I'm handing out CV's and we are a bit overstaffed at the moment so a replacement wouldn't be needed if I left, the others will just get more hours.

http://www.employmentrights.ie/en/informationforemployees/minimumnotice/

Unless you have a contract that says otherwise this link will provide your statutory guidelines - 2 weeks in your case - but if you feel they will be happy to let you go quicker you can always ask, as you say they don't need time to train a replacement. Any deviations from contracts/requirements can generally be negotiated if you have a good relationship with your boss.

LimeFruitGum

maryqwerty wrote: »

but will i have to sign an agreement that ill stay a certain length of time? cos i dont know how long i wanna stay

That is unlikely in retail. As long as you give the appropriate length of notice, then you should be covered. However, I think you need to talk to your supervisor or the HR rep about your situation. They might be more flexible and understanding than you think?

Be straight with the people paying your wages. Don't be sneaky, you might need a reference from them some day.

I really don't think it is fair that you're so lackadaisacal about the job you do have. You know yourself there are plenty of people out would take that job off you and be glad to be working.

supersheeps

Hey OP,
I've worked in retail for years and have experienced people who quit after one day (one girl disappeared on her tea break, never to be seen again!) Sometimes the job doesn't suit the person, generally management understand that, no-one's going to sue you for walking out.
HOWEVER, as you've said yourself, you've never worked anywhere else. If you take a job, and leave on a whim some lunchtime, you can kiss any chances of getting a good reference goodbye. Even in the places that just give a generic "x worked here from xx 2010 to xxx 2010" type reference it'll come across that you were an untrustworthy employee.
Why are you so sure you'll leave straight away? Is it not better to try something, and to stick at it for a while, to prove to yourself that you can? You must have some interest in fashion if you're applying to places such as Penney's or Topshop, it's a good industry to work in and great for confidence building.
And don't tell lies on your cv or in your interview!!! One of the hardest things I've ever had to do was to fire a staff member who had claimed to work for a company in another country, but hadn't, she was a lovely person, great at her job, and had been with us for six months, but her refs were eventually checked and she was sacked.

didntgotoplan

supersheeps wrote: »

Hey OP,
I've worked in retail for years and have experienced people who quit after one day (one girl disappeared on her tea break, never to be seen again!)

Yep, worked with a girl once for one day and she rang in the following morning saying she no longer wanted to work. My brother began a new job a few years back and he got an chest infection in his second week and called in sick. When he came back with a sick note, he got a warning from his manager that believed he was faking it so he walked out on his lunch with all his stuff and never came back!

Can I ask you something about retail supersheeps? I've been senting my CV into job notices and by email to companies, some of them retail. Which is a more successful way to get your CV into shops; email, post or personally going in? Just say for someone with no experience.

supersheeps

Didntgotoplan, if you can call into shops at all, it's probably best. Dress smart-casual, smile and ask for a member of management so that you can give your cv to them (but if the staff member says that they can accept the cv, be extra nice to them and hand it over, they could have a say on whether you're a yay or nay!!) Don't oversell yourself, we don't usually have time to listen to a lifestory, just "I'd like to apply for x job, I'm really eager to work in retail", just try to come across as friendly and suitable for the job (I'm always amazed at the amount of people who come in to hand in cvs and just scowl and shove the cv at the first person they see...)
It's always good to see the person face-to-face, rather than an anonymous cv through the post, but some vacancies are online-application only, so read the small print if you see the position on the internet.

Magenta

didntgotoplan wrote: »

Can I ask you something about retail supersheeps? I've been senting my CV into job notices and by email to companies, some of them retail. Which is a more successful way to get your CV into shops; email, post or personally going in? Just say for someone with no experience.

Always in person, a smiley happy face is one of the most important things you can have in retail! I have walked in with a CV and been interviewed on the spot, literally going from no job to "you start tomorrow" within half an hour.

Corruptedmorals

Although if you're going into Dunnes/Penneys/Arnotts etc. managers on the shop floor have no say in hiring you, which is the job of HR. You would be best advised in that situation to hand it in to the customer service desk. Anywhere else and it will get lost.

shoegirl

maryqwerty wrote: »

the thought of having to sign a contract scares me. what if i sign it and then dont like the job or get called for a better one? can i leave after a day if i like or am i legally bound by the contract i signed?

Contracts are generally ok. In all honesty you are starting out when things are tough which means if you really want to work and make proper money, then you kinda just have to lump the bad with the good and stick it out. "I don't like it" isn't an attitude that is going to get you on.

Generally this is really good chance to get to learn the skills that will help you out later on - stuff like learning to take the bad with the good, turning up on time, not just dropping out because you "don't like it", putting up with difficult colleagues and customers etc.

Basically jobs in retail they want to know are you honest (as you're dealing with money), will you turn up and do the job (reliability is really important) and how you deal with people (customers like staff to treat them efficiently and with respect). Basically if you can manage that much you will do fine. Main thing is simple things like turning up, on time, and go along with what you've been asked to do and treat customers right.

Most employers pay in advance, weekly, fortnightly or monthly, mostly into your bank account (set one up if you don't have one). You'll need to fill out a form for tax.

If you got an interview count yourself lucky as many apparently are not even getting a reply. Don't feck off on holidays as it will be harder to get a job when you come back - a lot of employers prefer to take on people who have been working. Believe me, you have all your life to travel.