This was my 4th of 4 Best Buy interviews for 2010 for the Chicago west suburbs, in fact my only Best Buy interviews yet. I applied on a regular basis since I at long last figured out that ridiculous (and it IS ridiculous companies are doing this everywhere instead of papered ways that we were taught in HS) personality quiz. I called up Best Buy in Bloomingdale, they told me they are hiring, and the girl on the phone took my name and number and put me on a list of some sort just for calling. I had a 95% hunch I was going to get an inteview, it was a matter of when. The very next afternoon (Saturday October 30) I got a call and they wanted to interview me 3 hours later. I accepted, but had to rush to get ready.
Down there, I sit and wait for my name to be called and talking casually with a candidate next to me. I got called, I stood up shook his hand while making eye contact. We did our interview in the labrynth of washer and driers. Interesting place for an interview. I was given a terms of agreement page to sign my initials under each clause. I handed it back to the guy and we started the questioning. Here is a list of questions that I memorized from my previous interviews with Best Buy, which is a good strategy for being better prepared:
Tell me about yourself and why you want to work for Best Buy.
Tell me little bit more about yourself.
Tell me about this [Company Name] you worked for.
Are you still employed with them?
Describe a time when you went the extra mile to help out a customer.
Tell me of a time where you were part of a group or team with a goal to accomplish.
Tell me of a time where you had to learn a new skill and there was no one around.
Tell me of a time where you had to handle an irate customer and what was the outcome?
How do you know when to close a sale?
If a customer is looking for a specific movie like "Lord Of The Rings" and it's not available, what alternative would you recommend, and why? (The same kind of question was asked again, but about a video game title "Star Wars").
What sort of behaviors would you bring to a customer when helping them out?
Do you have any further questions for me? (Suggestion: ask away!)
I did ask questions in concerns of any safty risks, and they mentioned Big Joe (a fork lift). I will admit I found out why I didn't get the job. Now I've always had a tough time landing a job (my first one ever), so I don't entirely know what these managers are looking for, so when they ask me a question where I have to relate to something I never been through, I stumbled struggling for an answer, which results in a "I don't know." During the interview the manager and I were getting friendly, sharing things in common to what people our age enjoyed in the 1990s TV. The interview ended swell, but I still felt that something was going to disqualify me. And that was that. I called a few days later to ask if they were going to go ahead with a second interview. The girl told me that all the people who got call backs by now. That was that. I learned what my mistake was, and I talked to a very nice woman on the phone and I represented myself mentioning the error, my neverending struggle to find work, what procedures I'm taking to return to Best Buy in better condition, and that I still want to be part of the ever-growing success of Best Buy. She seemed very humbled about my phone presentation and said that she will keep me in mind for the next time. I'm still waiting, but with spring approaching maybe something will open up; if these gas prices don't keep going up and the economy doesn't keep tanking.
TIP: If you got an application on file, you can try to call the management up, but far often they are not there, don't count on them calling you back if you leave your name and number. For some reason management is having a real tough time lately managing a phone, even if they have something open and you have an application or your name/number given to them. So don't get fustrated and accept the fact that all management, especially the college-age ones are impossible. And keep positive if you don't get the job and remind yourself of what you are made of and the manager doesn't know what he/she turned down.
