Sainsbury's job interview, any tips?
Discussion
Hey folks,
I have an interview tomorrow with Sainsburys, nothing grand its a team leader in training position at a little local store, I know they got a DVD with questions on it about store related stuff, a simple maths test and then the one on one with the interviewer. I would like to know if anybody has ideas of how to word the experience in the areas they are looking for that I have sound good, till work etc. is simple, but its more stuff related to ordering and planning that the experience I have is, interesting to say the least, the place I work in just now is mostly just think on your feet have a look around and then phone a supplier, planning tended to involve looking out the window at the weather, and other stuff, certainly nothing official or any paperwork involved with anything apart form delivery notes.
I am thinking along the lines of saying stuff that most of my experience relied me to "think on my feet" be adaptable with lots of problem solving and so on, I do want the job and am quite happy to talk about everything just wonder what words or phrases would do me well? Am wearing a suit even though the dress code only had to be smart/casual, getting there early, take about the company and so on....
I am still recovering from a motorbike accident so struggle a bit with physical work, but can talk my way around that, give another month or so I should be back to mostly normal.
I know its a bit of a ramble, but am a bit nervous, not had an interview in a long time and then its only been for bottom level positions, so this the first were I need to really try to impress.
and for true pistonheads banter, i am not powerfully built, nor do I have a goatee or drive a remaped 335d or mx5 lol, so they are not going to help me, if only it were that simple
I have an interview tomorrow with Sainsburys, nothing grand its a team leader in training position at a little local store, I know they got a DVD with questions on it about store related stuff, a simple maths test and then the one on one with the interviewer. I would like to know if anybody has ideas of how to word the experience in the areas they are looking for that I have sound good, till work etc. is simple, but its more stuff related to ordering and planning that the experience I have is, interesting to say the least, the place I work in just now is mostly just think on your feet have a look around and then phone a supplier, planning tended to involve looking out the window at the weather, and other stuff, certainly nothing official or any paperwork involved with anything apart form delivery notes.
I am thinking along the lines of saying stuff that most of my experience relied me to "think on my feet" be adaptable with lots of problem solving and so on, I do want the job and am quite happy to talk about everything just wonder what words or phrases would do me well? Am wearing a suit even though the dress code only had to be smart/casual, getting there early, take about the company and so on....
I am still recovering from a motorbike accident so struggle a bit with physical work, but can talk my way around that, give another month or so I should be back to mostly normal.
I know its a bit of a ramble, but am a bit nervous, not had an interview in a long time and then its only been for bottom level positions, so this the first were I need to really try to impress.
and for true pistonheads banter, i am not powerfully built, nor do I have a goatee or drive a remaped 335d or mx5 lol, so they are not going to help me, if only it were that simple
Be smart and 10 minutes early. Be keen and make it clear that you really want the job.
Take your time, make sure you fully answer the question. If there's someone taking notes, help them keep up - it gives you more time to think.
Smile, use your hands (a bit) and be expressive. One self-deprecating joke is good. 10 are bad.
Don't start a sentence if you don't know how it ends.
Have a few real examples of teamwork and problem-solving talents up your sleeve. Use 'I', not 'we' when you describe what happened.
Leave them with the impression you're hands-on, cooperative and flexible. And keen. REALLY keen...
(don't tell them you're a perfectionist...)
Take your time, make sure you fully answer the question. If there's someone taking notes, help them keep up - it gives you more time to think.
Smile, use your hands (a bit) and be expressive. One self-deprecating joke is good. 10 are bad.
Don't start a sentence if you don't know how it ends.
Have a few real examples of teamwork and problem-solving talents up your sleeve. Use 'I', not 'we' when you describe what happened.
Leave them with the impression you're hands-on, cooperative and flexible. And keen. REALLY keen...
(don't tell them you're a perfectionist...)
BarnatosGhost said:
Be smart and 10 minutes early. Be keen and make it clear that you really want the job.
Take your time, make sure you fully answer the question. If there's someone taking notes, help them keep up - it gives you more time to think.
Smile, use your hands (a bit) and be expressive. One self-deprecating joke is good. 10 are bad.
Don't start a sentence if you don't know how it ends.
Have a few real examples of teamwork and problem-solving talents up your sleeve. Use 'I', not 'we' when you describe what happened.
Leave them with the impression you're hands-on, cooperative and flexible. And keen. REALLY keen...
(don't tell them you're a perfectionist...)
Not TOO keen though.Take your time, make sure you fully answer the question. If there's someone taking notes, help them keep up - it gives you more time to think.
Smile, use your hands (a bit) and be expressive. One self-deprecating joke is good. 10 are bad.
Don't start a sentence if you don't know how it ends.
Have a few real examples of teamwork and problem-solving talents up your sleeve. Use 'I', not 'we' when you describe what happened.
Leave them with the impression you're hands-on, cooperative and flexible. And keen. REALLY keen...
(don't tell them you're a perfectionist...)
They'll be asking questions on when you provided good customer service and how you coped when things went wrong (it's all about turning a negative into a positive).
Have examples of both and remember it's teamwork,teamwork,teamwork.
Might be worth visiting a store and check out promotions,etc. (they have a massive one on at the moment - can't remember what it's called though!)
Have a few questions ready (esp like, "when I visited a store recently...").Shows you've taken an interest and I guarantee not many of your competition have.
Try and find out a little of the co's history.
Used to do loads of these interviews (many moons ago and not supermarkets) and the amount of people who didn't bother with even basic research was shocking.
Have examples of both and remember it's teamwork,teamwork,teamwork.
Might be worth visiting a store and check out promotions,etc. (they have a massive one on at the moment - can't remember what it's called though!)
Have a few questions ready (esp like, "when I visited a store recently...").Shows you've taken an interest and I guarantee not many of your competition have.
Try and find out a little of the co's history.
Used to do loads of these interviews (many moons ago and not supermarkets) and the amount of people who didn't bother with even basic research was shocking.
BarnatosGhost said:
Be smart and 10 minutes early. Be keen and make it clear that you really want the job.
Take your time, make sure you fully answer the question. If there's someone taking notes, help them keep up - it gives you more time to think.
Smile, use your hands (a bit) and be expressive. One self-deprecating joke is good. 10 are bad.
Don't start a sentence if you don't know how it ends.
Have a few real examples of teamwork and problem-solving talents up your sleeve. Use 'I', not 'we' when you describe what happened.
Leave them with the impression you're hands-on, cooperative and flexible. And keen. REALLY keen...
(don't tell them you're a perfectionist...)
Thats spot on advice.Take your time, make sure you fully answer the question. If there's someone taking notes, help them keep up - it gives you more time to think.
Smile, use your hands (a bit) and be expressive. One self-deprecating joke is good. 10 are bad.
Don't start a sentence if you don't know how it ends.
Have a few real examples of teamwork and problem-solving talents up your sleeve. Use 'I', not 'we' when you describe what happened.
Leave them with the impression you're hands-on, cooperative and flexible. And keen. REALLY keen...
(don't tell them you're a perfectionist...)
Don't forget that you need to believe this is the job for you, its what you've always wanted to do, and the only other jobs you want to do are in sainsburys higher up the chain. It is not a spring board job, not a stepping stone etc No one wants to employ someone so they can bugger of in a year or two.
A piece of advice my dad gave me, is that you already have this job, and you will spend the entire interview talking yourself out of it.
They want to hire you, they want to stop their search asap and get someone doing the job. They have already looked at your CV and thought to themselves, this could be the guy, so go with that new found confidence boost into the interview.
Not quite as eloquent or precise barnatosghost, but it worked for me
Good luck.
thanks folks, am going to go over bits of history and the values of the company, talk about them a bit, not to much don't want to come across as nuts, am going to have a few questions written down, I know its odd but this has helped me a bit, this job also means a lot, last year was very rough for me and my partner so this is a proper fresh start for me.
Very good advice above about visiting a store, make notes about current promotions, and what looks good / what looks bad to customers.
You may even get a direct question about what could be improved.
Don't spend too much time on discussing ordering stuff - it's automatic, i.e. deliveries and sales are monitored and "the system" places orders with depots. Backed up with a stock counting routine (i.e. every department gets counted every 2 months, or something) which also feeds into the automatic orders.
If it's directly into a team leader position the assessment will be more on your people skills, can you get people to do things without bossing them about, understand the needs of the staff to help make the business successful, etc. Some shop-floor staff could have been working towards team leader for a couple of years, how will they react to you taking "their" position?
Finally, they will be very interested in flexibility in work patterns, flexibility in duties (yes you are happy to operate a till for a shift if necessary) and your availability for odd shifts, just the basics that make your manager's life easy in making the store run smoothly.
You may even get a direct question about what could be improved.
Don't spend too much time on discussing ordering stuff - it's automatic, i.e. deliveries and sales are monitored and "the system" places orders with depots. Backed up with a stock counting routine (i.e. every department gets counted every 2 months, or something) which also feeds into the automatic orders.
If it's directly into a team leader position the assessment will be more on your people skills, can you get people to do things without bossing them about, understand the needs of the staff to help make the business successful, etc. Some shop-floor staff could have been working towards team leader for a couple of years, how will they react to you taking "their" position?
Finally, they will be very interested in flexibility in work patterns, flexibility in duties (yes you are happy to operate a till for a shift if necessary) and your availability for odd shifts, just the basics that make your manager's life easy in making the store run smoothly.
thanks, I am going to have a good look around the store etc before the interview for any questions like that, I have a good list if information on the company to keep looking at, a few questions to ask that are nothing wonderful but I think show that I want the job and a career with the company, still got bit more work todo, just need to not be nervous I think.
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