Question:
How do I prepare for an interview with Old Navy? (or any other employer)
Answer:
Demonstrate that you're REALLY interested in the company - not just applying for any job that comes along.
I've had recruiters tell me that they automatically excluded applicants who hadn't bothered to take the time to visit the company's Website. So, be sure to let them know that you did. You may find more interesting jobs posted there than the one you are interviewing for, and you can ask about those jobs at the end of your interview.
Then, RESEARCH the company so that you'll be able to ask more intelligent questions during the interview! Reference your research - casually - during the interview.
Using Old Navy as an example, look at all the information I found in about 10 minutes of checking:
- What company owns Old Navy? (Gap, Inc. which also owns Banana Republic, and Forth & Towne) Check out Gap, Inc.'s Website - http://www.gapinc.com/public/index.shtml Jobs are posted on the GapInc.com Website, AND there is a lot of investor information.
- How is the company as a whole doing? Can you find out about Old Navy's performance? You want to get a job with a financially "healthy" company so that you don't have to worry about finding another job soon.
- What's the latest news at Gap Inc? Does it have anything to do with Old Navy"? Yes - 6 finalists in the Old Navy canine mascot search! Did you know Old Navy HAD a canine mascot? Be sure to mention that in the interview.
- Do you know how old the company (Old Navy) is? Do you know where the first store opened? Do you know what a "flagship store" is, how many there are, and where they are located?
- Check out the Old Navy Website to see what categories of items they sell, what the latest sales items are. Read the "Our Company" section to see what they have to say - Company Information, About, The Latest Buzz, Store Locations (how many? where?), etc.
Do some research on Yahoo Finance to see what's happening with Gap Inc.:
- How are sales doing?
- Who's the competition? How is the competition doing?
- Anything you can pick up about Old Navy, and its future?
Be well-prepared, and you'll knock their socks off.
And, don't forget that it's a 2-way street - you're interviewing them, too. Does it seem like a nice place to work (not shop, WORK)? Do you like the other people working there? Do you like the manager? Etc.
Good luck!
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