Potential Job Interview Questions

Question 1

Tell me about a challenging time you solved.

Answer 1

One of our long term clients had a tight turn around time on their order and it stalled on our end. This was going to
prevent on time delivery for an event they had so I coordinated with several departments to overcome a few production issues and managed to get the schedule back on track. We were able to successfully deliver the product on time and increased customer loyalty.

Question 2

What is your greatest strength:

Answer 2

I pride myself on my ability to resolve what could be difficult situations. I keep level headed when stressed and will do whatever it takes to

Question 3

How Do You Handle Stress / Pressure?

Answer 3

I’ve done some of my best work under tight deadlines, where the atmosphere was very stressful.

Question 4

How do you usually go about solving a problem?

Answer 4

• Start by writing down as many ideas as I can about possible causes
• I look for relationships among causes so I can group together symptoms of bigger problems
• Usually the real cause becomes apparent,

Question 5

Tell me about your least-favorite manager:

Answer 5

• Fortunate with managers
• I did work with a manager who was inaccessible
• If you walked into his office to ask a question you got the sense you were birthing him
• He was a good manager in a lot of ways but I would have preferred he made himself more available and gave more feedback

Question 6

Tell me about a time you noticed a process that could be improved and how did you bring it up to management:

Answer 6

-In my sales experience, customers can sometimes take a long time to authorize a sale. I realized that in our company they were a few reasons that this happened and that we could improve on our process. Often times they weren’t 100% sure what they wanted to order because they hadn’t seen it in person. I suggested that we started offering to send them multiple samples (at a nominal charge) after they approved an order and before production so they had the opportunity to make the right choice for their business.This way we were able to confirm the order, get a deposit, and not lose the customer while they wondered what to do without enough information.

Question 7

Explain a time you experienced a difficult customer and how you handled the situation:

Answer 7

-Customers hold was put back so I explained the hold policy, gave her the store business card to extend her hold next time, and had her try on the item in another color and then had the correct item mailed to her. I added her brands and permission to my personal CRM system so I could track her needs and call her when product came in.

Question 8

Biggest accomplishment:

Answer 8

Graduating with my bachelor degree in communication while working full time and going to school at night. I also pride myself in being awarded the honor of Customer Service Allstar at Nordstrom. There is only one award a month for the entire departments tore. I was recognized for my sales numbers and the positive feedback to our regional manager based on written customer comments and the store managers opinion of me.

Question 9

Fashion Blogs I like:

Answer 9

Kendi Everyday, A piece of toast, damsel in dior, natalie dressed, gal meets glam, zipped.

Question 10

Why Sears:

Answer 10

• I also think this is an exciting time to start my buying career at Sears. Through in-store floor space designated as “Here + Now,” Sears aims to rapidly source, stock and, sell through trendy fashions in a matter of weeks — if not days — rather than the usual multimonth cycle that department stores normally need to secure and sell inventory. I think Sears has the opportunity to make an impact with quality, trend based items, at an affordable price. I’d like to work at a company whose customer is the average american that is looking for products that offer a lot of value and I see that in Sears.
• My friend works at Sears Holdings in NYC and has great things to say about the work/life balance, the inspiring people she works with.

Question 11

What is your greatest weakness?

Answer 11

I don’t have strong public speaking skills. I’m often a leader in small groups, but the thought of giving a presentation in front of hundreds of peoples scares me. I took a public speaking class in college though and it taught me several tools to work on to get better as this.

Question 12

What do you do when there are competing deadlines?

Answer 12

In general I try to complete all of the most difficult aspects of the project first so that the deadline doesn’t feel as difficult. I also try to communicate with every member of the team to make sure everyone knows where we are in the schedule. If I need to stay late or come in early to make both deadlines I’ll do what needs to be done to complete the project.

Question 13

Give me an example of a time when you were analytical?

Answer 13

Several times a year I am called upon to analyze sales reports to make informed suggestions on where our business is taking us and which products we should push as sales people, what trade shows would benefit us for exhibiting at, and what products can better service our customers.

Question 14

What qualities do you think a buyer needs to have?

Answer 14

Good communication and analytical skills and sense of urgency. Retail math knowledge is also extremely important

Question 15

What was the last thing you bought from sears?

Answer 15

I actually bought some of the Kassatex Luxe Towels at the Sears in my local mall. The towels are oversized, thick, and certified organic which is nice.

Question 16

Tell me what you know about what a buyer does

Answer 16

responsible for sourcing new products and analysing the success of existing goods to ensure that the company and its products remain competitive. Underpinning all the aspects of the role is a duty to understand what customers’ needs are and to be able to meet those needs. In doing that, a buyer needs to research, plan and choose the range, type and quality of the products they source.

Question 17

Which stores do you think are our best stores and why?

Answer 17

the Connected Solutions shop with Sears stores brings products and services together in a unique environment. I think these stores have a competitive edge in the industry and will draw in more customers.

Question 18

Describe a time when you were working in a group that was experiencing problems. How did you go about resolving the issues?

Answer 18

I worked on a class project where a member did not share the high work ethic and commitment held by the rest of the group. With a willingness to listen, I suggested we take an audit of each team member’s strengths and weaknesses in order to appropriately delegate the work. The group member who was perceived as not helping expressed she had skills in putting together the powerpoint presentation and was also better at talking about the project rather than writing it. She ended up working with us to understand our key points and nailed the creative aspect of the project. Our team felt better about the distribution of work and we ended up getting an A.

Question 19

Who do you think are our competitors?

Answer 19

Kohls is a competitor as they have similar celebrity brands like Sears does. Walmart is also a competitor on the appliance end. JcPenny.

Question 20

Who is the california state governor?

Answer 20

In CA, it is Jerry Brown. I’m not sure about Illinois but I know he did sign into law a cupcake bill that allowed home bakers to continue home business operations without having to deal with health departments as long as there isn’t a safety issue.

Question 21

Why do you think this industry would sustain your interest in the long haul?

Answer 21

The industry is changing so rapidly that I see lots of room for job enhancement regardless of promotions. I’m particularly interested in the many applications for multimedia as a training tool

Question 22

Why do you think you will do well at this job?

Answer 22

I am a person that learns quickly and performs well under pressure. I like being a team player that motivates others to achieve the common company goals. I’m analytical and love solving problems.

Question 23

What is important for buyers to consider before buying

Answer 23

customer demand, including price, quality and availability;

market trends; store policy; financial budgets.

Question 24

What’s exciting to me as becoming a buyer?

Answer 24

While there is certainly an “average” day, most days are filled with a variety of both analytical and creative work. I am regularly challenged to solve a problem that I have not come across before or develop a new business opportunity that I have identified. You have to really enjoy business management first and product second.

Question 25

How to make a decision based on sales trends:

Answer 25

I use retail math to look at sell-through to see which styles are selling the most rapidly. I also compare the percentage of a product we have on hand to the percentage of sales it produces to understand which products have the greatest impact on sales. I try to find commonalities across my best-selling styles to help identify trends. Once I know that something is trending, I can buy into with confidence. Math enables me to make better buying decisions because I am able to analyze sales more effectively. The better I am at understanding what is selling and why, the better I am at selecting what styles will sell best in the future.

Question 26

How would you assess the overall product line? What are the top two items you think add the most values to the assortment? Which two items do not add value to the assortment? Why?

Answer 26

Items that add value to the product line are fashion leggings, and girls tunics and dresses. I thought the active girls shorts and sport running tops added the least value. Most active kids are in organized sports where they might receive team apparel or they wear hand me downs or clothes that can get dirty. The activewear category for adults is much larger than that of children.

Question 27

Analyze the presentation and adjacencies for the product category. What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Answer 27

Some adjacencies for the product were medical scrubs, hosiery, baby appliances, and other kids wear sub categories such as infants and toddlers.

Question 28

Summarize the major opportunities you found the area to have and how does this compare to our competitors?

Answer 28

Better mix and match separates including shorts and skirts with trend tops. There was a lot of focus on character based tops which only covers a portion of your sized 7-16 big girl customer and their parents. Competitors such as Kohls and JCPenny do offer character tees but the focus is much smaller and I think that’s a good thing. I also think a better display of girls accessories is a missed opportunity. Many of the accessories were hidden away in the back of the department whereas I think they should have been styled on the mannequins with appropriate matching trends and more accessible and near certain mini shops within the department. For example, more backpacks or hair ties near the activewear, more hello kitty or character accessories on the mannequin near the playful girl, and necklaces styled by the trendy girl.

Question 29

Ideas for project:

Answer 29

You can measure growth by looking at key statistics such as your:

turnover
market share
profits
sales
staff numbers

Your market performance and direction - how well you are performing through your sales results, which markets to aim for next and how to improve your performance.
Your products and services - how long your existing products will meet your customers’ needs and any plans for renewal.
Operational matters - your premises, your methods, technologies used, your processes, IT and quality. Are there any internal issues that are holding your business back?

t’s important to remember that opportunities can also be threats - for example, new markets could be dominated by competitors, undermining your position. Equally, threats can also be opportunities -for example, a competitor growing quickly and opening a new market for your product or service could mean that your market expands too.

What are my markets - now and in the future? Which markets should I compete in, how will they change and what does the business need in order to be involved in these sectors?
How do I gain market advantage? How can the business perform better than the competition in my chosen markets?