I submitted an application for a part-time/full-time Sales Associate about a week ago and immediately received the generic email telling me to contact the store. I was going to wait until the next afternoon, but the manager ended up calling me that morning instead, asking me to schedule an interview for that day. Unfortunately I couldn't because of the short notice and told her so. I actually live in another city than where I was applying, but would be moving soon. She understood and told me she'd call me back. She never did and I decided to drop it, figuring I'd look elsewhere.
A few days later, I was in town filling out other job applications around the same mall and I ended up going into Buckle. An associate noticed I was job hunting and asked if I tried their store; I said yes and told her what happened. She then told me she'd get the assistant manager right away, which ended up being the woman I talked to on the phone. The assistant manager remembered me and apologized, saying that the week has been extremely crazy because district managers from all over were visiting. She looked me up and down a bit and then pulled up my application before asking me some basic questions such as what work experience did I have, where I currently lived, when I was moving to the area, and what my retail experience was. It was almost like a mini-interview and then she told me she could get me in with the manager AND district manager in three days. I agreed and she told me to dress "very Buckle".
The interview came around and I showed up 15 minutes early. The manager and district manager were both speaking to another applicant before me so I was told to have a look around the store. Some of the other associates introduced themselves to me and wished me good luck. Another one of the district managers came by and asked if I was here for an interview. We ended up talking and she complimented my outfit. I had just layered a cami with an Obey tank, a BKE vest, black jeans, black Steve Madden boots, and some light accessories; only the tank and vest were actually from Buckle.
After about a half hour, I was led to the back of the store with the manager and a district manager. The district manager took charge and started by asking me about myself; what schooling I had, what my degree was in, why, what retail experience I had, why Buckle, what was my most difficult class in school, etc. I was also asked to describe a time I took initiative at my previous jobs and if I was ever put into a leadership role. Although I've never worked in retail, I explained that I had six years of customer service experience and I learn and adapt quickly. After the interview was over, they both shook my hand and told me they'd either contact me by phone or email in a few days. Hearing that and knowing what "we'll email you" meant, I wasn't hopeful.
I actually got a call two days later, though, and was told that they wanted to offer me a full-time position as a Leader in Training, rather than being hired as just a Sales Associate. The base rate for pay would be $6.50/hr with 3% commission. They also told me they'd work around my schedule and understood I couldn't start until next month when I move. The overall experience was extremely positive and the employees (managers/associates, etc) were all helpful. Though the pay isn't the best, I was assured I'd always make more than minimum wage and that the full-time benefits were great.