please help me prepare -argos interview x

dudleythegoat

Hi there. First post.
I have my first interview in many years next week. It is only for a Christmas job at Argos.. However I am so anxious in interview situations.
I have been told it is a group interview, and google has brought up some scary ideas of what this may be like!
if anyone works for Argos or has interviewed there recently, please could you settle my nerves and help me out? It would be much appreciated.
what will the interview be like? What sort of tasks at a group interview with Argos?
what do I wear?
and how to stand out?


are Xmas temp jobs any easier to.get than normal jobs at Argos? Hoping to get kept on after Xmas..


thanks in advance for all replies, little thing to most but a huge issue for me!! Xxx

dudleythegoat

Anyone?? If.this is in wrong place please re post admin? Thank.you

tinker45

Well you are certainly not alone in being nervous about interviews. I have always found it's the general thought that makes you nervous; once you get in there and realise they're normal people talking to you, you forget about being nervous and are able to focus on the tasks in hand.

Group interviews can often be set up to look for certain skills such as team-working and your ability to communicate with people you do not know - something which you will face when working in a retail environment if you are dealing with customers, but of course also when talking to your new colleagues.

You may be asked to do things like get up and introduce yourself and take part in group exercises. In many ways it may make you feel more confident becuase they are not focussing all the attention on you from the other side of a table, which is how it usually works. This may work out well if you've not interviewed in a long time.

People usually shine just by being themselves - it's a retail working environment in a busy period so showing the ability to communicate (remembering that listening is the most important part of communication..) and to be able to integrate into a team is important.

Smile, be yourself, appear as confident as you can in the situation, and you'll be fine.
Another thing to remember - everyone is in the same boat and any decent employer will understand people are nervous.

Good luck!

DCFC79

Id wear something smart so a suit or a shirt, tie, jumper if no suit jacket and obviously shoes.

How you stand out is being smartly dressed, there might be others who aren't dressed as smart so you would stand out or part of the group to stand out.

I cant answer about the tasks but if its a group interview you might be asked to introduce yourself to the person to your left so say your right.

Just speaking from experience here but the task would be 1 that would show how you work with others so for example we had to build the tallest structure using newspaper and cellotape.

Smodlet

I have to disagree about wearing a jumper to an interview - big no-no if you want to be taken seriously, imho. Jumpers/sweaters say slobbing in front of the TV to me, not going to an interview.

Other than that, you are obviously articulate so just keep doing what you do, OP. Focus on communication, which you have already shown you are good at (at least, to me) and just remember the first rule of customer service: Speak to others the way you would like to be spoken to yourself. Never forget to be courteous, say, "please, thank you, is that all right?" Use your empathy. Put yourself in the customer's shoes; we are all customers, after all. What may be obvious to a member of staff is not necessarily so to a customer.

Communication is the key to everything in pretty much any job I can think of. If they give you a team task, don't be afraid to put your ideas forward but, if someone else has something to say, do them the courtesy of listening. They may be full of it, they may have just solved the problem; you won't know unless you listen.

I think you will do just fine. Good luck.

[Deleted User]

Group interviews are great - done a few of them and always been successful although they have all been different, I'm far from loud but take some comfort that all the rest of the group are normally as apprehensive as me and you end up laughing about it. You can learn so much more about yourself it's not a negative and getting to meet some of your colleagues before saying Yes! What's there not to like.

If you can you really need to ask about dress wear - I say this as my last grew to be a considerable hot day and I arrived wearing a jacket which I then couldn't remove (when everyone else wore smart casual and for a uniformed job) so I felt rather uncomfortable knowing there was no way I could expose my bingo arms by taking of the blooming jacket and it turned out in feedback this definately dented my start which I agreed fully with.
If I had my time again over that one it would definitely have been a reply and ask over what to wear, no matter how stupid.

While I've never built anything if you get engaged in a group debate no matter how silly it might be - try and participate as much as you can, do not hold back if you want to say something just do! as your actions and body language are all watched. Eg don't cross the arms and don't fiddle/fidget as mistake number 2 was jewellery distraction when wanting the ground to swallow you up!. Always be well spoken know your finest English and keep in mind there can be a lot of elements so it's not like one negative aspect it's over. (that's the real beauty of these types of interviews as well it's far from a 10 second judgement and that's both parties)

PS time always goes really quickly at these things not matter how scary the time you'll be required sounds! Even got a break time at one!! Don't be tempted to book another interview same day as it is best to put all your energy and concentration into it, rather then be thinking about any other position at same time. Good luck - do go (as I'm aware a lot of people drop out thinking the worst when it's far from)

dudleythegoat

What really informative replies. I appreciate you all taking the time. I did post on another site and no one replied At all. So thank you.
yes, not going has crossed my mind, but I think id be angry at myself afterwards.
my other worry is that after being a stay at home mum for 5 years, I wont have anything really to say about myself, you know , how they mention greatest achievements etc?
also I have no references.. They didnt ask for any on the .. And on the email inviting me to interview they only asked me to bring N.I number and proof of work eligibility e.g passport. Does this mean, for a temp position they wont have the need to ask for references? I hope so..
I have no one to use. Previous work years ago have either closed down or been bought over and I am not in touch with any old managers. Cant think on a personal reference who I would use either.
I think this is what is bothering me more, it knocks my confidence to imagine sitting in a room full of intelligent uni students with educational achievements and I don't even have a reference!


also if anyone works at Argos or has interviewed id very much appreciate any Info.


xx

DCFC79

Smodlet wrote: »

I have to disagree about wearing a jumper to an interview - big no-no if you want to be taken seriously, imho. Jumpers/sweaters say slobbing in front of the TV to me, not going to an interview.

A smart jumper, a smart plain couloured jumper with shirt and tie is what I wore to my last interview which led to my current job.

I wouldn't suggest anyone wear a jumper with holes in and loose bits of wool showing.

As the OP is a female then a suit would look better than a jumper.

martinthebandit

I had a successful interview for a Xmas job at Argos last year but it wasn't a group interview so I can't help you with that, my top tips though would be;

When your asked a 'customer focused' type question think 'if I was the customer how would I want the staff to respond' and answer accordingly.

Don't come across as scared of IT

I wore a shirt, trousers and clean shoes for my interview.

Hope that helps and good luck

DCFC79

dudleythegoat wrote: »

my other worry is that after being a stay at home mum for 5 years, I wont have anything really to say about myself, you know , how they mention greatest achievements etc?
also I have no references.. They didnt ask for any on the .. And on the email inviting me to interview they only asked me to bring N.I number and proof of work eligibility e.g passport. Does this mean, for a temp position they wont have the need to ask for references? I hope so..
I have no one to use. Previous work years ago have either closed down or been bought over and I am not in touch with any old managers. Cant think on a personal reference who I would use either.

xx

Re the references mention it was 5+ years ago since you last worked hence no references but do you know anyone eg a neighbour who has known you a number of years eg a councillor who is on the board of governors for a local school.

The fact you were/are a SAHM is an achievement in itself, the need to be organised etc, if you've got twins being organised is really really important isn't it. Making sure the bag has necessary bits eg nappies, wipes etc when you go out eg shopping.

elsien

Stay at home mum:
Juggling competing priorities, organisation, communication skills (health visitors, doctors, preschool etc), managing difficult situations (toddler tantrum in public, anyone?), budgetting , problem solving, etc. could all be in there.

There will be some very valuable skills in there somewhere. Don't put yourself down, but think about how they might translate to the workplace and the job spec.
I've not seen the job spec. but if you're customer facing in the Christmas rush there's likely to be some awkward customers you need to deal with. So the interview might be wanting to look at how you communicate with people in any group exercises - not a shrinking violet, but also not the pushy person who won't let anyone else get a word in edge ways. That sort of thing.

Interview - I wear smart trousers (skirts make me uncomfortable) a blouse and a jacket. If you get too hot you can take the jacket off. If money is an issue, my perfectly good one came from the charity shop.

References - anyone who's known you for a couple of years who can vouch you are a hardworking upstanding citizen? Member of any voluntary groups, church, ex-colleague, neighbour if all else fails?


And good luck, btw. You must be doing something right to have got the interview.