I applied online and was contacted via email with a request to contact the supervisor. At that time, I did a phone interview. I was told that in few days some of the applicants would be contacted for an in-person interview and presentation. At the end of that period, I got an email that requested my telephone number (although it was on the resume). I left a phone message and sent an email and was rewarded with an interview appointment for a week later. I was interviewed by a panel of four, and did a presentation (requsted 3 - 5 minutes long). Questions in both interviews centered around specific skills and experience. In the panel interview, they had a list of predetermined questions they took turns asking. Everyone was quite friendly and professional. Feedback to my presentation was particularly positive. I felt good when I left, and was told that I would hear about the job "either way" by the end of the week. I didn't. This was the only negative about the interview. I had to confirm that someone else was offered the job by sending an email a week later. I was disappointed by that unprofessional behavior that seems common during this recession. It takes a few seconds to write a "no thank you" email. Please do!

I want to provide a thorough review so others can know what to expect, should they interview in the future. I sent in my resume via allretailjobs.com some time in May. I was contacted in mid June to discuss the position. If this waiting time is counted, the process took a month. In terms of actual interviews, it was only a week’s time. The first part was a telephone interview. It lasted about half an hour. It was split into two parts: First, it was an extensive overview of the job. The second was going over my resume and my qualifications in relation to the job. At the end of the call, I was asked what time I could come in the next week to have a panel interview. I was told to put together a three minute presentation regarding a safety issue or process that would pertain to the retail employees. In the panel interview, there were three people, including the head of the area trainers. I assume the other two were area trainers, though it was never stated. The first part of the interview was a general discussion of the position again. Then they took turns asking pre-determined questions and taking notes. There were questions in the area of training, multi-tasking and safety. An example question: “Tell me about a time that you had to multi-task a project.” Another was “Tell me about a training experience. How did it go and what could have been done differently or better?” Towards the end, I did my presentation. There was a small glitch with getting their powerpoint to be compatible (theirs didn’t seem updated) but overall went fine. Little feedback was given regarding the presentation. After that, there was a role play exercise meant to display your training/coaching techniques. I was given a scenario of someone doing something wrong and was asked to correct and coach on the spot. I was told that I could use anything in the room, including the erase board, if I wanted to do so. There was also an easal with paper on it, though I didn’t use any of those. Finally, there was a bit of time for me to ask any questions. One question I asked is what people found most difficult about this job, and I was told that it was multi-tasking. The interview took about 1:15-1:25 and overall, was a pleasant experience. I was told that they would make a decision by end of day. The next day, I received an e-mail that said that they decided to pursue another candidate. Cordial, to the point, and quickly sent, which is appreciated. The head of the area trainers was extremely friendly, personable, and seemed interested in finding someone really committed to this specific job category. The way that she kept describing the position over and over gave me the feeling that they had possibly hired someone, only to lose them because they weren’t interested in the amount of travel (the position covers North Los Angeles, the central valley, and Central coast from Santa Barbara to Bakersfield). She kept asking me in different ways if this was the position I was interested in and if I minded traveling. She did mention that they pick up mileage which is outside of my normal commute and hotels as necessary. The position covers approximately 45 stations. I watched people walking in and out of the building as I was waiting for my interview. Though there were a few suits, most people were very business casual. A LOT of people were in jeans, which makes me think that it’s a pretty relaxed office. None of the interviewers were in suits, more business casual. There are extremely focused on safety and coaching. Area trainers do not hire or fire. They help to coach the staff, cover the company in case of an accident to show that they did cover information, and do not “Score” the employees. They bring any issues to the attention of the manager. Trainings are normally done 8-4 and are done for both new and old employees at least once a year.