The process took 1 day. I interviewed at Nordstrom (Santa Monica, CA) in Jul 2010
Interview
I saw that there were several openings on the Nordstrom website for Santa Monica and applied for them. After doing so, the profile I created online required a personality test (I hear the most neutral you are during this test, the better). I received a call to interview one on one and did. Most of the questions involved listing strengths and weaknesses, reviewed my sales background, asked me why I'd like to work at Nordstrom and asked me to sell their pen to them.
So easy, I went to a job fair and was hired on the spot. They need people in the kids department, that's the easiest section to get into. They just ask about your personality and who you are.
Was inside Barton creek mall, hiring manager was prompt and clear with questions ranging from how I would handle difficult customers, to my personal experiences that could apply to the job.