I applied in-person. The process took 2 days. I interviewed at Pacific Sunwear (Auburn, MA) in Dec 2009
Interview
This has to have been one of my favorite interviews I've ever been on. The process was actually fairly simple because we were entering the Holiday season, so their urgency was increased. I went into the store when I was 15 looking for an easy part time job because my friend who worked their was raving about how well she was treated. The manager who took my application briefly looked it over, then offered me an interview spot for the following day.
They conducted a group interview the next day in the malls food court. There were between 5-7 applicants and one female interviewer. She was friendly from the start, engaging us in conversations as we walked down from the store. While she was chatting, you could see her observing the other applicants and if they were talking- a sign that they'd be an outgoing person. Some of the questions she asked were the usual "Why do you think you'd be a good fit for the company?" , "What do you think Pac Sun's concept is based off of? Why?" , and "Describe your most difficult coworker or supervisor" as well as just questions that she asked specifically based off of our answers. The entire time, she maintained eye contact and was very animated with her movements/expressions.
She finished the interview, dismissing the other applicants, and pulled two of us aside to "help us finish a part of the application we missed". What she was really doing was offering the position on the spot. The manager explained that unfortunately, they were only able to hire workers 16 and older (I was only 15). She discussed the fact that not only would I be able to work the holiday hours due to Massachusetts State Law, I wouldn't be allowed to do most of the required tasks of the position title.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
"If you could be any part in a garden salad, what ingredient would you be?"
Pretty easy, had me practice making an outfit on the sales floor. Pretty basic interview questions about your experience with sales, risk management, and customer service. I did not end up taking the job because it was only offered as seasonal
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What is one time you faced a challenge and how did you overcome it?
The interview was quick and easy. It was a group interview and we were asked about our favorite brands and as well as our schedule availability. Hired on the spot
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Clothing and style preferences and schedule preferences
Very casual interview. They really want to see your personality and how you’re able to communicate. Questions were asked such as why you want to work there, describe a little about yourself, etc. plus they’ll have you create an outfit from the sales floor.
Sales Associate applicants have rated the interview process at Pacific Sunwear with 1.7 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty) and assessed their interview experience as 81% positive. To compare, the company-average is 75.7% positive. This is according to Glassdoor user ratings.
Candidates applying for Sales Associate roles take an average of 10 days to get hired, when considering 212 user submitted interviews for this role. To compare, the hiring process at Pacific Sunwear overall takes an average of 12 days.
Common stages of the interview process at Pacific Sunwear as a Sales Associate according to 212 Glassdoor interviews include:
One on one interview: 30%
Background check: 19%
Group panel interview: 16%
Skills test: 9%
Personality test: 7%
Presentation: 7%
Drug test: 5%
Other: 3%
IQ intelligence test: 3%
Phone interview: 1%
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