Working for Sephora
- Thread starter jeanna
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BeccalovesMAC
Well-known member
I had two interviews with Sephora yesterday and I have my third and final interview on Friday with the Regional Manager. Can you shed some light on what to expect. I felt really comfortable with the two first interviews. I knew that they loved me. They pretty much told me that I would fit in well. I'm kind of intimidated with knowing that their boss will be interviewing me on Friday. Can you all give some advice for this?
catmac
New member
I filled out an application on the JC Penney website for a Sephora senior education consultant position about a month ago. I got a call two days ago asking a few basic questions and scheduling me for my first interview, which was today. It was a "role play" interview, which I am very familiar with, since I have been a retail manager for various companies for the past 10 years. Strangely, that's all it was. There was no sit-down, no questions asked, no review of my resume, no paper application to fill out...I walked in, the manager told me what I would be selling and to whom, and we did it on the sales floor. Took all of 10 minutes. I've interviewed thousands of applicants for all sorts of positions, even in group settings, but I've never seen anyone start with a role-play and leave it at that. Just thought it was kind of odd...
dallasashley
Well-known member
T
this! Plus they are in charge of product updates.
BeccalovesMAC
Well-known member
I got the job! Yay! it was nerve wracking but def a good match for me
chsai
Well-known member
BeccalovesMAC
Well-known member
Thank you so much!congratulations.
dallasashley
Well-known member
Congrats! I think you'll really like it
Katie Marone
Member
after reading the majority of all these threads i'm staring to get nervous..
maybe someone can give me some pointers, would greatly appreciate it.
to make a long story short i've been working the beauty section of a drug store for the past 4 years now and ultimately i've come to realize that makeup is my passion. I very much picture myself working at sephora but then again all I know is drug store makeup and only have knowledge of high end makeup from youtube.
i managed to find an application for sephora online, 2 days later i called tried to leave a message and never heard anything back.
a few days later I go in person to ask if they were hiring (told the girl as well that I already applied online) (i did tell her too that i'm very passionate about working here and she simply just asked me for my name) and she basically told me that the hiring manager wasn't in and that it does take a couple of days for her to look through all the resumes (which I 100% understand)
the thing that i'm wondering is perhaps maybe my resume may get over looked because I don't have enough experience with the high end cosmetics.
I feel that I at least have enough experience with customer service which i really do love helping customers find that they want/are looking for but I feel like that's not enough for me to get the job.
i'm wondering if this is really true and hope maybe someone can perhaps let me know?
perhaps i would be better off in like an Ulta where they have drug store stuff?
i'm kind of at a lost because i truly want makeup to be my career. It truly is a passion of mine and hope someone or anyone reading this can help me out.
thanks so much
maybe someone can give me some pointers, would greatly appreciate it.
to make a long story short i've been working the beauty section of a drug store for the past 4 years now and ultimately i've come to realize that makeup is my passion. I very much picture myself working at sephora but then again all I know is drug store makeup and only have knowledge of high end makeup from youtube.
i managed to find an application for sephora online, 2 days later i called tried to leave a message and never heard anything back.
a few days later I go in person to ask if they were hiring (told the girl as well that I already applied online) (i did tell her too that i'm very passionate about working here and she simply just asked me for my name) and she basically told me that the hiring manager wasn't in and that it does take a couple of days for her to look through all the resumes (which I 100% understand)
the thing that i'm wondering is perhaps maybe my resume may get over looked because I don't have enough experience with the high end cosmetics.
I feel that I at least have enough experience with customer service which i really do love helping customers find that they want/are looking for but I feel like that's not enough for me to get the job.
i'm wondering if this is really true and hope maybe someone can perhaps let me know?
perhaps i would be better off in like an Ulta where they have drug store stuff?
i'm kind of at a lost because i truly want makeup to be my career. It truly is a passion of mine and hope someone or anyone reading this can help me out.
thanks so much
Whit1188
New member
Hey Beauties, I attended a Sephora hiring fair on Sept 9th. I was the first person there, lol got there super early because I was expecting it to be a lot other girls there for it as well. So i approached one of the cast members to let her know that i was there for the hiring fair. She said, "wow your here really early, the manager hasn't even started setting up yet. So she called one of the managers over and she told me to just stick around do a little browsing and that she would let me know when the event would begin. So I browsed aaround the store then began talking again to the first cast member I approached. I asked her plent of questions pertaining to the hiring process, what they look for, and things ofthat nature. We pretty much clicked instantly. I told her that I didn't have any retail experience, but that I do know how to do hair, makeup, and nails, and that I do freelance work. I also advised that I have exceptional customer service skills because in my previous position I worked as a CSR. She told me that I should just state everything I told her during the interview. She said, "girl u got this!" and she said she would be seeing me soon because Im going to get it. So after I spoke to her I asked about some products with other cast members and received SO MANY compliments from them. It really helped calm me down because I was soooooo nervous. Anyway, I saw the manager setting up and made sure I made my way over to her to make sure that I was the first to pass in my resume and references being as though i was THE first person there. So, myself and 2 other girls were the first to have a group interview. The two girls complimented me on my outfit and makeup, and i complimented them as well. The interview was in the middle of the mall. I sat in the middle and when the manager came over she sat directly in front of me.
Whit1188
New member
She began telling us about Sephora and aaking the basic interview questions. I made sure I answered all the questions first, smiled, made eye contact with the manager and listened attentively to the other 2 girls when they answered. I surprised myself at how well I think I answered the questions lol being as though I haven't been on a lot of interviews. Overall I thought my outfit, makeup, and answers stood out over the other 2 girls. So the interview lasted about an hour, so it began at 2 and we were done @ 3. By 7:30 pm I got an email stating, "Dear candidates, ... please provide the email addresses for references and advise your references that they will be contacting them, and that she will be looking to set up a 2nd interview in the next week or so. So I sent a thank you email and attached another copy of my references to the email. The next day she sent list of dates and times asking wjich date and tine I would be abailble for a 2nd interview. I chose the first date 2nd slot, someone had already taken the first slot. So I has my 2nd interview this past Tuesday. I believe it went very well. The I expressed my passion for cosmetics, she asked some of the same questions from the group interview. Because of my previous experience she asked me if I was ready to make a career change, and I said yea dedinately. She asked wjat was my fav makeup brands. I menrioned a few brands sold in sephora and a few drugstore brands. She asked y I didn't choose MAC or Ulta, etc. I told her i admire the fact that Sephora is based on education, and that education is important, etc. After I answered all her questions she told me that that was all she had for me. Like it was super short. So said really? That was fast. And she said, " I just wanted to meet you, that's all." Then she asked if I had any questions for her. I asked a host of quesrions and she seemes so comfortable talking to me, she even talked about her personal life as well. We laughed made jokes. She aswered all of my questiins and even more. Then, she said oh one other thing, I'm going to see if thr store director is available to so a demo. She told me to grab my things because i could leave after my demo. So she was available and I did my demo. She told me I did really well, I just forgot to introduce myself and ask if she needed help with anything else. Then she shook my hand and told me to have a wonderful day. i feel like everything went exteemely well, BUT i feel like messed up with not going back to the interviwing manger and shaking her hand before i left. It has been bothering like crazy, becaue i feel like yhat could make or break my opportunity. Also, the manager that interviewed me told me that she would contact me by this coming tuesday or Wednesday. Althoughthose days havent approached as of yet im feeling a litle discouraged becaue i thought thwy would have contavted me by now. I know for a fact that my references were contacted because tjey told me. Lord knows I want this job sooooo bad. Whats a girl to do????
ShutupNkissme
New member
Sephora interview process
I wrote this whole long forum and accidently deleted it -_- okay so where to begin lol I just had two interviews with sephora.. They were both one on one and only the two interviews.. I cheated lol and googled the questions they ask you so I studied really hard and I think I did a great job.. Not to mention we got along so great!! Well after the second interview the GM said they are going to call my references.. And if all is well I can start orientation next week.. As soon as I left two of my references called me and told me they called.. But not the third I called her today to tell her that I hadn't put the third references cell number and if I could give it to her. She said '' oh.. I've already called them so you're fine'' I said oh okay.. Well that works then lol she said '' I called two of them (then said their names) '' then she joked around and said see I knew I wasn't suppose to call that one.. Meaning because the number was wrong any how. Then she laughed and said okay well have a good day.. I said the same back to her So.. Is it a norm to only call two references.. Both of them told me they gave great reviews. I have a feeling one of them might have maybe said something wrong.. Wouldn't she tell me I'm hired or if I start orientation on Monday? Or maybe she has to get the okay from the GM.. Maybe I'm over thinking but this is sephora.. My dream job.. Even if it is only for seasonal lol
I wrote this whole long forum and accidently deleted it -_- okay so where to begin lol I just had two interviews with sephora.. They were both one on one and only the two interviews.. I cheated lol and googled the questions they ask you so I studied really hard and I think I did a great job.. Not to mention we got along so great!! Well after the second interview the GM said they are going to call my references.. And if all is well I can start orientation next week.. As soon as I left two of my references called me and told me they called.. But not the third I called her today to tell her that I hadn't put the third references cell number and if I could give it to her. She said '' oh.. I've already called them so you're fine'' I said oh okay.. Well that works then lol she said '' I called two of them (then said their names) '' then she joked around and said see I knew I wasn't suppose to call that one.. Meaning because the number was wrong any how. Then she laughed and said okay well have a good day.. I said the same back to her So.. Is it a norm to only call two references.. Both of them told me they gave great reviews. I have a feeling one of them might have maybe said something wrong.. Wouldn't she tell me I'm hired or if I start orientation on Monday? Or maybe she has to get the okay from the GM.. Maybe I'm over thinking but this is sephora.. My dream job.. Even if it is only for seasonal lol
MissTT
Well-known member
You didn't cheat, you prepared. Nothing wrong with that. As far as references yes it's common for a business not to call all of your references. A surprising number of hiring managers don't check references at all. Kinda scary, but I also understand why.
Good luck. It sounds really good so far. No one bothers to call your references if they're not interested in you. It's way too much work.
Good luck. It sounds really good so far. No one bothers to call your references if they're not interested in you. It's way too much work.
kimbunney
Well-known member
First you don’t need experience working at Sephora. It helps to have passion about makeup because you just generally pick up and learn information more. You already stated your customer service experience that should be enough. Next you need to ask yourself what do you want in your makeup career. Are you looking to sell makeup or actually get into applying and product information knowledge? Sephora and Ulta are really different companies as far as employees. Ulta is not geared towards artistry at all just so you know. You’ll gain knowledge by picking up information as you go, but generally they are more interested in sale goals and daily store goals only.
Katie Marone
Member
thanks so much for responding. perhaps i should do some re-valuation on what exactly I want my career in makeup to be.
MagentaMadness
Well-known member
I had my sephora interview a little over two weeks ago, it was a one on one. How long doesnt it normally take to get a call back?
kiss montaque
Member
So I had two group interviews with Sephora and they called this morning for a reference I gave the information and they called me back within 10 minutes asking me to come in for a demo Monday morning. I was a little confused because the position was for seasonal cashiers. So I asked was this for the same position and she said yes but they just wanted to see where I could be placed if offered a permanent position. Does anyone know their demo process? If so please share it would be very helpful. Also I have another interview with bare minerals next week and if I get offered a position there which is the better company to work for. I'm leaning towards Sephora because of the education and training they offer as well as the variety of products sold there!!!!
