MAC vs. Nordstrom Cosmetic Manager

[ceejay]

I need help in choosing between a job at MAC which would probably be part time but hopefully lead to full time or a cosmetic counter manager at Trish McEvoy in Nordstrom, it would be temporary for the Trish line and I would move to another counter as a manager after about 3 months when someone gets back from materinty. I have to choose soon like within 3 days to tell one of them that I cant do it. If anyone has every worked for Nordstrom or MAC or anyone with advice please let me know what you think! Thank You!!

 

[darkbeauty27]

Hey I've worked for a MAC counter at Nordstrom. I wasn't a manager but a part-timer who worked maybe 32 hours a week. You might want to keep the following in mind when choosing:

*At Nordstrom you will have to/are encouraged to cross-sell (your line and others, and even sell fragrances and clothing) vs. MAC store where you only work with one cosmetic line.

*Department store atmosphere vs. cool MAC store atmosphere.

*Two words: Rewards Card. At Nordstrom, you will have a goal each month to open these cards. At MAC you don't have to worry about this.

*MAC: You have IPT (Item Per Transaction) goals that are pretty important.

*MAC: If you are more into makeup art, this is where you want to be. Lots of makeup appointments, so lots of chances to do makeup.

*At the Nordstrom I worked at, the Trish counter was very slow...less sales.

*At Nordstrom we had to sell over the phone. At the MAC store you might have to do this too though.

*At MAC you can dress funky (yet in black) vs. working for other lines who might make you wear a lab coat or not very attractive uniform.

 

[ceejay]

Thank you so much. When you worked for Nordstrom was it very hard to meet your goals, and I figured the Trish counter would be slow because it is not the most well known makeup line, but I thought it would be a good expierence being a manager and everything but I am more into Makeup artistry even thought I am great at the business part like management. I just dont want to be sooo stressed out if I cant ever make the goals if they are unrealistic since the counter would be slow.

 

[Annie]

Just wanted to throw this in here: depending on the size of your MAC location and region, if you start out part time, you may be waiting a loooong time to get to full time. When I got to my current location I was told that there would probably be more hours or a full time position available in the near future. Ten months later and nothing has changed.