SEPHORA VS MACYS BEAUTY ADVISOR

[5FootTwo]

Hey ladies & gents, I have a few questions. I had an interview with MAC a while back and they never called me after my demo so that dream has died lol meanwhile Im thinking about going for a beauty advisor position with macys. I currently work at Sephora inside JCPenney and I know I cant do both. Am I crazy for considering macys and leaving Sephora? If anyone has ever worked or is currently at a macys counter could you please share your experience with me? If anyone has ever worked as a macys beauty advisor and has worked at sephora before could you describe your experience as well? Im really just lost as to what to do. I do like it at Sephora its just not what it was when I first started (new managers, people quitting, jcpenney policies changing, etc) I can adjust to change but if there's something better I wanna know lol. So any advice you guys can offer would be greatly appreciated!

 

[cleopatrananton]

I work at Macy's at a Chanel counter. Love Chanel, but wish more and more everyday I had decided to go with another store (i.e. Saks or Nordstrom). If I were you, I would stay where you are. The only thing that is keeping me there is that I negotiated a decent hourly wage - otherwise I would be out of there. Management is disorganized. The pressure to open credit accounts is TREMENDOUS. My counter manager is a hot mess and management doesn't seem to really care, since she's been there forever and gets away with outlandish shit. Just my two cents.

 

[5FootTwo]

I work at Macy's at a Chanel counter. Love Chanel, but wish more and more everyday I had decided to go with another store (i.e. Saks or Nordstrom). If I were you, I would stay where you are. The only thing that is keeping me there is that I negotiated a decent hourly wage - otherwise I would be out of there. Management is disorganized. The pressure to open credit accounts is TREMENDOUS. My counter manager is a hot mess and management doesn't seem to really care, since she's been there forever and gets away with outlandish shit. Just my two cents.

Wow that sucks...jcp is similar. We get pressured to open jcpenney credit cards which is difficult because some people are only there for sephora, as well as pressure to actually go on the "white tile" (jcpenney floor) and pull in clients. Im so annoyed by that! JCpenney is like the old lady store for the most part and every other day they're asking me to go pull them in the store. It sucks because they never wanna come in lol My manager is new to my store as well as the company and that sucks because she likes to go through EVERYTHING with a fine tooth comb when essentially she knows nothing about how the store should be ran. She makes big deals out of everything and in turn we lose sales because no one is in a good mood to sell. It sucks because Im a top seller and have been told I could sell venom to a snake lol I just feel like Im wasting away here. =/

 

[cleopatrananton]

Aw that's poop. We have to pull a lot from other departments too. I hate it. I always feel like I'm stalking people. But now and then someone says yes and you get a good sale out of it.

 

[5FootTwo]

Yeah Im always so grateful when someone actually says yes lol It gets annoying though I've actually had to stand at a booth and beg people to at least talk to me...one word HUMILIATING lol

 

[cleopatrananton]

I know!!! haha And right now, it's summertime which is the slowest time of the year. So it's a challenge to stay busy. REALLY A CHALLENGE. No one really wants to get a makeover because no one really wants to wear a lot of makeup at the moment. The credit account thing is bad too. Management doesn't want to hear "how am I supposed to get credits when NO ONE is in the store?" I actually had my husband apply for one yesterday so I could get one. It's so ridiculous.I really am starting to think that maybe I should just get out of this industry. The bad is far outweighing the good these days.

Have you thought about just going to a freestanding Sephora store? I am thinking about it more and more......there wouldn't be this stupid pressure to open these accounts or competitiveness regarding commission (do you make commission at jcp Sephora?)

 

[5FootTwo]

I have been thinking about going to a freestanding store just because it seems like I could really get benefits from working for SEPHORA and not JCPenney as far as the industry. I find myself trying to sell $42 foundation to people who make minimum wage and usually wear wet n wild which is difficult and there's people who think we are just a department in jcpenney and get mad because they wanna use jcpenney coupons and cant because we're technically a separate store lol retail in general is starting to take a toll on me. And as far as pay there's no commission but there is bonus potential so it really promotes us to work together which is great. The bonus system is basically where if we exceed our sales goal for the month we get an extra percentage of whatever we make that month depending on how far we exceeded our goal. So if you make $1000 one month from your hourly and as a team you go above sales plan you'll get a percentage of $1000. There's a 3%, 5%, 8%, 15%, and 25% I believe but what it depends on is how far you go above your sales goal.

 

[cleopatrananton]

Ah yes, that sounds like the bonuses that they get at regular Sephora stores.

LMAO at the coupons. Macy's has all those coupons too and they ALWAYS exclude cosmetics. Everyday I have at least one or two conversations about how those coupons exclude cosmetics, blah blah blah. People are usually cool about it, but a few get pretty wound up about it too.

This thread has me really thinking that I can do better somewhere else, whether it be in a whole other field of work or in the same field, just at another location. Thanks for inspiring me to start looking at other options!! I hope you do well with whatever you decide! xx

 

[5FootTwo]

No problem, and thank you for giving me honest feedback! And good luck to you as well =)

 

[InnerBeauty12]

Good Afternoon,
I have scheduled an interview for Macy's at Cumberland Mall here in Atlanta Georgia. I have read some of the posts and to be honest I believe that working at a counter in either fragrance or cosmetics requires a sense of passion, in order to go beyound the job description. I'm not worried about the company or store that I'm in. I know that this is what I want to do, and also know that pay wages will increase depending on my performance and experience. Ladies if you are more concerned about the pay then you are with making your customers feel happy about their face and our product then to me it doesn't matter where you go. Ametur Make up artist have to start somewhere. Whereever you start let that be a stepping stone into bigger and better things.I been in retail sense I was 16 years old, I'm now 24. Starting in retail has also helped me to see things from the customer and management perspectives. No matter what though, your success depends on you and the talent and skills you put out. My advice is don't let the company stop you from increasing your productivity and business. As a makeup artist you have the ability to move up, in department stores, and develop your profile more so that you can go to into more high end stores and break personal goals and increase your clientele. I have a vision and I know that Macy's is a place for me to start not a place for me to remain. I start Paul Mitchell's School for esthetics and make up in August, just so that I can get a better understanding of the skin and make up applications. I just feel it's up to you and where you see yourself in the cosmetic industry versus what the job description entails and how much money you get paid. Every store will train you and get you prepared to do well, it's up to you to see beyond the paycheck and stress that comes with it. Passion will look pass any form of distractions... Allow the paycheck to chase you. Before I go remember this, if you don't invest in yourself no one else will. Have a wonderful day, and if it's hot stay in the a/c, remain beautiful and don't forget that the makeup only enhances ones beauty, natural beauty steams from the inside.

 

[cleopatrananton]

All very good points!! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and advice

 

[Moira MUA]

Just to chime in, I currently work for a Sephora inside JCP, and while some of the points mentioned earlier are totally valid (new CEO, things are changing, etc.) I completely adore my job.
I work with amazing people who enjoy each other and work very well as a team. My boss encourages us to pursue work outside of SiJCP (such as freelance, or college) She works with us on our schedules and is happy to try and make things work out for us. She keeps track of our Beauty Insider percentage by using my little pony coloring book drawings we colored in ourselves....She's pretty much the bomb.
That being said, there's definitely pluses to working at a freestanding store and someday I may end up at one, but like with most jobs, the store environment differs from place to place. I've never been pressured to go on the white tile (we make pager announcements overhead, occasionally we choose to go on the white tile ourselves to pass out free samples). They mention the credit apps, but we're rarely strongly pressured for them since the discount for opening an account doesn't apply to sephora.
Just my two cents.

 

[itunez46]

Hey!!

I am in your EXACT position. I'm currently working at SiJCP and with our new district manager and beauty leader, things have been terrible! What did you end up doing? I've been contemplating on applying at MAC or freestanding Sephoras, but have been scared/timid to do so. I used to love SiJCP, but lately it's just been WAY too much pressure to gain sales, upt and credit (we can't help it if the store is dead!) Anyway, let me know what you ended up doing, how you like it & how everything works. Thanks!!!

 

[5FootTwo]

Hi there, long story short I ended up leaving to work for a luxury fashion retailer. My manager single handedly ran every member from our team out of the store. Out of the 9 of us 8 of us quit within 1 year so you could imagine how crazy it was. If I could go back I would because that manager was ultimately let go...and high end fashion looks fun on movies like "the devil wears Prada" but it is beyond boring lol