Working for Sephora

[lyssa007]

Re: New Job @ Sephora

I have been to my 2 interviews and feel positive I will have the job...I am glad to see there are people here who work for Sephora...I would love to know What are the pros and cons of working there? is there any staff over 30 yrs old?..I am 30 yrs old and feel I may be the oldest one there

 

[dahlingdiva]

Re: Career at Sephora..need infos

What kind of medical benefits are they? HMO or PPO? Is there a choice of individual or family and about how much is it per month?

 

[Strawberrymold]

Re: Career at Sephora..need infos

Quote:

Originally Posted by lyssa007 Thank you for your info Strawberrymold...How long can you expect once you start at the bottom, to go into better positions ?

That would all depend on how hard you work for it and position availablity. Being open to relocating if something opens up outside of your store is also gonna help you.

As for the medical stuff, I don't know. I think I paid $50 or so per month? I never really go to the doctor or anything so I am not sure about the copay or anything.

 

[couturesista]

What to expect.......

Hey all, as most of you know i'm a Sephora employee now! Yippie Anywho, what can I expect from the SOS training?

 

[chynegal]

Re: What to expect.......

congrats......how was the interview process? i have been thinking about applying there.. was there anything specail u had to do for them

 

[couturesista]

Re: What to expect.......

sorry for the slow reply, I interviewed with the store director on monday and by tuesday she called and said I had the job. I've been there for about 3 weeks now and i'm learning alot from the other cast members. It was just your basic interview.

 

[SpaJeweler]

Re: What to expect.......

Quote:

Originally Posted by couturesista sorry for the slow reply, I interviewed with the store director on monday and by tuesday she called and said I had the job. I've been there for about 3 weeks now and i'm learning alot from the other cast members. It was just your basic interview.

Congratulations on the job! Did you have prior cosmetics/makeup experience?

Thanks,

Spa Jeweler

 

[charnels]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dahlingdiva Anyone know what kind of health insurance benefits they have. HMO or PPO? How much is it and do you think it's good? Also, do they hire makeup artists or is it just salespeople?

i can't really discuss the insurance stuff but they hire people who are going to do well in customer service. they do tons of training so they look more for people who are reliable and good working with other people. just because you're awesome at makeup doesn't necessarily mean you're awesome at selling it. also keep in mind that doing makeup on other people is very different from doing makeup on yourself.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cindiaz Does anyone know what kind of uniform or dress code they use now? and what about the makeup that you use? and my last question what is the starting wage in the store inside JCPenney? I want to apply in El Paso,TX,thank you

black dress pants and coat (provided), black t-shirt underneath, and black shoes (no open-toe). you can wear your hair and makeup however you want, but they expect you to look like you work in the beauty industry. if you show up to work with no makeup on and your hair is a hot mess chances are you'll get told off for it. generally a full face of makeup and your hair pulled back is what they like. facial piercings and tattoos are allowed so long as they're not offensive (e.g. swears / nudity) and you can have any hair color / style.

sephora inside jc penny is NOT sephora!! employees there are considered jc penny employees and do not work for sephora. they do not receive the same benefits as sephora employees (e.g. employee discount). wage depends on your state's wage laws, your experience, and jc penny's policy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lyssa007 what is the average age of people working at sephora? i am 30 yrs old, am i too old to be there? thanx for the info

of course you're not too old!!! the average age depends on the store you go to. at my store the average age is probably late 20s. however our cast ranges from 20 (i'm the youngest) to 60s!!

 

[ShortnSassy]

Job at Sephora in JCP

today i was offered a job in a newly-opened sephora in jcpenney's in my mall! it's just going to be for holiday help, but i'm hoping that will lead to a permanent position in the store.

my interview went really well! it was with the sephora manager (who was super nice) and she asked about my last job, what i did, etc. she then proceeded to ask questions off of a sheet of paper that said "sephora" on it. the questions she asked were:

*"if you have a customer who refused your help, when should you reapproach them?"
*"tell me about the last mistake you made"
*"how do you relate to your peers?"
*"what is your hobby outside of work and why do you like it?"

once she was done asking me questions (about 15 mins later), she asked if i had time to meet with the asst store manager. he was very nice and proceeded to ask me more questions, like:

*"tell me about the best supervisor you've ever had."
*"what do you consider good customer serivce?"
*"what is your dream job?"
*"tigger, pooh, or christopher robin? why?" (i thought this was cute haha)
*"what was the last good movie you saw?"

he also asked more questions about where i was from and who i am. he then asked if i had a few more minutes to talk to one last manager, and they brought in the manager from their jewelry department because it's their policy that the interview process goes through 3 people and they didn't plan it very well haha. the last manager was really really sweet, and she asked me questions like:
*"what are your career plans in the future?"
*"if a client came in looking for a blue shadow from our ad and we were sold out, how would you handle the situation?"

then the first two managers came back in and said they would love to offer me the position! i'm going to start training next week hopefully, they said they just have to wait for my background check to go through.

it was one of the best interviews i've ever had! i'm really excited because my boyfriend and i have been in such a bad place financially that i really needed this job!!! i'm also really excited for the discount!

i will keep you ladies updated on my training and things in case anyone has questions!

 

[labellavita7]

Sephora Job Fair

Have you ever been to a Sephora Job Fair? One location near me is having one next week, offering on the spot interviews. I don't know what to expect! I also don't know if I should just go in now to apply and speak with a manager, as I'm looking for a full-time position, or wait for the job fair. The only thing I'd be nervous about for the job fair is that there are probably a TON of other girls going!

Need some advice or experiences!

 

[L1LMAMAJ]

Re: Sephora Job Fair

I've never been to a Sephora job fair before but I know they're looking for retail experience. I recommend taht you go to the fair and talk to the managers and really emphasize retail experience. Make sure your makeup looks good because having good makeup can help you sell a lot! One time I was at Sephora and three SA came up to me to ask me what I was wearing on my eyes. Just make sure you're confident, smile and brag a little bit (not in a cocky way) so they know what you're made of!

 

[Boasorte]

Quote:

Originally Posted by charnels i . EDIT: oh! i forgot to add that the company is very geographically-influenced. i moved from a store in massachusetts to a store in tampa, fl. and it's like two different worlds. and i know in the new york city stores it is VERY hard to get a job there if you're not a skilled makeup artist. even the beauty school students can barely get hired as seasonal cashiers there.

Where in NYC? I've actually seen plenty of guys, and old people there who don't know how to apply makeup.
I think it depends on the store, now that I know more about it, then again, there are 16 Sephoras in all of NYC, so maybe depends on the manager?

Edit: I realized that now that the ones in Penney's aren't like the freestanding stores, from what I've noticed, they have less products, and the people there didn't knkow much

 

[Meisje]

I was curious --- how do they feel about an employee's weight? I was thinking about applying there for the holiday season. I have gained about 20 lbs and now am plus-size, and I would like an honest reaction to whether or not that matters to them.

 

[charnels]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MsWestchesterNY Where in NYC? I've actually seen plenty of guys, and old people there who don't know how to apply makeup. I think it depends on the store, now that I know more about it, then again, there are 16 Sephoras in all of NYC, so maybe depends on the manager? Edit: I realized that now that the ones in Penney's aren't like the freestanding stores, from what I've noticed, they have less products, and the people there didn't knkow much

there are only 13 stores in the city unless you're counting the penny counters (which you're right, they only sell the most popular products). i'm sure a lot of people work there because they knew someone who could get them the job, just like any other job, but i know three people off the top of my head who are AMAZING makeup artists that were turned down at sephoras in the city. i honestly wasn't trying to spark debate, just wanted to put it out there that it can be harder / easier to get a job there depending on where you live, sorry for the confusion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meisje I was curious --- how do they feel about an employee's weight? I was thinking about applying there for the holiday season. I have gained about 20 lbs and now am plus-size, and I would like an honest reaction to whether or not that matters to them.

??? of course your weight doesn't matter.

 

[charnels]

Re: Sephora Job Fair

what they're hiring for right now is seasonal holiday positions, so i highly doubt you'd be able to get a full time position off the bat. most employees who are full-time at sephora have either been there since the store opened (and thus were hired as FT) or are managers. i actually opened my store as a part-time employee and have been trying to get full-time ever since with no luck. most of the people i work with want to go full time as well. unless you're applying at an extremely busy store in a very major city (NYC / LA) you're probably not going to get full-time. my best advice is to start as a part time seasonal cashier (which is what they're hiring for right now) and then work your butt off so that they will keep you as a permanent employee after holiday is over.

 

[labellavita7]

First day at Sephora

I started working at Sephora today, and while I know many products through my own personal interest, I obviously don't know everything we have in the store and all the different kinds of products available. It was just my first day, so I know it's okay to be a little clueless, but when people asked me questions I felt so dumb because I didn't know if we carried a certain item or I couldn't think of a certain product to recommend. I'm just at the cash wrap so I know I can have someone in color help them out, but I just feel totally useless! How long did it take you to get familiar with everything in the store?

Also working the register was easy, and I can definitely get people to sign up for Beauty Insider, but when the girl training me was watching over my shoulder, I clammed up and wouldn't ask people if they wanted to sign up. When she was busy doing other things I got a few people to sign up! Idk what my problem is, I know she has to watch me, but that always makes me nervous and I do the wrong things. I'm so much better than the job I did today! lol

And one woman asked me what I was wearing on my eyes, it was a couple colors from a Kat Von D palette, and so I went to show her the colors I used and I thought I was being helpful and doing a good job, but then the manager was like "You NEVER leave cash wrap!!" I thought it was okay because there were like 5 people up there.

*sigh* I don't think I'm going to be good at this.

All in all it was an easy day, I didn't really screw up other than leaving cash wrap for a minute. I just hate being the new person and not knowing anything.

 

[lyttleravyn]

Re: First day at Sephora

While I haven't worked for Sephora, I've been in retail for almost 7 years, and I promise it does get easier! Before you know it, almost everything in the store will become second nature to you. And no one expects you to know everything. Don't be afraid to ask someone! Also customers are usually pretty understanding if you explain briefly that its your first day, and while you aren't sure how to answer their question you will go find someone who can! Just be friendly, upbeat and no one will notice that you're nervous

Maybe next time ask if its alright for you to go show a customer something, or maybe ask someone on the floor to help her. Sounds like you're doing great already, don't give up hope!

 

[Mabelle]

Re: First day at Sephora

honestly, dont worry. i hate being the new person too, especially when its your first job in that feild. i jsut started at sephora 3 weeks ago, but im doing recovery, which ive done at all my presvious retail jobs. But when i started my cafe job i was a nervous wreck. i know how you feel about people watching every move you make and stuff. You feel boxed in. and like you cant be natural cause your under a microscope. Dont worry too much. It will pass. just ask lots of questions and seem enthusiastic and youll be great! You're your own worst enemy in situations like this.

 

[nebbish]

OMG -- Interview at Sephora

I'm going to tell my whole convoluted story, so bare with me ....

I LOVE my job at Lush, but they haven't been giving me hours.
First reaction : WTF am I doing wrong? Nothing. They apparently hired too many people for the holiday season and aren't making enough to have six people in the store at once. That's fine, but I'm literally paying *them* to work there at this point.
So I happened to go to Subway the other night & just randomly applied. The lady really liked me, cos she pretty much hired me before I even came in for the interview. I start next Weds.
But we happened to be at the mall cos I was getting my check & talking to my asst. manager about my hours ... And I really needed new foundation ... And Sephora was *right* down the hall .... SO I went in.

I tried to apply back in like Oct, but she told me they were on a hiring freeze. Weird. Anyway, I didn't remember what the manager looked like & she happened to be the lady who was helping me with my foundation. So when I casually mentioned ILOVETHISSTORE, I WANT TO WORK HERE, she told me to get an application. Which I did & filled out at Starbucks, lol. And when I brought it back, she was like 'we'll call you, we're having a group interview tomorrow.'
AS WE WERE LEAVING the parking lot, I got a call from I guess the super-store-hiring-manager-lady and I HAVE AN INTERVIEW TOMORROW AT 6PM!

It's a group interview. For a cashier position, but you know? Eff it, it's a foot in the door for a place I really want to work at. Today has been a very good day, I think. And I just *had* to share here, cos I knew you ladies would understand my excitement :]

I'm so nervous. I have no idea what to wear for clothes/makeup. I'm like, practically jumping with excitement.

Also, on my way out [cos I make sure I always come in/leave via Saks on the side with the MAC counter] I stopped & talked to the lovely MAC ladies who told me I should hang out in their general area often so I can be there when jobs open XD

*jumping*

 

[tina1wina13]

Re: OMG -- Interview at Sephora

wow! you are lucky! when can I move to georgia literally no one will hire me here! lol