SamEDanger
Member
Many of you are aware of the process of getting hired on as a beauty associate at your local makeup counter, but what happens when there aren't aren't any positions open, or you don't have very much experience? Don't lose hope guys and girls, there is a way that you can get your foot in the door or test the waters to see if the job would be a good fit for you. Most major department stores have a set team of "on-call" associates for every department, what that means is you'll more than likely end up starting at a slightly lower pay rate , you won't be hired on to one specific counter and you will be responsible for picking up or filling in shifts. This is also a HUGE opportunity to show a bigger group of potential employers how great you are! It can be just a hop, jump and a skip into your favorite makeup counter if you do it right. Here are some things you can expect by being an on-call make up associate at Macy's specifically . -You will work as much or as little as you want to work. I cannot stress this enough, you have the power to pick up any shifts that are available online or at designated kiosks at work. You can also end up being someone's life saver by picking up shifts when someone needs you to, or coming in when your cosmetic manager calls. As an on-call associate I have ended up working as many as 42 hours in one week, whereas sometimes at a counter of 4-6 people you might all be fighting over shifts until gift comes. (This is area specific and totally depends on your self motivation and how many extra hours your company has available ) -If you work hard enough the counters will start to notice you and request you for covering any extra build hours they may have during special events. You are being watched my dears and it starts from day one! If you prove yourself to be a good employee you will have counters keeping you in mind when new positions open up. -Someone is always watching. Again, this is another thing that ties into wether or not you end up getting picked for an upcoming position and its something I feel that a lot of clueless on-calls ignore. Everyone is sizing you up, your selling ability, your appearance, your language, your commitment to fulfilling duties and your attention to the unspoken rules of cosmetic retail. -The process between going from on-call to BA (beauty advisor) can take weeks, to months to years. I was fortunate enough to have it all happen fairly quickly for me and my hard work paid off. It took about four months and at the time I was working as a fragrance associate and had recently been promoted up from being an on-call. I was able to have Lancôme and Clinique offering me positions at the same time. I can't promise that this will happen to you but I can offer you advice to help make it easier.
