Where to start?

BrawnShuga

Well-known member
Hey there!! I'm new to the forum, but I've been reading up on a bunch of ya'lls threads, hopefully, someone out there who has experience with this all could help me out with my dilemma! Ok, so I would love to start out in the Cosmetic Counter Retail business but I have no experience in that field professionally. I have a Bach. degree in Fine Arts, im a freelance photography, and I used to work as kindergarten class teacher before I moved to Jacksonville, FL, however I have a passion for makeup...long story short, where do I start? Do you pop up at Dillards/JC Pennys/Sephora and ask to apply at the counters? Or do I wait until a vacancy is open? I'm so sorry if my thread is too long, help out a lost gal!! Thanks in advance, any advice would def. be appreciated...
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I can't wait to see what people reply either, I think it is a great question and I'm curious to find out too! If I'm not mistaken, I don't think you even need any experience working at some counters. I know you need experience to work for MAC though and you have to kind of have an audition.
 

allthatgl1tt3rs

Well-known member
It simply depends on who you work for. As hotpinkanthia says, you do need to be qualified as a makeup artist to work for MAC. But for others e.g. Clarins and so on you won't necessarily need to have had any previous training at all in makeup and what they tend to do is train you up on their own courses (usually paid for by the company).

As with all applications, they do like to see some experience in retail, even if it's not cosmetic retail specifically, i.e. you could have been a store assistant/waitress. It's more from a customer service point of view than anything else. They find it reassuring to know that you've dealt with the public before (because let's face it guys and dolls, they can be a handfull from time to time!).

Having spoken to friends who've been through these application processes themselves there tends to be several stages. You'll submit your form which will be reviewed, then you may have an interview with one of the girls who works on the counter. If she thinks you're great and usually that means polite, well presented (important as you will be the face of whoever you apply for and this needs to have been taken a pride in), enthusiastic and willing (these two are just as importants as presentation) which I'm sure you are all these things then she'll let her manager know and then a second interview will be arranged with the manager. Sometimes you may even have a third interview with the store area manager.

There may then be product training in which you get taken on a course to learn up on all of their products then you're examined on this and you'll have to have a certain pass rate in order to get through.

I would do exactly that - pop your head in to your local Sephora etc. and have a chat to the girl, the fact that you've been proactive and made an effort in asking is always a great start and you never know what opportunities you may stumble across!
Sometimes even if they're not advertising a full-time vacancy you might have what they're looking for so they'll take you on anyway - even if for the meantime you just fill in for when other girls are off sick/on hol or it's a peak shopping season. However over time full-time vacancies will appear that you should be able to go for and you can go from there!

Good luck! x
 

SmokeSignal16

Well-known member
This is what happened with me when I got hired on for Clinique. I was an associate already at Macy's and they were going to try and transfer me since my position was going to be elminated. The process I went through is I went to the department manager that oversees ALL of the counters, then I interview with counter manager of the particular line, after that you get to interview with the Account Coordinator/Executive via in person or over the phone and they ask you some questions to see how well you will fit within the company and that's pretty much it! If your interested in department store cosmetics I would look online to see if they have positions opened, for macy's it's macysjobs.com but we just had a pretty hefty lay off so I don't think anywhere will really be hiring and if they are it would probably be for part-time. But like the previous poster customer service experience or some retail experience is a huge plus but not necessary really. And also you get trained through your co-workers at the counter and go to class from the cosmetic company themselves too so your not left out to the wolves lol. Hope that helped! And
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BrawnShuga

Well-known member
Thank you!! I will keep what you mentioned in mind, its slow here with the makeup business in Jacksonville, FL, that is probably my main concern...but thank you for the advice, def. helpful!
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