I was a Gamestop Store Manager for many years. One of the reasons it's hard to get a job at GS at your age is because of most GS stores have less payroll hours than they need to operate their business. This means that the store teams are smaller than they should be and every member of the team is extremely important to that store's success. People in your age group, and I know this probably doesn't describe you, tend to be less dependable than older folks, and their hours of availability are usually quite restrictive, making scheduling even harder. I generally hired college students adults looking for part-time work, but I did hire a few people your age, and most of them worked out great.
The first roadblock you're going to run into is just getting your application noticed. The first thing I would suggest is to go in personally and ask for an application. Do not send your mom in to get it for you! If the manager is available, introduce yourself. Don't try to take up too much of their time, but make sure they remember your name. If you know that the manager is there, try to fill the application out right there in the store. Also, since this is your best shot at a good first impression, don't just pick up an application and leave. Take a look around the store, ask questions, or even offer an opinion if a customer in the store asks a question.
How you fill your application out is incredibly important. Make sure you write LEGIBLY. Fill it out in pen and not pencil. Fill out all the required information. If you don't understand a question, ask someone, don't leave it blank. Make sure your hours of availability are as flexible as possible (hint: most part-time game advisors are needed evenings and weekends). Make sure your salary demands are reasonable. It depends on your area, but many GS stores hire part-timers at min. wage if you have little or no experience. My stores actually hired well above minimum wage because of competition, but not all stores will. You won't get rich working at Gamestop, but you'll have a lot of fun. Make sure that's what you want.
Note that gaming experience is helpful, but not necessary. Game knowledge can be taught, but what most stores are looking for are people with exceptional customer service skills/potential, and the willingness to learn. Keep this in mind.
If you don't receive a call right away, don't be discouraged. Like I said, many stores have small staffs and are usually not hiring outside of the holiday season. It's alright to call in and check on your application once or twice, but don't be obnoxious about it. Your application should be kept on file and will be referred to when they are hiring.
If you've submitted an application and you're not receiving a response and you're sure the store is hiring, then you may want to get to know the store staff. Most of the kids I have hired were regular customers that I got to know. Don't go in and annoy them, but be a regular face, talk to them about video games and build a relationship. People skills and customer service ability are the most important traits in a good Game Advisor, along with dependability.
If you get called in for an interview, do a little dance and then do your homework. First, show up on time for the interview. By on time, I mean 10 minutes early (Lombardi Time). The dress code is business casual. This means slacks and a collared shirt (tucked in) or a nice polo with appropriate shoes for guys, and the same, or a conservative skirt and blouse for girls.
As for the interview itself, here's a response I wrote to someone else that will help you:
What's the interview like? That depends a LOT on the interviewer. Basically, they should be looking for someone with strong customer service skills, is dependable (won't call out sick, come in late), and eager to learn . Game knowledge is helpful, but not required, especially not over customer service and dependability, because product knowledge is much easier to teach than customer service skills. I've had many applicants try to dazzle me with software knowledge who came in poorly dressed, ungroomed, and had a flippant attitude about customer service. Those folks did not get hired even though they were a walking game encyclopedia.
You cannot be introverted and work at Gamestop for long. In addition to the normal selling of games, you will be asked to push subscriptions to Game Informer magazine, and sell reservations on upcoming games. You must have some people skills, and that kind of thing just comes out naturally even if the interviewer asks you about the weather and never mentions video games. Be yourself, know yourself, and you'll do fine if you're right for the job.
Good luck and have fun! It is a great part-time job, but I wouldn't recommend it for career minded individuals. This is not a company you can really grow with, in my opinion.
Answered By: fish - 9/16/2009 |