Jobs

[Pious the chosen]

Um... if you hate folk so much Ryan, maybe working in a call centre isn't the best idea.

This is very true Ryan, Yet hating the general populous does give you some unique (read sadistic) job options: Help desks, Traffic Warden, Inland revenue etc yet if all else fails...

If none of that works become a rent boy. You can get a fair amount of cash for wanking off old men.

[SmallOfBooty]

Just found out i have a (kinda) interview for the John Lewis call centre round the corner from my house. Its a 3 hour group assessment. I have a kind of idea what that will entail and im not looking forward to it.

Does anyone have any tips or advice, i really need this job.

Play nicey, nice. Good luck

[RYAN WHITELAW]

oh shit im gonna have to act like a fake fucker. Im a nice fellow but i have a feeling its gonna be overly nice pain in the arse people that are there.

[regemond]

oh shit im gonna have to act like a fake fucker. Im a nice fellow but i have a feeling its gonna be overly nice pain in the arse people that are there.

If it's a group assessment it'll probably have the typical team building/group exercises that all those interviews have. Maybe a bit of roleplay too (fingers crossed its the kinky kind!).

I've heard that some places don't like people who take TOO much control so provided you can blag that you work well as part of a team and don't make shit-loads of effort to get yourself constantly in their limelight then you should be all good (dont take that as me insinuating that you CANT work as part of a team, I just obviously don't know you well enough to pass opinion either way).

Either way though - good luck!!

[RYAN WHITELAW]

cheers dude. I think i will be ok. Its usually the questions like "why do you want this job?" that **** me up at interviews. I never know what to say.

Alos im hopeless and finding out things about the company. All i know about john lewis is that they sell stuff at a high price and are supposedly a brilliant company to work for.

[RetroBob]

Very interesting situation - glad you are getting it sorted.

People have said that it's always easier to find a job when you've already got one - so don't just up sticks and leave (it seems you've already decided this) anyway. One thing you could do is ask to be moved - if you have an air conditioning vent near you, complain that it's making your eyes dry or something. You could also get one of those privacy filter things for your screen, that way only someone sat directly in front of it, i.e. you can see it. The HR staff at my workplace have it, they really do the trick.

[Bilge Rat]

Nice going Ryan, I hope you get it.

I had a group interview once for Asda. I think they just kind of put everyone into groups and had us devise and perform a new advert for the store. It was easy enough and nowhere near as daunting as a normal interview. You might get asked to roleplay a call centre situation or to give examples of when you have had good or bad customer service experiences. They may also go round everyone and ask for an 'interesting fact' about you so consider having something prepared.

You can get the basics about the company by just looking it up on Wikipedia or whatever. It won't take more than a minute to get enough material to bluff with. You might also want to search for recent news stories relating to the company to see if there are any recent issues that you can pretend to be knowledgable about.

[RYAN WHITELAW]

Iv got some info from a guy who works in the place im gonna be and done the same assessment, it goes as follows

Write why you want to work for John Lewis.
The thing you are most proud of.
Your best acheivements etc

And read these out to the team you are sat with 1 by 1 (you have 2 minutes each to do it answering any questions)

Task 2

Look at a premade lego house for 5 minutes, then as a team try to rebuild it in 5 minutes.

Task 3

Look at several labels which customers say about John Lewis, such as honest, respect, knowledge etc and rank them in order of preference to the customer.

Task 4

Read a customer complaint and write how you would deal with the complaint and the customer from the information you've been given. Pretty straightforward.

That's it for Part 1 , the John Lewis assessors then go away and discuss who will then stay on for part one, if you're successful, you'll be asked to stand up and go to another room (bit like x-factor) and you'll be told you're fate (may be wrong on being successful).

Part 2 then continues, you are then given out a sheet of paper and asked to write an email response to the customer complaint in Part 1 Task 4. Once you've finished the email response, you'll be given a few sheets of paper with different products on with their specifications, was handbags and DAB Radios on mine.

The following can take place in just about any order

After you've got yourself ready with the product notes you're asked to go through to an assessor and do a roleplay (you can take the products sheet with you). This is two chairs facing away from each other, so you and the assessor is sat back to back, and you start the roleplay as if you were the customer advisor, advising the customer on the product he/she chooses from the product sheets you have been given.

Once you've done that part, you'll be asked by one assessor if you are looking for full or part time work, and if u have any holidays planned (they pretty flexible with holidays during training, although, just 1 day off is the norm).

After that, you will have a 1 on 1 interview with an assessor and will be asked about what you can bring to John Lewis, and asked about examples of customer service you've previously had.

And that's it! Started at 9:30 finished and out by 12:30, i got a call the following week, 6 days later being told i got the job, i started on the induction yesterday.

Now i dont have a problem with most of that, its the first bit that bothers me. I dont have a clue what i will say is my best achievement (9k gamerscore? ), what im most proud of or why i want to work at john lewis.

[blagmasterg]

Think outside the box mate. When it comes to best achievements that is usually the way to go. For example I once sat in an interview and said that my greatest recent achievement was conquering my fear of flying and IBS to fly to Rome with Claire for her 30th. My point is don't get hung up thinking they will want something academic or even necessarily work related - just think of something in your life that you feel genuinely proud of yourself for having achieved - this question is more about a genuine and heartfelt answer than it is about the content, and if you sit there and come out with a pat answer about devising a new filing system at your last job that increased efficiency then they will spot a mile off that you're just making shit up that you think they want to hear.

As to why you want to work there - that's a bit more difficult. This is the part of the interview when you DO have to bullshit them because lets face it the honest answer for almost any job to that question is 'so that I can earn money'. What you have to do is say stuff like 'looking for a fresh challenge' 'enjoy helping people' etc etc.

At the end of the day, I have worked n a call centre environment, and its as dull as ditchwater - however, it can also be a really easy ride if you aproach it the right way. Often you will find if you have quiet periods you are allowed to just take out a book or whatever. Most of what you have to say to people will be scripted so you don't have to think too much, and they usually offer fairly decent benefits precisely because otherwise nobody in their right mind would ever stay.

So try and enjoy it - its just an interview after all, nobody will shoot you at dawn if you don't get it. Worst case scenario, its good interview practice for the next time, best case scenario you get it and it keeps you busy and earning while you wait to find something better

Good luck!

[RYAN WHITELAW]

Thanks blag, some great advice. Especially the first part about achievements. But still, im gonna have to make something up. All of my achievements are not things you talk about in that environment. Iv got till next wednesday so not gonna think about it much then knuckle down next week and think of some bullshit.

[blagmasterg]

Nae worries

I went to a group interview at John Lewis years back, but that was for the actual retail bit and was part time while I was at uni. I didn't get it either. So not much helpful feedback I could give you

From what I recall though, they offer excellent benefits to employees - discounts and such - and also if I recall correctly the way John Lewis operates is that all employees own a 'stake' in the company i.e. you get shares and supposedly some sort of collective say in what happens - would be good stuff to pad out your bullshit with (if its true - I'd suggest you check it out rather than take my word for it

For my part, I HATE my current job, and I am now at a stage in life where I want to make my next move a 'career' one. Now al I need to figure out is exactly what I want to do. Shouldn't be too hard right? Ony taken me 30 years so far with NO inspiration at all beyond a vague idea that I'd like to be a 'writer' of some sort or other.

[Pious the chosen]

I've never got to play with Lego in a job interview

[regemond]

I've never got to play with Lego in a job interview

Maybe you should apply for a job at legoland? or the Lego factory?

Or start your own business, create interviews involving Lego, sell the business on and then apply for a job there, which would involve the Lego interview...

Or you could just buy some Lego...

Ahem.

Sorry - sidetracked.

[retro74]

Now i dont have a problem with most of that, its the first bit that bothers me. I dont have a clue what i will say is my best achievement (9k gamerscore? ), what im most proud of or why i want to work at john lewis.

The main thing that will help you is to stop being a misanthrope. You don't have to be fake to get on with people. I've worked in a Corporate environment for 14 years and occasionally come across fake people but they don't last for long.

Just be yourself and relax. In a group situation it's all about balance,

Taking the lead is good but don't take over
Getting your point across it good be be careful to bring others in to the conversation and collaborate

John Lewis is the nation's favourite retailer. They are an employee owned organisation and engender amazing loyalty from their staff as a result.

Have you not got kids? Surely you're proud of that fact? You must be a pretty dependable person under pressure too - when that crisis happened recently where you live the bloke ended up seeking your help.

[Pious the chosen]

I've never got to play with Lego in a job interview

Maybe you should apply for a job at legoland? or the Lego factory?

Or start your own business, create interviews involving Lego, sell the business on and then apply for a job there, which would involve the Lego interview...

Or you could just buy some Lego...

Ahem.

Sorry - sidetracked.

Could be fun..