Best Buy Interviews

Hi all,

I applied at Best Buy for Digital Imaging Sales position through Craigslist about 2 1/2 weeks ago - just sent in my application stating my experience and that I had the daytime availability required.

Note that I have 2 years of retail experience specifically in selling cameras and membership services. I was out of actual camera sales for the last three months as I have worked as a photographer for a huge sports center in my area. The sports center has no work during the fall because most of the kids who play there are in middle/high school and return to school leagues where I will be taking sports photos in the next couple weeks.

Back to the point: They called me two days later to confirm that they were going to call me again to set up a second interview.

Having been to a few interviews in my brief career history, I think I did pretty well. I'm not sure what led to the discussion, but one point we were talking about the newest generation of digital cameras.

I explained how newer and older cameras compare when facing tough photographic situations like backlighting (when the subject is considerably darker than a much stronger light behind them, like a person standing in the sun) in addition to noting that when working at the sports center, parents would talk to me about cameras/equipment during their hockey/soccer games. Many of these parents returned for tournaments a couple weeks later with new cameras and still bought our prints, too.

After that, he suggested that full time was possible, in addition to potentially training customers and employees on SLR (big camera) usage. He also mentioned that they were creating a book low/mid/high range SLR's for training and he would want my help in its creation.

He called today (I missed it, football game photos) and said he wanted to schedule the "final interview process" with "Troy" on Monday.

Anyhow, here are my actual questions, in the next post because apparently I've typed too much.

Continuing....

Is it normal to have been called to confirm that they were going to call to schedule an interview - twice? He explained that they were "really busy" which I consider a good thing. If they have that many customers, time goes by fast.

What do you think the normal hourly rate for a sales associate with 2 years of experience would be?

Most importantly, do you think I have the job? I think I do, but I want to hear from others?

Do you have any information to add? Note that if someone decides to turn my post into a "Best Buy Sucks" thread, please make it constructive. If you are/were a high school student when you work/worked at Best Buy and you think your pay was too low/your coworkers sucked, I'd rather hear WHY you thought you deserved more or hated everyone instead of just knowing that you were unhappy with something.

Anywho.. Thanks in advance for the help!

It sounds like you did very well on your interviews and impressed them with your knowledge. I was confirmed for my second interview twice actually. As I left the first interview I was told that I would be called sometime soon to set up a second interview. As I walked through the door of the house my phone rang and it was another manager confirming my 2nd interview for the following week. So your situation seems pretty on track for being hired.
The normal hourly rate might not vary as much as people think for experience. Best Buy being a giant in the retail biz doesn't have the time to compensate according to experience. A smaller personal shop might be better but I think everyone knows that.
But overall sounds like you did good and you're on track!

Was just about to update this when you replied, TexasLmt.

I was hired after the second interview. In his own words "Jeff liked you and wants you as a part of his team, and so do I." .75 cent raise over my previous job.

I have a really good feeling about this. I worked in a retail camera store for two years, but half of that was lab. Now I just sell cameras.

And apparently at 22 I'm only of the oldest members of the Digital Imaging Team. Scary thought.

I applied with Best Buy for a temporary holiday position once. I went online, filled out the application and took all the personality tests.

They called me a few days later to set up an interview. I went in for the interview dressed professionally and interviewed with one of the managers. She was a very friendly lady who sat down with me and asked some questions about Best Buy, customer service and my prior experience. The job I had applied for online was a cashier position as I had extensive experience in this field working for other stores in the past.

After she asked me some questions she told me to wait right where I was and that she would go get the main store manager to ask me some other questions as part of the second part of the interview. I waited about 15 minutes or so. She came back and told me he was not in and that I would receive a call to schedule my second interview.

I never heard back from them after that, so I just applied at some other places instead.