I used to work in a bookstore and getting first hand new books was additive! I get the day being busy, people sometimes underestimate the amount of work involved in a book store. Great video
I've been wondering about applying for a bookseller job at Barnes & Noble, but my issue is that I don't really read books, in fact I rarely have done it in a long time. I'd love to work at the bookstore so I'm trying to learn as much as I can and hope for the best!
It never hurts to apply! Reading is definitely a pretty big factor, though, I won't say it's not. That's not to say there aren't coworkers who aren't as passionate about books as I am, or who read as much as I do, but having an enjoyment and love of books can really help. But honest curiosity and sharing why you want to work for a bookstore isn't something to be discredited.
Thanks for this informative video! If you don’t mind me asking what is the typical pay for a new employee? I really want to work at Barnes and Noble but can’t afford to only get paid basic minimum wage.
I think that depends on where you live and what your resume looks like, but on average I think Glassdoor has the bookseller at $12 an hour. It's not enough to live off of unless you can share your living expenses with others (family, friends, partner, etc).
I believe it's whatever local minimum wage is, at least for the part of the country where I live I know that's the case across the board. There have been some attempts to raise it by the company recently, but it's not much above minimum wage.
I can’t believe I actually watched this video from start to end lmao usually I skip a lot of times but you were so informative and I can tell you love you job. I was wondering how is the application process like? Like usually how long after you apply do you hear back Edit: and is there group interviews or individual ones
That's so sweet of you to say! My experience with the application process went like this: I applied online and made sure to highlight my love of reading in my cover letter. It didn't take long to receive a call from the store for a phone screening that's really focused on feeling out the applicant and seeing if they would be a good fit for the store in practical ways (like what hours they're available, their work ethic, what experience they have with books like whether they actually like books or if this is just a whatever job--the company definitely seems to want people who love books and reading, and whether the salary is a fit for them). Not everyone gets a phone screening but in my experience it's very quick turn around either way so you aren't left hanging. If the phone screening goes well (and honestly, this is the part where it tends to be the applicant deciding whether they're still interested in the job or not, because if you get the phone screening it probably means your application looks like someone that would be good for an in person interview) then an in-person interview is set up. At my store it's always one on one and sometimes you have to interview with two people, but it's still two separate one on one interviews. Other stores may do it different, I don't know for sure. If that goes well then they ask for references, I think two of them. And if that goes well there's a job offer! Once again though, this is just my experience at my location and I've only ever been on the end of being hired and not the hiring end. But I ended up getting hired about two weeks after I initially applied which was the Holiday season of 2019.
Hi! I'm considering applying for b&n for the summer- it'll be my first job if I'm lucky ! But is it okay to ask about what to expect during an interview here? What questions were asked? Also, I haven't really been an avid book reader- but WOULD like to be! There are books that really catch my attention but haven't gotten my hands on them. I mainly read manga, and I'm kind of worried maybe that'll make me look weird/embarrassing! I'm so sorry if you've answered this- I would really like a job and would like to be prepared as much as I can. And one last thing- would it be possible to ask for water/sitting breaks (I know we get breaks, but sometimes I have spells and would like to know!)? Or would that be undesirable and affect the pay? Thank you for your time!;;
I don't remember the exact questions but what I do recall is that round one, the phone interview portion, is mostly practical questions such as availability, what sort of pay you're looking for/expecting, what you consider to be a good job at work, what you consider to be good customer service, etc. and they will probably ask what you like to read. The second round is a lot more about getting to know whether you'd be a fit for the store and if you'll be a hard worker. They never really throw anything tricky in there, at least at my store, and just wanted honest answers. Since it's your first job you'll probably just want to try and apply experiences you've had at school or at extracurriculars in examples of how you worked with a team well. As for reading, that's okay as long as the interest is there and as long as you can still show you're passionate about reading/books that you'd be knowledgable for the customers. I do believe one of the questions asked is along the lines of "how do you keep up with book news" and it's totally valid to say social media if that's how you do it they just want to make sure they're hiring someone qualified. Manga is HUGE right now across the board and I'd say more than half the employees at my store are big manga readers so it's not strange at all to be up front about that. I'm sure it'd be possible; I will say that while I don't know break policy in other states, where I live I get a 15 every 4 hours and a half hour if it's 5.5+ (I believe, could be a little off on those numbers) and we are allowed to have water with us on the floor as long as it's out of sight when we're not drinking it. If you need specific accommodations though you should definitely bring it up during your interview, but try to be honest and don't over or under estimate. And as for affecting pay--they wouldn't pay you less per hour if you needed breaks but I guess depending on the store they might consider it an unpaid break? I'm not 100% sure how that would work but it wouldn't be like you would get paid less per hour.
@@theteapotreadsI always struggled with focusing on reading but when I discovered audiobooks it enhanced the reading experience. Reading books is like a movie for the brain!
hiiii! I am looking to apply for b&n and have a couple of questions! What is part-time like? Is it 5pm-9pm? Can you work during the day? I've also seen some say the hours vary, others say it's pretty set in stone. Thanks for the great video! I was actually really intimidated at first when looking at the job description and it appears super fancy, but your video really helps!
This is just me talking from my own experience and I know every location is probably going to be different (as well as different state regulations and whatnot) but at my store part-time varies depending on how much someone can work. We have some employees who only come in the evenings after their classes, and some employees who only work mornings before going on to their second job. The shortest shifts at my work are about 4 to 4 1/2 hours (though this could be because of my state's regulations; I don't believe it's part of the company policy, though I could be wrong). A lot of part time workers at my store also work regular 8 hour shifts, they just work fewer days a week than a full-time employee. For the 8 hour shifts there are three "shift-types" that are worked: opening (~9-5), mid (~10-6), and close (~1-9), though these can vary, again, based on someone's availability. At the store you're applying to I would recommend just being honest with when you can work and what hours you can hold; if you can work during the day let them know, if you can't, let them know that as well. Part-time definitely has more flexibility than full-time because you are required to work fewer hours a week (and I could be wrong/and it could be based on state regulations, but I believe part-time just means you can't exceed 30 hours a week or so), and those hours could be any time during the day and/or night when you are available. I hope that's helpful! If you need clarification on anything, let me know!
@@theteapotreads woah! Thank you so much for the detailed response! It is very helpful, I'll keep it in mind and take it with a grain of salt. Thank you so much again!
Hello! I applied to my local Barnes and Noble on the 5th of this month and I was wondering, do you know about how long it takes to hear back from them? I have been checking the status of my application and it has not moved past “Applied” yet.
@@AtinyElring Nope. Still nothing. Probably either going to try applying to a different location or moving on to something else if I don’t hear back by next week.
I know its been about a year but when I applied to barista they actually sent me a rejection email so you’d likely hear back from B&N (since my application to barista was via B&N and not starbucks)
It's pretty casual! I wear jeans most days and just sweaters or nice-ish shirts. Basically the rule of thumb is look clean and put together (so no t-shirts and shorts and such) but not like office-professional.There are of course do's and dont's in the employee handbook but being able to wear comfortable clothes is amazing!
Hi!! I have been applying to my local b&n for a few years now, i always seem to get rejected & am not sure as to why… i have the experience and most of my essential duties are very similar to an assistant manager.. i think my resume is pretty good and lists most of my strong hard skills as well as soft skills. Am i doing something wrong? Mind you, I’ve never reached out after applying so maybe that could knock me down a few points ? I’m not sure. Ive always had a strong love for books so working there would be a dream. I applied a few days ago and also went in the store to drop off my physical resume so, hopefully i get a call rather than a rejection email 🥺
It would definitely depend on the store. I know my location puts quite a bit of interest in the cover letter. I actually originally applied twice, about a year apart, and the first time, since it said cover letter optional, I never even received a message back from them. But the second time, with a cover letter that really highlighted how much I loved books and was passionate about them, I got a call back very quickly. It could also have to do with your availability--just speaking from my experience, getting people with a lot of open availability or who are available to work at less common times (for example, my store has a hard time finding people for Wednesday nights) is an important factor. Honestly, continuing to apply and showing them your dedication to books and your relevant skills is the most important part if you really want to work there. I wish you luck and hope you land the job!
I applied for a job somewhere and hadn't heard from them, so I went to their website and went to the contact page. I got an interview like 30 minutes after that. By following up it shows that you are actually interested, instead of applying just to get a job.
I just sent a comment but not sure it was sent. An update to tell you I sent away for copy of "Billy Summers" at B&N website should arrive soon. I hope to start reading soon and tell my thoughts, opinion etc. Thanks. Bye for now.
I don't know the specific hiring practices of every B&N, I'm sure that each state probably has their own regulations, but at my B&N 16 is old enough to work there.
@@theteapotreads oh ok thanks I also actually applied a few weeks ago and I recently received my application but unfortunately I got rejected in the email.
super excited i found ya :-) my first day is friday- finally picked it up as a side job because of my love for books
Congrats! I hope it was a good first day for you!
hi are you still working there? how do you like it?
your passion for this is contagious and makes me so excited to pursue a bookseller job as well
Thank you so much these are some of the kindest words anyone has ever said to me! I hope you find a bookstore and enjoy working there!
I used to work in a bookstore and getting first hand new books was additive! I get the day being busy, people sometimes underestimate the amount of work involved in a book store. Great video
I just got hired I’ve been trying to work at B&N for the past 3 yearsss I’m so excited and grateful
Congrats! I hope you enjoy your experiences! (and also the discount; the discount is great)
@@theteapotreads I would by so many books!! 😅
I've been wondering about applying for a bookseller job at Barnes & Noble, but my issue is that I don't really read books, in fact I rarely have done it in a long time. I'd love to work at the bookstore so I'm trying to learn as much as I can and hope for the best!
It never hurts to apply! Reading is definitely a pretty big factor, though, I won't say it's not. That's not to say there aren't coworkers who aren't as passionate about books as I am, or who read as much as I do, but having an enjoyment and love of books can really help. But honest curiosity and sharing why you want to work for a bookstore isn't something to be discredited.
Thanks for this informative video! If you don’t mind me asking what is the typical pay for a new employee? I really want to work at Barnes and Noble but can’t afford to only get paid basic minimum wage.
I think that depends on where you live and what your resume looks like, but on average I think Glassdoor has the bookseller at $12 an hour. It's not enough to live off of unless you can share your living expenses with others (family, friends, partner, etc).
I believe it's whatever local minimum wage is, at least for the part of the country where I live I know that's the case across the board. There have been some attempts to raise it by the company recently, but it's not much above minimum wage.
I can’t believe I actually watched this video from start to end lmao usually I skip a lot of times but you were so informative and I can tell you love you job. I was wondering how is the application process like? Like usually how long after you apply do you hear back
Edit: and is there group interviews or individual ones
That's so sweet of you to say! My experience with the application process went like this: I applied online and made sure to highlight my love of reading in my cover letter. It didn't take long to receive a call from the store for a phone screening that's really focused on feeling out the applicant and seeing if they would be a good fit for the store in practical ways (like what hours they're available, their work ethic, what experience they have with books like whether they actually like books or if this is just a whatever job--the company definitely seems to want people who love books and reading, and whether the salary is a fit for them). Not everyone gets a phone screening but in my experience it's very quick turn around either way so you aren't left hanging. If the phone screening goes well (and honestly, this is the part where it tends to be the applicant deciding whether they're still interested in the job or not, because if you get the phone screening it probably means your application looks like someone that would be good for an in person interview) then an in-person interview is set up. At my store it's always one on one and sometimes you have to interview with two people, but it's still two separate one on one interviews. Other stores may do it different, I don't know for sure. If that goes well then they ask for references, I think two of them. And if that goes well there's a job offer! Once again though, this is just my experience at my location and I've only ever been on the end of being hired and not the hiring end. But I ended up getting hired about two weeks after I initially applied which was the Holiday season of 2019.
Hi! I'm considering applying for b&n for the summer- it'll be my first job if I'm lucky ! But is it okay to ask about what to expect during an interview here? What questions were asked?
Also, I haven't really been an avid book reader- but WOULD like to be! There are books that really catch my attention but haven't gotten my hands on them. I mainly read manga, and I'm kind of worried maybe that'll make me look weird/embarrassing!
I'm so sorry if you've answered this- I would really like a job and would like to be prepared as much as I can.
And one last thing- would it be possible to ask for water/sitting breaks (I know we get breaks, but sometimes I have spells and would like to know!)? Or would that be undesirable and affect the pay? Thank you for your time!;;
I don't remember the exact questions but what I do recall is that round one, the phone interview portion, is mostly practical questions such as availability, what sort of pay you're looking for/expecting, what you consider to be a good job at work, what you consider to be good customer service, etc. and they will probably ask what you like to read. The second round is a lot more about getting to know whether you'd be a fit for the store and if you'll be a hard worker. They never really throw anything tricky in there, at least at my store, and just wanted honest answers. Since it's your first job you'll probably just want to try and apply experiences you've had at school or at extracurriculars in examples of how you worked with a team well.
As for reading, that's okay as long as the interest is there and as long as you can still show you're passionate about reading/books that you'd be knowledgable for the customers. I do believe one of the questions asked is along the lines of "how do you keep up with book news" and it's totally valid to say social media if that's how you do it they just want to make sure they're hiring someone qualified. Manga is HUGE right now across the board and I'd say more than half the employees at my store are big manga readers so it's not strange at all to be up front about that.
I'm sure it'd be possible; I will say that while I don't know break policy in other states, where I live I get a 15 every 4 hours and a half hour if it's 5.5+ (I believe, could be a little off on those numbers) and we are allowed to have water with us on the floor as long as it's out of sight when we're not drinking it. If you need specific accommodations though you should definitely bring it up during your interview, but try to be honest and don't over or under estimate. And as for affecting pay--they wouldn't pay you less per hour if you needed breaks but I guess depending on the store they might consider it an unpaid break? I'm not 100% sure how that would work but it wouldn't be like you would get paid less per hour.
@@theteapotreadsI always struggled with focusing on reading but when I discovered audiobooks it enhanced the reading experience. Reading books is like a movie for the brain!
hiiii! I am looking to apply for b&n and have a couple of questions! What is part-time like? Is it 5pm-9pm? Can you work during the day? I've also seen some say the hours vary, others say it's pretty set in stone. Thanks for the great video! I was actually really intimidated at first when looking at the job description and it appears super fancy, but your video really helps!
This is just me talking from my own experience and I know every location is probably going to be different (as well as different state regulations and whatnot) but at my store part-time varies depending on how much someone can work. We have some employees who only come in the evenings after their classes, and some employees who only work mornings before going on to their second job. The shortest shifts at my work are about 4 to 4 1/2 hours (though this could be because of my state's regulations; I don't believe it's part of the company policy, though I could be wrong). A lot of part time workers at my store also work regular 8 hour shifts, they just work fewer days a week than a full-time employee. For the 8 hour shifts there are three "shift-types" that are worked: opening (~9-5), mid (~10-6), and close (~1-9), though these can vary, again, based on someone's availability. At the store you're applying to I would recommend just being honest with when you can work and what hours you can hold; if you can work during the day let them know, if you can't, let them know that as well. Part-time definitely has more flexibility than full-time because you are required to work fewer hours a week (and I could be wrong/and it could be based on state regulations, but I believe part-time just means you can't exceed 30 hours a week or so), and those hours could be any time during the day and/or night when you are available. I hope that's helpful! If you need clarification on anything, let me know!
@@theteapotreads woah! Thank you so much for the detailed response! It is very helpful, I'll keep it in mind and take it with a grain of salt. Thank you so much again!
Thanks!
Hello! I applied to my local Barnes and Noble on the 5th of this month and I was wondering, do you know about how long it takes to hear back from them? I have been checking the status of my application and it has not moved past “Applied” yet.
hey how about now?
@@AtinyElring Nope. Still nothing. Probably either going to try applying to a different location or moving on to something else if I don’t hear back by next week.
I know its been about a year but when I applied to barista they actually sent me a rejection email so you’d likely hear back from B&N (since my application to barista was via B&N and not starbucks)
@@SnakeDude.😊
So can u wear like ur own everyday clothes or do u have to wear some type of uniform ?
It's pretty casual! I wear jeans most days and just sweaters or nice-ish shirts. Basically the rule of thumb is look clean and put together (so no t-shirts and shorts and such) but not like office-professional.There are of course do's and dont's in the employee handbook but being able to wear comfortable clothes is amazing!
im 14 but i want to work at barnes and noble for my first job because i love books so much
Hopefully when you're old enough you'll get the opportunity! Definitely a great job to have!
Hi!! I have been applying to my local b&n for a few years now, i always seem to get rejected & am not sure as to why… i have the experience and most of my essential duties are very similar to an assistant manager.. i think my resume is pretty good and lists most of my strong hard skills as well as soft skills. Am i doing something wrong? Mind you, I’ve never reached out after applying so maybe that could knock me down a few points ? I’m not sure. Ive always had a strong love for books so working there would be a dream. I applied a few days ago and also went in the store to drop off my physical resume so, hopefully i get a call rather than a rejection email 🥺
It would definitely depend on the store. I know my location puts quite a bit of interest in the cover letter. I actually originally applied twice, about a year apart, and the first time, since it said cover letter optional, I never even received a message back from them. But the second time, with a cover letter that really highlighted how much I loved books and was passionate about them, I got a call back very quickly. It could also have to do with your availability--just speaking from my experience, getting people with a lot of open availability or who are available to work at less common times (for example, my store has a hard time finding people for Wednesday nights) is an important factor. Honestly, continuing to apply and showing them your dedication to books and your relevant skills is the most important part if you really want to work there. I wish you luck and hope you land the job!
I applied for a job somewhere and hadn't heard from them, so I went to their website and went to the contact page. I got an interview like 30 minutes after that. By following up it shows that you are actually interested, instead of applying just to get a job.
what is the discount working at barnes and noble?
Currently 40%, but it’s changing to 50% soon (for books specifically, other products have different employee discounts)
@@theteapotreadsThanks for the video, really Good!
Video starts at 2:14
Thanks🙏🏽
I just sent a comment but not sure it was sent. An update to tell you I sent away for copy of "Billy Summers" at B&N website should arrive soon. I hope to start reading soon and tell my thoughts, opinion etc. Thanks. Bye for now.
I just turned 16 am I old enough to apply at barns n nobles in Atlanta Ga.
I don't know the specific hiring practices of every B&N, I'm sure that each state probably has their own regulations, but at my B&N 16 is old enough to work there.
@@theteapotreads oh ok thanks I also actually applied a few weeks ago and I recently received my application but unfortunately I got rejected in the email.
@@tariqmuhammad471how did it go?