I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at Gap (Kitchener, ON) in Apr 2010
Interview
I applied in March or early April via the online application provided at The Gap's website. It was very formal, but I appreciated that it wasn't generic. It was geared toward the position, and made me feel that if I was selected, it would mean that I actually demonstrated something they found appealing. It wasn't that I had submitted my application and they were interviewing me without knowing anything about me. I lost hope almost a month later, until I received a call back from the manager of one of the stores in my area. I came in for an interview which, to my surprise, was unlike any that I'd had before at any other company. It was centered around The Gap experience. What I thought I could get out of The Gap, what I thought The Gap could gain from hiring me. I felt challenged in this interview, in a positive way. It wasn't those typical situational questions or anything. It was great. After the interview, I was told the manager would pass my information on to a higher ranking manager, who would call me back, and that if I didn't hear back within 10 days, to call them. 10 days passed, but I was busy and forgot to call them back. On the 12th day, today, they called me and offered me a position.
You said earlier that your retail experience is completely different from the kind that you'll be getting if we hire you at The Gap. In what way is it different?
I'm going to say a couple of phrases, and I want you to tell me what they mean, in your words, and what they'd look like in the store. "Sense of urgency."
The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Gap in Apr 2010
Interview
I applied online, which included filling out some personality questionnaires, and heard nothing for over a week. I am a college freshmen, with almost zero work experience, and was in the process of job hunting so I didn't take it personally that I hadn't heard back since no where really seemed to be interested in me. However, I was very surprised when I got a phone call from the manager of one of the Gap's I had applied at asking me to come in and interview. The interview was set for a couple of days after that phone call. I came in and I had a 1 on 1 interview with the manager I had spoken to on the phone. The manager was very talkative which was nice because I didn't feel that I was put on the spot and "left-hanging" as much as I had been in other interviews. I was confident, I made lots of eye contact, and I could tell that this impressed the manager. I took every opportunity I could to emphasize how much I value great customer service - which was a good choice because the manager then proceeded to tell me how the Gap wanted it's employees to be "customer obsessed." This prompted some questions about how I would handle some hypothetical situations which involved me prioritizing tasks and being able to multitask - and I answered all of them by making it clear that the customer would be my #1 priority. He then asked me to pick out an outfit for him and my only guidelines were that it had to be for a male customer. I had five minutes (the first thing I did was look at all the mannequins and try to pick out something very similar) and I ended up picking out two "variations" of an outfit (I didn't really plan on doing this but I was torn between two options so I just picked both and chalked it up to "giving the customer options based on their personal preferences"). The manager didn't seem totally "wowed" by my choices - he actually expressed that he didn't like one of the shirt options that much (which is ironic because I noticed as he was talking that it was the exact shirt on the mannequin behind him). I didn't really let that phase me though and I just kept exuding the same confidence that I had during the 1 on 1 part. I proceeded to put away all of the clothes I had picked out and I could tell he really liked that. That was pretty much the end of the interview - he told me that if I was picked I would hear back within a few days and if not I would get a generic "thanks but no thanks" e-mail. I got a call about four days later and he offered me a job! Bottom line, while I'm sure previous work experience is a big plus, my interview experience with the Gap goes to show that they are looking for someone who is confident in their ability to go above and beyond for a customer - so if you get a chance to interview, keep that in mind!
You are working and these things all happen: you are in the middle of ringing up a customer, another customer walks in, a child knocks over a display, the phone rings, and the manager is asking you for assistance in the back room via headset.
Prioritize them.
I applied online. The process took 3 days. I interviewed at Gap (Londres, Inglaterra) in Jan 2010
Interview
Applied online on Gap careers.
Received a phone call a week later for a telephone screening
Passed the telephone screening and was invited in store to have a one to one interview with the store manager.
I passed this stage and was subsequently hired and asked to come in for a training weekend.