Hi liatoffster,

Yes it looks like they want to interview you on Friday.

If you let us know which company is this and which job you have applied for then we might help you.

Thanks for using learnist.org.

Toolstation sell a selection of tools such as power tools, fixings, hand tools, ironmongery, painting and decorating items and landscaping products. In essence they are a hardware shop. If you want to work for them, it is likely that you will need an interest in tools as well as retail. Make sure that you find out all about the company in case you have to prove your interest in the company by demonstrating your knowledge of them.

Branches tend to open late most nights and therefore you may be asked about your willingness to work evenings as well as during the day. This is something you need to consider and if you cannot do evenings, then it may not be worth going ahead with the interview, but it does depend what is in the specific job requirements.

You will need to make sure that you emphasise any customer services experience that you have. This is very important, whether you are working on the shop floor or doing another job for the company. Even if it is only voluntary work, you should mention it as it is very important.

The company also employs managers and you will need to have some previous experience to apply for this role. You may need qualifications as well and you will need to make sure that you are able to respond to questions that will test your management ability. This might be to do with how you might motivate a team, discipline them or generally manage them. You may need to come up with examples of when you have done this in the past and how you feel you could apply that experience to your new role. Make sure that you are aware of the job requirements in case you are asked about how you will meet them.

The company website has details of all of the products that they sell and so make sure that you familiarise yourself with them. Obviously you will not be able to learn everything, but if you have an idea of the types of things that they sell, then this will be a good start.

Debenhams is a department store selling clothing, cosmetics and accessories. They mainly have positions for customer services staff but also have administration positions.

Generally you are likely to be asked why you want to work for Debenhams. Make sure that you are well prepared with an answer such as it is a shop you like to shop in or you think the company is a good one and want to be with someone you can stay with. If you are in a customer facing role then you need to be prepared to be asked about your customer service skills. You will need to demonstrate that you have the ability to work well with customers and can deal with lots of different types of people.

These days Debenhams often do telephone interviews to start with. If you have never done one of these before, then you may find it quite strange. It can be a good idea to practice by asking a friend or family member to telephone you and ask you some questions. Try to choose someone who will take it seriously and ask you the types of questions you expect them to ask. You could always give them a list of things to ask you.

It is a good idea to find out something of the history of Debenhams so that you can answer any questions on this or try to incorporate it in to your answers so that it is obvious that you have bothered to make an effort for the interview. Try to find out some interesting things about the branch that you are applying to as well.

It is always important to make sure that you read the job requirements and make sure that you can show how you have all of the necessary skills. Even if you have not had a job with the right experience, have some examples of real life experiences you have had that have demonstrated your skills. This could be volunteer work, times when you were studying or even times when with the family, Even a weak example is better than none.

You will probably receive questions about the company and here are some of the examples:

• Why Debenhams?
• What do you know about Debenhams/
• Why do you want to work for Debenhams?
• How would you approach a customer?

Good luck and keep us posted 🙂

hi pinkygrl,

Here are some of the most asked typical interview questions and 3 answers for each question:

What are your salary expectations? Interview Question
Describe a difficult work situation project and how you overcame it
Give some examples of teamwork – Interview Question
What motivates you? Interview Question and Answer
What is your greatest weakness? Interview Question
Why do you want this job? Interview Question
What is your greatest strength? Interview Question
Sales Assistant Interview Questions
Interview Questions – How to Answer ‘Tell me About Yourself’
What Did You Like Or Dislike About Your Previous Job?
What Were Your Expectations For The Job And To What Extent Were They Met?
What Can You Do for Us That Other Candidates Can’t
What Are Your Hobbies?
What Are Your Goals?
If You Were An Animal, What Animal Would You Be?‎
Why Should We Hire You?

And rest of the list can be on this page – Typical interview questions.

If you pass your interview stage then you will be attending to a Experience Day with Pret a Manger. You will work a couple of hours and then they will decide whether you should work with them or not.

good luck and let us know how was it!

My understanding is that you are currently unemployed and on jobseekers allowance. You have been given the opportunity to work for a gym but your main concern is that the cost of using public transport to and from the place of work will be excessive leaving you without enough income to pay all your living costs…

This is a no-brainer.  Take the job.  Without it you will not continue to receive your jobseeker’s allowance.  Once you have a job it is considerably easier to find alternative employment but while you are not employed it will be much more difficult.

In the future you can consider moving closer to the place of employment, but there may also be other options.  There may be offers of overtime or an opportunity to apply for a better paid position at the gym.  If you are finding it difficult to pay your rent etc. it is also worth looking into whether you can apply for Housing Benefits from your local authority.

Having a job will greatly improve your confidence and sense of self-worth so even if you are in the same financial predicament you are in now, you are much more likely to be able to find an alternative job.

I hope this helps and Good luck!

Chef salaries are completely depending on where you work however here are the average Chef pay rates in the UK:

– If you are new or in training then your starting salary can be around £12k a year.

– Section chefs (chefs de partie) can earn up to £16k a year.

– Second chef (sous chef) can earn around £22k a year.

– Head Chefs can earn up to £50,000 a year.

Related job guides:

– Chef Cover letter example
– Chef CV Template