Depending on the position, retail experience is preferred but not essential. Do you have any retail or sales experience?
At IKEA, the job descriptions for most customer-facing roles state that one year of sales or customer service experience is preferred. But strong social skills, emotional maturity, empathy, and patience are more important, as is a passion for home furnishings and sustainable living. Describe your retail experience or any experience you feel makes you well-suited to accomplishing the tasks and assignments of an IKEA retail coworker.
"I started working in retail about four years ago and have grown to enjoy it. My favorite part of working in this industry is that there are always new problems to solve, so it keeps my mind engaged. I also enjoy learning new things, so I'm excited about acquiring more knowledge about IKEA products so I can confidently share that information with customers."
"While I don't yet have any retail experience, I'm excited to get started! I have a firm grasp of customer service; for the last two years, I've worked at an IT call center, helping clients with computer issues. Even though it's a very different industry, the essential qualities of good customer service are consistent -- a positive, helpful attitude; deep knowledge and the ability to confidently communicate that knowledge with customers; and the ability to prioritize to find the most efficient way of solving a problem or accomplishing a task. I think my experience has made me very well-suited for a job at IKEA."
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Anonymous Answer
I've worked in retail, inbound and outbound sales for 15 years!
Rachelle's Feedback
Further detail on your roles would be very helpful to the interviewer.
"I worked in a retail environment selling hardware and DIY goods for five years. In this customer facing role, I would assist approximately 50 customers per day, making product suggestions and upselling. I also performed inbound, and outbound sales calls for Company ABC for ten years. In this role, I handled around 60 calls per day, upselling customers, offering new services, and handling account disputes."
Anonymous Answer
lots of retail experience
Marcie's Feedback
Great! Can you go into more detail? What type of retail experience do you have? Where have you worked and in what type of roles? Also, how do they relate to the position you're interested in? Make sure to hone in on how this experience will help you to excel within this role.
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