Anyone work at Hollister?

[allmIne]

unfortunately its true...they do hire based on the brand image.
Also I heard they are very strict with what you wear. You must wear everything from Hollister, even a simple hanes undershirt is unacceptable. (i don't think your even allowed to wear a pair of Nike sneakers)

Wearing clothing of the same brand is fairly normal, though I've personally always been able to wear whatever shoes I wanted.

Anyway, to my point. When a new store opened locally, they asked a girl I used to work with to come work for them. They specifically told her: no makeup bar a small amount of eye shadow; nails not too long, not too short, and unpainted; hair 'natural'; and no fake tan.

Went down two weeks ago, late November in a coooold country, to find a fella with flip flops, board shorts, a hoodie unzipped with nothing on underneath, Oakleys and sunblock on his nose, standing outside and looking blase.

So dark inside that I couldn't see patterns, let alone prices. And the smell...

 

[Rampant.A.I.]

if you are were a real ********, and didn't greet anybody at the interview, then you will definitely be hired.

Pretty much. Everyone I've known who has worked there says "don't do it."

And I've worked a lot of/known a lot of people who have worked retail.

Jobs like that are only good if you go in wanting a new wardrobe, and have no qualms about quitting when you get fed up.

 

[Knowlege Bomb]

I worked at a Hollister in the Irvine Spectrum as a side job while I was in the military and I actually really liked it. It was a good opportunity to talk to/meet girls and the people I worked with were always pretty friendly. I didn't really have to interview because they were opening the store and had people out recruiting to fill the staff so my friend and I were just stopped and asked if we wanted to help open the store.

It was an interesting experience. We were the only marines on the staff and they knew we had strange hours so we basically got to make our own schedules.

Walking by them today, the smell is definitely suffocating and I know for a fact it wasn't that bad when I worked there. I've heard that they have employees walk around once an hour and spray that stuff.

 

[Kenzembo1]

I work at Abercrombie & Fitch...

I've worked at A&F for 4.5 years! I can tell you that it's a good job to have as a student because they're good about working around your schedule. My position there is a "model" aka. sales associate...we used to be called 'Brand Reps' but that changed about 2 years ago. I can definitely tell you from years of experience that they are very selective during the hiring process. They rarely hire people that come in and request to fill out an application. Usually one of the managers or another sales associate will notice someone that they think is ideal for the position and will approach them asking if they'd considered working here or in retail - it's almost as if you're chosen

To be honest, they usually have a pretty good idea of who they're hiring before the group interview even takes place. They most likely have their decision made up before you even get done filling out your application. The decision is most always based on appearance. It sounds bad and it is. I look at girls and say, "Hey, what do you think about her...she's really pretty." They often respond by saying, "Her? Really? She's wearing UGGS and way too much makeup." I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Our dress code is too long to list, but the simple version is:

- Have to wear jeans year-round and your shirt/top has to be a combination of either white, grey, or navy (with special wardrobes during holidays - i.e. we had to wear dark jeans and a flannel shirt during black friday weekend)
- Have to wear Chuck Taylor All-Stars (low-top shell toes) in either black, navy, white, grey, or brown or just wear flip-flops
- Have to be well-groomed and guys can't have any facial hair with sideburns kept to a minimum - hair has to look and appear natural
- Girls aren't supposed to wear any makeup - can only wear a little blush and coverup if needed


It's definitely a unique place to work...obviously, you get people that complain about the marketing, the music, and the fragrance, but you learn to deal with it. I actually find many of the complaints humorous. There are kids who love and worship the brand and there are some who patrol around the store and make fun of the expensive garments, etc. I worked tonight 5 - 12:00 am and during that time (as a cashier) I had a lady yell at me about the 'pornography' in our store, and numerous people complain about price points. I've also had people (students) approach me, asking if you have to be good-looking or "popular" to work there...so sad

I never wore A&F before I started working there and actually used to work at American Eagle...my parents pretty much refused to shop at Abercrombie because it was expensive and I didn't blame them. If someone didn't approach me about working there, I probably still wouldn't shop there. Not that the clothes are unattractive, I think the clothes are great quality and they fit my small frame rather well lol. They have a good, clean style, something I would've never discovered if I didn't get hired. The people that work there may 'look' like tools, but most* are really cool and even fun to hang out with outside of the mall. Working there, you meet a lot of people which is appealing if you're the social type.

I know this is a long response, but to the OP: I wouldn't worry about it. There are worse things in life than not getting hired at Hollister Co. (a sister brand/affiliate of Abercrombie & Fitch). My suggestion to you is that if you're really set on getting hired there, don't make a big deal out of it - don't worry about calling, just fill out another application and apply for a different position (maybe consider joining the Impact Team). You can even go on their website and fill out your application online if you don't want to make another trip to the mall. I can tell you right now that they didn't make any mistakes. They didn't forget* to call you. The case could be that they already have enough people for the season, but even that might be wishful thinking. If all else fails, get a job at a book store or some place where you think you have an interest. I went to Barnes & Noble to do some Christmas shopping and it seems like a much cooler place (to me) than working at Abercrombie or Hollister. You may also want to consider Best Buy...the perks they get make our 30% employee discount look nominal. My job is ok, I'm satisfied with it because it meets my needs but I would love to work somewhere like those mentioned. They probably pay better too

I hope this post offered some perspective into what it's like to work in retail. It's not a glamorous job and it's not for everyone.

 

[andalusia]

Trust me, you don't want to work there! If you work up the tolerance for the strong smell of cologne you will be unbearable to everyone who is alive around you.

My friend and I always joke when we pass Abercrombie and Fitch; "What is that smell?" - "I think it smells like douche-bag!". Hollister has that same smell as well...

I didn't quite understand this comment... I couldn't understand it since I'd never been in the shop before. But today at the Trafford Centre, I decided to go in...


And now agree with the comment. I couldn't stand to be in the shop, I had to leave after about half a minute. It's also really dark and dingy, and cramped too. Don't know if this is like all stores across the world, but I won't be going in again. I don't know how my friend works there.