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Job Interview on Wednesday....need advice!

J

jrmines12

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 28, 2008
21
0
Hello everybody,

So I have an interview set up at my local Apple Retail Store and I need your opinions. I am currently working at my local Starbucks and have been doing so for quite a while now and I really like the people I work with. Come December I am set to be moved to a new store opening in my local area, which is exciting. The Apple Store is further away, although I hear the pay is higher, but if I went there I would also have to deal with mall hours. I have over 2 years of experience in Retail so I'm familiar with the atmosphere, but the job and the people could make it all together different. So I'm asking your opinion....what do you think? Do you have any experiences working at an Apple store that could aid my decision? Any thoughts or ideas would help.

Thanks
 
I would listen to your gut. It sounds like both jobs have their pros and cons. If you're happy at your current job and feel uneasy about moving, then don't (if it aint broke, don't fix it), but if you think you'll like the Apple Store just as much or more, then go for it.
 
Work at whichever is more fun. Don't worry about the difference in pay unless money is a critical factor. I would take a lower-paying but enjoyable job over a higher-paying boring/annoying one.
 
BoingoBoingo, very well put. Nobody is going to be able to decide for you, as a pro for you may be a con for another.

What I do is put together a spreadsheet: Column A is Pro, Column B is Con.
Cell D2: =COUNTA(A2:A100)
Cell E2: =COUNTA(B2:B100)

So, D2 counts the cells that have something in them in the Pro column, and E2 does the same for the Con column.

Now, somewhere down on the right, say D10, I put in the following:
Code: 
=IF($D$2>$E$2,"MOVE",IF($D$2=$E$2,"NEUTRAL","STAY"))

That compares D2 and E2 and tells you to move if the Pros > Cons.

If you want, I can upload the spreadsheet.

EDIT: I just uploaded it anyway, in case someone wants it.
 

Attachments

  • Pros and Cons.zip
    6.2 KB · Views: 68
mkrishnan said:
Yeah, I write the pros and cons on rocks and then put them on two sides of a scale. While wearing a blindfold.

You are joking, aren't you? :eek:
Click to expand...

No, I'm not joking. It makes it easy to start out comparing two things, and if you need to add more later, or alter something that may swing to the con side, it's accessible and usable. Plus, it does the counting for you, so if you have 150 pros and 239 cons, it is easy. Also, if what you are comparing could uproot you and your family or cost you a lot of money, you want to make sure you've done your homework. What's so bad about that?

What do you do?
 
Go with the one you will enjoy more. You will probably end up talking way more to people at the AS, and having to put up with more BS from people and probably management.
 
notjustjay said:
Work at whichever is more fun. Don't worry about the difference in pay unless money is a critical factor. I would take a lower-paying but enjoyable job over a higher-paying boring/annoying one.
Click to expand...

Agree completely; doing a job you love is one of the most satisfying things there are, and money (as long as you have enough for your immediate needs, and are not completely exploited) ought not be the key criterion. Few tings are more miserable than working in a well-paid job which you hate.

iShater said:
Go with the one you will enjoy more. You will probably end up talking way more to people at the AS, and having to put up with more BS from people and probably management.
Click to expand...

Again agree completely. Go with your inner sense, whichever will make you feel more fulfilled and challenged and energised. Good luck with it.
Cheers
 
notjustjay said:
Work at whichever is more fun. Don't worry about the difference in pay unless money is a critical factor. I would take a lower-paying but enjoyable job over a higher-paying boring/annoying one.
Click to expand...

Agree completely; doing a job you love is one of the most satisfying things there are, and money (as long as you have enough for your immediate needs, and are not completely exploited) ought not be the key criterion. Few tings are more miserable than working in a well-paid job which you hate.

iShater said:
Go with the one you will enjoy more. You will probably end up talking way more to people at the AS, and having to put up with more BS from people and probably management.
Click to expand...

Again agree completely. Go with your inner sense, and as yourself whichever job will make you feel more fulfilled and challenged and energised. Good luck with it.
Cheers
 
mkrishnan said:
I consider the pros and cons too, although ultimately I also make an instinctive / emotional decision. But I don't just count the number of pros and the number of cons and compare the raw numbers to each other. Some pros and cons are more important than others.
Click to expand...

Good point. Those have to be factored in too; I'm not saying a spreadsheet is going to make it all easy. It just makes it easy to compare things that have a common level of importance.
 
You should definitely go for an interview. You can ask questions and look around the store. If you like it and you are offered the job then you can go work there, otherwise just stick with the job at Starbucks. If you like your current job then you can't really lose.
 
Remember that an interview is a two-way street. The company is interviewing you to see if you would be a good fit for them ... but you are also interviewing the company to see if they would be a good fit for you. So take the interview, and make sure that you have an opportunity to ask lots of questions. Ask about the things that are important to you, whether that's pay, or the culture of the store, or how flexible your hours are, or anything else.

Once you've interviewed, you have better data from which to make your decision. If it doesn't seem like it's a good move, don't take the position if they offer it to you. You're in a good position now, which is the best way to consider another job -- you're not desperate to take it, so you can decide what's best for you instead of just jumping on to the first offer you get.
 
belvdr said:
Good point. Those have to be factored in too; I'm not saying a spreadsheet is going to make it all easy. It just makes it easy to compare things that have a common level of importance.
Click to expand...

Just have a column for the list of pros/cons, another column beside it for the relative weighting factors for each, a third column with the adjusted total, and you're all set ;)
 
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