Carter’s Interview Questions & Tips

Intro to the Hiring Process

Typical hiring procedures for Carter's employees include a face-to-face interview with an active manager. One interview session generally proves all the more necessary to gain employment with the prominent store. The retail chain uses the single 1:1 interview for both entry-level positions and managerial roles alike. During the interview process, hiring personnel ask typical, straightforward questions about the position desired and various aspects of retail sales and operations.

How to Get a Job at Carter's

As a chain of clothiers, Carter's routinely looks for individuals with fashionable and personable interests and attitudes. Applicants must display said personalities during job interviews in order to make strong impressions with the nationwide retailer. Hiring personnel also look at candidate strengths and weaknesses. Job interviews examine availability, job skills, and personal interests, as well.

Common Interview Questions

Applicants often respond to specific interview questions about strong point and personality traits needing improvement. Regarding job skills, common Carter's interview questions include: "How would you handle multiple customers approaching you at once?" and "How would you personally handle an irate or difficult customer?" Hiring managers also ask applicants to create outfits demonstrating fashion sense.

What Kind of Attitude Should I Expect?

Workers should approach each job interview in a relaxed and candid manner. Most hiring personnel encourage laidback and genuine conversation to take place. Conduct during the Carter's hiring process should prove professional and attentive. For both managerial applicants and entry-level workers the hiring process takes about a week to complete. At the end of the final interview, the retail chain generally extends employment offers to impressive candidates.

Carter’s Sales Associate Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Carter’s Sales Associate: I was a sales associate, so this was my high school job, so it was my first job. Basically, a lot of the things that you do as a cashier, you would do, but in addition to that you had to do stock in the back. So, organize everything, you’d have to do inventory, you’d have to do the merchandise sign, so the window displays, I had to set those up, and it’s all a team effort, so it wasn’t just like, “You go do this.” Everyone had a foot in it, but a lot of customer service and helping people pick things out. Our store was very high theft, so it was a lot of trying to deter theft, so that was a high interaction with customers, was the main thing that we needed.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Carter’s Sales Associate: It’s a lot of fun, the people I worked with were really nice, and I think the managers realized that it was my first job, and so I’d never worked in retail, and they were really helpful teaching me everything that I needed to know, and since it’s a kid’s store it’s always fun, because all the colors are bright, and the displays are really cute, and there’s always some cute baby walking in the door, so it’s really fun.

Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?
Carter’s Sales Associate: My favorite part would be getting to set up the displays, because they already came pre made, so you didn’t get to choose how they were, but it was fun to reorganize the store, so every time you walked in it was a little different, and I just liked that constantly changing environment.

Interviewer: Please describe the application and interview process.
Carter’s Sales Associate: I believe it was all online that I did. I went on their website and then just filled everything out. So, you had your basic demographic questions, and your education, like how much education did you complete, and I believe there might have been a little test part of it, where it was like, “In this situation, what would you do?” I don’t really remember exactly, but it was all online, and then they called me in for a separate interview after that.

Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
Carter’s Sales Associate: They asked a lot of situational questions, so they gave me a scenario and then asked how I would do that, like how I would handle it, and then they also asked a lot about personal events in my life. So, like they said, “What was a time you showed initiative?” And, “What’s a moment you’re most proud of?” So, they asked for a lot of stories to demonstrate the characteristics that you have.

Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?
Carter’s Sales Associate: I’m not sure. I think part of it was they wanted to hire, like I was under 18 at the time, so part of it was they wanted to hire some younger people, but I think in my interview I displayed that I was willing to be a hard worker, and that I was going to show up and give it my all, and treat it, yes as a part-time job in high school, but also don’t just show up and be there, actually get the work done. So, I think that might have been part of it. Also, I got hired before the store opened, so they were hiring a lot of people at once, so I think that worked in my favor.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Carter’s Sales Associate: I think you have to be very friendly, because you’re going to be working with customers a lot, and just to have fun with it. It is a bright store, and there’s a lot of sparkles and that kind of stuff, but just be a hard worker and be willing to learn, because if you’re willing, they will teach you.

Related Links:
Carter's Application