Citi Trends Interview Questions & Tips

How to Get a Job at Citi Trends

Applicants of both entry-level and managerial positions cite fairly straightforward hiring processes at Citi Trends. Interviews are obtained after submitting preliminary hiring forms online. Entry-level retail candidates with employee referrals increase chances of immediate hiring consideration; however, applicants with no connection to Citi Trends cite little difficulty acquiring meetings with hiring personnel, provided staffing needs. Lower-level job interviews generally consist of a one-off meeting with a hiring manager onsite lasting roughly 30 to 40 minutes. After successful interviews, applicants secure employment pending clean drug test and background check results.

While hiring procedures vary from location to location, Citi Trends job hopefuls should take interviews seriously. Some preparation tactics include conducting research about company values and reviewing job history. Applicants may want to ask a trusted friend to pose mock interview questions like, “Why do you want to work at Citi Trends?”, “What qualifies you for this job?” and “Where do you see yourself in the next three years?” in order to better familiarize potential inquiries encountered during the Citi Trends interview process. Job hopefuls benefit from rehearsing popular Citi Trends interview questions prior to attending formal sessions.

On the day of the scheduled interview, Citi Trends potential employees should arrive early dressed in business-casual attire. While formal attire may not prove appropriate for the laid back atmosphere of Citi Trends, applicants with well-kempt, professional appearances tend to stand out above interviewees looking sloppy or overly casual. Arriving early to job interviews leaves time for applicants to mentally prepare and demonstrates punctuality. Citi Trends hiring staff often discusses availability, previous retail experience, and customer service aptitude with candidates. Job seekers should remain focused on each topic and avoid long tangents or overly rehearsed answers. Thank hiring staff for the opportunity at the end of the meeting. In most cases, entry-level job interviews conclude with employment offers.

Citi Trends managerial candidates experience several phases of interviews, often beginning with phone screenings and moving to 1:1 or panel interviews. Hiring staff generally utilize phone interviews to glean basic information such as retail management background and availability for face-to-face meetings. At 1:1 or panel interviews, Citi trends management contestants respond to prompts like, “Give an example of a time you helped two employees overcome a conflict,” and “Tell me about a time when you provided great customer service for an upset shopper.” Citi Trends may require multiple interviews with different hiring staff before granting employment. Remain patient, express gratitude along the way, and demonstrate persistence by staying in touch with Citi Trends employment representatives.

Citi Trends Sales Associate Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Citi Trends Sales Associate: Citi Trends is a clothing store, an urban clothing store. Duty jobs would be racking the shelves with new clothing, stocking inventory, sweeping, making sure the store is nice and clean from the inside. Just making sure there are no clothes that are on the floor, hanging around, off racks, and things of that nature.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Citi Trends Sales Associate: It’s a friendly work environment. It’s definitely like family oriented, because as you get to know your coworkers more and things of that nature. So you’d laugh and joke around, and eventually make a bunch of new friends that you’d never think that you would make before. It’s a very friendly and kind environment, I really enjoyed it.

Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?
Citi Trends Sales Associate: I would have to say seeing a lot of different people I knew from the area. Like coming in like oh you work here? I’m like yeah you know, then we start talking about people I haven’t seen in years from kindergarten or high school or things of that nature would come in and be like I’m looking for this and this and this. They’d be like you look really familiar, did you go there? So you meet people you met before and you see new people’s styles. Like their preferences and things like that are, so it affects you in a positive way. You get to know more about a person by how they dress and what they do and what they like and what they don’t like.

Interviewer: Please describe the application and interview process.
Citi Trends Sales Associate: So there’s two ways to apply, there’s the paper application and online application. The paper application it slightly varies from their online one. Their online one asks like have you ever had job experience like this before, if so where? How long did you stay there, so it’s typical interview questions. The thing I liked about the paper one is that you sit face to face somebody and they look at it, and then they start asking questions like they give you a scenario. If you were, there’s ten customers and there’s a customer at the front of the line whose being obnoxious or things of that nature, what do you do? You can actually sit there and be like oh this is exactly what I would do, but if it’s on a computer they give you certain options, but they don’t have an option to be like other and specifically put what you would do.
It’s like the real world experience of it I guess you would call it, so you’d get the opportunity to explain exactly what you would do. I like seeing people face to face better, because you get the vibe of what they do and how they operate and things like that. An online application you can be just a computer generating questions and sorting through the best candidate. When you see somebody and you talk to them you can be like oh you know I really feel like this is a good place for me and then you can tell by their body language. And be like I believe you, I believe that you can really do this.

Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
Citi Trends Sales Associate: They asked if you heard about the company before, like other jobs that you think it’s similar to. Then you would just like say it’s kind of like blah, blah, blah, blah. Or kind of like a rainbow, things of that nature, so other clothing stores that are big name clothing stores we’re just on a smaller level. They have questions like that, they ask a few questions about your schedule and your availability. Just be like what your schedule is like or I can work nights or afternoons or shifts like that. Yeah, like basic interview questions really.

Interviewer: How were you notified that you received the job?
Citi Trends Sales Associate: They said four or five days and it was really like two because there were a few people after me. They sent me an email first, and then they were like they wanted to have a phone call conversation just saying I do accept the job offer. They asked me when I’d be able to start and things like that. They also sent a verification email saying congratulations, you’ve been accepted at this job at this position. You can continue by saying oh I accept or you can give them a call and then say when you’d like to start.

Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?
Citi Trends Sales Associate: The fact that I’ve had retail experience before. My first job, well first retail experience job was working in the mall actually at Forever 21. Then I moved and Citi Trends was like the closest thing to that mall experience. Not mall experience but clothes shopping, so I’ve already had preexisting experience. I had good references from my old manager and things like that. I believe the interviewer was like you seem really uppy, like happy and friendly. I was like yeah that’s how I try to be most days, but college has definitely done a number on that. That’s just life in general, but I try to keep a positive outlook on things and try to bring the happiness that I can bring to other people.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Citi Trends Sales Associate: Just be yourself, just try not to put on that, you know everyone has that interview persona. They’re like I want to show my best self, do that, but don’t be stiff like a robot and be all I’m a great candidate for this job because I can do this, this, and this. Be yourself, they’re people, they might tell you no but at the end of the day you still went in there and had that job experience. It’s not going to be that stressful, a thousand no’s means a yes coming right around the corner, so that’s how I look at it.

Citi Trends Stocker Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Citi Trends Stocker: I was a stocker and merchandiser, so I worked the cash register, as well. Basically, we got shipments of clothes in, load in, take it out the bag, hang it up. When I was on the cash register, I take money, check them out, give them their receipts, and then would see what we had in the back, hang them up. If we something on the ground, hang that up, as well. That’s the basic overall duties that I have to perform.

Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?
Citi Trends Stocker: Besides the discount, I like doing the cash register, because it’s pretty easy, makes the time go by faster.

Interviewer: Please describe a typical day as an employee.
Citi Trends Stocker: Come in, clock in, and usually start off stocking up, especially if we come in before a store opens up. Stock up, make sure everything is neat and in the right section. They usually had me before the end of my shift, clean and check that stock again, then I clock out, basically.

Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
Citi Trends Stocker: I believe at that time, it was either paper or online, but they called me back a couple days after I did it, and they called me for an interview. They asked basic questions, like why I wanted to work there, and what could I bring to the team, and what qualities do I have that would make me a good employee there.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Citi Trends Stocker: I would say when you initially go to the interview, make sure you’re nicely dressed, no matter what the job is. Make sure you come prepared, go over the questions that are typically asked. You have to come with a positive attitude no matter how your day is going. You have to get along with your coworkers as well as your superiors if you want to make your time enjoyable there.

Related Links:
Citi Trends Application