Timberland Interview Questions & Tips

How to Get a Job at Timberland

Waterproof boot retailer Timberland understands the importance of quality workers. As a way to ensure employee quality, the shoe store chain uses a structured interview process to screen potential hires. For most store jobs, the Timberland interview process consists of one sit-down interview with a hiring manager. Interviews often begin with managers giving descriptions of jobs and necessary duties. Next, Timberland hiring managers ask behavioral questions regarding work experience and sales skills.

Common Timberland Interview Questions

Some behavioral questions applicants frequently encounter are: "Give me a situation at a previous job where you had to handle a difficult situation without the assistance of a manager," and "Tell me about a time when you convinced a customer that an item was right for them." After completing an interview with Timberland, an applicant generally receives hiring notification in about a week.

Interview Tips

Timberland places a large emphasis on sales abilities, and job hopefuls want to represent themselves as skilled salespeople during interviews. Whenever possible, candidates want to talk about past retail sales experiences. Timberland interviewers prefer to hear specific examples of times applicants overcame obstacles to accomplish sales. Applicants also want to showcase exemplary communication skills. The best way to exhibit communication abilities is to deliver well-thought-out answers in a clear speaking voice. Sitting with good posture and making eye contact with interviewers also helps an applicant. Timberland prefers to hire workers that have passion for the company. During the interview, job seekers should express love for Timberland merchandise and knowledge of the footwear company.

Timberland Sales Associate Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Timberland Sales Associate: I work the cash wrap mostly. I didn't, shipment was another, so the way that they did it at Timberland, it was more so, some people were more meant for the sales floor, and some people were more meant for shipment. It's completely voluntary as to where you want to go. But I was mostly a sales associate on the floor, and doing cash wrap. So I was more so resizing the clothes, and coats, and all that stuff. Working cash wrap, and then greeting customers as they walked in the door. But a sales associate can also work in the back, and do shipments, when a shipment comes in they unpack it and process it, and then put it in the back shelves. Just because it's just easier that way, and there are a lot of us working there, because it's a bigger store. So, it just made it easier that way, but you were trained on both.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Timberland Sales Associate: I would say it was a little more supervised. Why I didn't like it, you could tell when the managers were there. They had a lot of strict rules. They weren't really that strict, but you couldn't chew gum, no phones on the floor, the sales floor I mean. There are certain steps you had to follow, like greeting customer, and checking them out, stuff like that. And if you didn't do that in your reviews you were called out for it. It was a comfortable work environment. You got good training. It was an easy job. It was a good job, and it was nice working with customers, but you definitely could tell, people were watching you. Which I didn't mind it, but some people did.

Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?
Timberland Sales Associate: Flexibility, again. They understood that, again I was involved, I had a lot of stuff going on in high school. I worked there my senior year, so I had prom, and graduation all those certain senior things. So they were very understanding about me having other things going on. And also when their sales got kind of slower in the summertime, because no one, people think of boots when they think of Timberland, not necessarily the clothes or anything. They were very like apologetic about cutting hours, just because they weren't making enough revenue to justify having so many people there. They're very upfront about that, which I appreciated because I knew that I could, like I need to babysit more, or bring other income in just to even everything out. And they weren't like hiding that until the last minute. When I was hired there, they were like, listen this is going to happen. So that was kind of cool.

Interviewer: Please describe the application and interview process.
Timberland Sales Associate: Timberland is under, I think Vanity Fair is the umbrella company they have. So you have to go through their Vanity Fair website and apply. Basic information, biographical information. I think they ask one criminal history question. Work history information, what customer service specifically. And then from there, they'll call you in for an interview. I interviewed with the general manager. More of a conversation, getting to know me kind of thing. They asked about my work history. What I liked about my previous institution, what I didn't like about it. Why they think I was a good candidate for the position. They spent a lot of time making sure I didn't have any questions about their company or the position. So after they kind of like vetted me a little bit. The vetting was more like 10, 15 minutes for me, and then they gave me 15 minutes to ask questions, about their environment. Which was really cool.

Interviewer: How were you notified that you received the job?
Timberland Sales Associate: They called me the next day.

Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?
Timberland Sales Associate: I had one year of customer service experience. And also my family's been shopping at Timberland for boots for years. So I was familiar with the company already. More familiar than with any other job I had. So I just knew the boots, I knew of the clothing, but not to the extent of the boots. Also, I'm easily trained. So like I'm willing to learn, and I learn quickly.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Timberland Sales Associate: I would definitely say don't be nervous when the managers are around, because they only want you to succeed, and they want the store to succeed as well. So they're really not harping on you, it's more so they're harping for the better of the store. The betterment of the store. They're only doing their jobs, just like you should be doing. And still be your genuine self because customers are still looking for that. Even though you're being watched. Don't let that interfere with who you are, and who you want to be for the customers.

Related Links:
Timberland Application

Timberland Sales Associate Interview Video

Video Transcript

Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.

Timberland Sales Associate: I work the cash wrap mostly. I didn’t, shipment was another, so the way that they did it at Timberland, it was more so, some people were more meant for the sales floor, and some people were more meant for shipment. It’s completely voluntary as to where you want to go. But I was mostly a sales associate on the floor, and doing cash wrap. So I was more so resizing the clothes, and coats, and all that stuff. Working cash wrap, and then greeting customers as they walked in the door. But a sales associate can also work in the back, and do shipments, when a shipment comes in they unpack it and process it, and then put it in the back shelves. Just because it’s just easier that way, and there are a lot of us working there, because it’s a bigger store. So, it just made it easier that way, but you were trained on both.

Interviewer: What was the work environment like?

Timberland Sales Associate: I would say it was a little more supervised. Why I didn’t like it, you could tell when the managers were there. They had a lot of strict rules. They weren’t really that strict, but you couldn’t chew gum, no phones on the floor, the sales floor I mean. There are certain steps you had to follow, like greeting customer, and checking them out, stuff like that. And if you didn’t do that in your reviews you were called out for it. It was a comfortable work environment. You got good training. It was an easy job. It was a good job, and it was nice working with customers, but you definitely could tell, people were watching you. Which I didn’t mind it, but some people did.

Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?

Timberland Sales Associate: Flexibility, again. They understood that, again I was involved, I had a lot of stuff going on in high school. I worked there my senior year, so I had prom, and graduation all those certain senior things. So they were very understanding about me having other things going on. And also when their sales got kind of slower in the summertime, because no one, people think of boots when they think of Timberland, not necessarily the clothes or anything. They were very like apologetic about cutting hours, just because they weren’t making enough revenue to justify having so many people there. They’re very upfront about that, which I appreciated because I knew that I could, like I need to babysit more, or bring other income in just to even everything out. And they weren’t like hiding that until the last minute. When I was hired there, they were like, listen this is going to happen. So that was kind of cool.

Interviewer: Please describe the application and interview process.

Timberland Sales Associate: Timberland is under, I think Vanity Fair is the umbrella company they have. So you have to go through their Vanity Fair website and apply. Basic information, biographical information. I think they ask one criminal history question. Work history information, what customer service specifically. And then from there, they’ll call you in for an interview. I interviewed with the general manager. More of a conversation, getting to know me kind of thing. They asked about my work history. What I liked about my previous institution, what I didn’t like about it. Why they think I was a good candidate for the position. They spent a lot of time making sure I didn’t have any questions about their company or the position. So after they kind of like vetted me a little bit. The vetting was more like 10, 15 minutes for me, and then they gave me 15 minutes to ask questions, about their environment. Which was really cool.

Interviewer: How were you notified that you received the job?

Timberland Sales Associate: They called me the next day.

Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?

Timberland Sales Associate: I had one year of customer service experience. And also my family’s been shopping at Timberland for boots for years. So I was familiar with the company already. More familiar than with any other job I had. So I just knew the boots, I knew of the clothing, but not to the extent of the boots. Also, I’m easily trained. So like I’m willing to learn, and I learn quickly.

Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?

Timberland Sales Associate: I would definitely say don’t be nervous when the managers are around, because they only want you to succeed, and they want the store to succeed as well. So they’re really not harping on you, it’s more so they’re harping for the better of the store. The betterment of the store. They’re only doing their jobs, just like you should be doing. And still be your genuine self because customers are still looking for that. Even though you’re being watched. Don’t let that interfere with who you are, and who you want to be for the customers.