I know my story and question is a little long but any advice would be GREATLY appreciated.

Ok so i had an interview a few days ago (actually my first interview....yes i did have a job before this)  for a store i applied to and i need some advice on it, the interview was not for a specific position, just the store (id rather not go into details). For the sake of my question lets say at this store there is departments 1,2,3,4 and 5. During the interview i was asked if i had a preference on what department i wanted to work, me being the idiot i am lied and said 'no i dont have a preference'. But the more i think about it now i really do infact have a preference. Well farther into the interview he stared asking me specific questions about working dept. #1 and how i think i would do there and i said i would do just fine and i wouldn't mind working there (i honestly wouldnt mind it and i would be good at it). So he went and got the manager for dept. 1 and had him ask me a few questions about working in that dept.

So long story short if i was a betting man i would say i have that job in dept. #1, well heres where im stuck... I was told by a friend that works there that they most likely are hiring in dept. 2 and 3 (he works in 3). Well i would MUCH rather work dept. 2,3,4 or even 5 over working #1 BUT i would rather work dept 1 there then work at a different store. I think the reason he wants me to work 1 is because not a whole lot of people want to work that so if they find someone who says they are willing to then thats good news for them.

He said i would most likely not hear from him until monday (when he works next) so i was thinking about going in there in the morning before he calls and talking to him about how i feel about it but im stuck as to how to approach it. Part of me wants to just walk in there and say something like :" I know we talked about working dept 1 but from what i hear there may be spots open in other depts. so i just wanted to let you know i would MUCH rather work somewhere else then in dept. 1 if at all possible....but if dept. 1 is the only thing open i would work that"

but another part of me thinks i dont want to go in there and scare him off thinking im bi-polar or anything like that and i dont want to make him think that i think i got the job and be jumping the gun on it (he has not offered me a job, just the way he talked makes me think he will thou) so i dont want to talk about how i would rather work somewhere else then a job i have not even be offered yet.

Essentially i dont want to miss out on working a dept. that i would enjoy more but i also dont want to scare him off and sound like im indecisive about what i want or not know what im talking about

If it matters at all im young, no college (no plans for college) and it is just a smaller lower paying job. But the thing i have about all the college kids is i am absolutely wide open in my hour which he liked.

SO any one have any advice as to how to approach this or what to say? Thanks!

Times are tough.  This isn't a career, right, just a paycheck?  Take the job that's offered.  Once you're there, you may or may not be able to move around, but get in the door.

Yea, its just a paycheck for now. The problem is i think they like me and i think they are hiring for the other depts. so i would much rather work a dept that i would enjoy more...

ETA: Thats one thing i wanted to talk to him about, is whether you can move after a while or whatever but again i didnt want him to think im going to be a problem thinkin im going to want to be moving around all the time.

no one else has any advice?

You have your foot in the door.  What you should have done was to go into the interview with a clear objective or goal, but be flexible in how you reach those objectives.  The time to ask questions was during the interview.

I know i fucked up

I was just hoping if i be straight with him and take the initiative to go in an talk to him i could fix that.

The reason i didnt really have my 'goals' for the interview set was because my friend told his manger (manager of dept 3) that i had an interview and she said she was going to sit in on it...so i assumed if they liked me i was going to be hired there.. but my friend said she forgot about the interview so that idea went to shit

So when Walmart calls you back to fill out your paperwork, sit down with the hiring manager and say,"Bob was telling me you still need someone for Sporting Goods and if you arent hurting to fill Bras and Panties, I think that might be a better fit for me."  Then see what he says.  If he hems and haws, then start back peddling about how it might be good to start in Bras and Panties and then move into Sporting Goods when you have a good handle on the business.

 

Learn how to spell and capitalize properly.  

Thanks, thats actually good advice.....and not its not walmart

Have you heard back yet? For one thing, don't count chickens before you get eggs. You may not even get the job offer. I assume you want this job (at this store) right? If you go talk to them now, it could very well mess up getting into the door at all.

You should wait til they call you and tell you they want you. Now they may very well ask you right then which dept you want to work at, so you may not even have the dilemma that you think you have. Now it's also possible that they only say they want you for #1. That's when you should thank them for the offer, and tell them you are also interested in working for them (in terms of working for the store). Then follow that you should bring up the conversation you had with them back then, about other dept, ie. 2, 3, 4. Now you should prepare something to say about why you are a better fit for 2, 3, or 4, compared to 1. Employers want what works best for them, but also want workers to be happy too...otherwise they get low productivity. So if you can convince them that you'll do more for the place in 2/3/4 compared to 1, then they may be glad to have you in 2/3/4. Be persuasive but not pushy, and see if that resonates with the hiring mgr. If there's any resistance, then you may loose the offer if they only really want people for #1. In that case, then you should think about whether you really want to work #1 there in that store.

If you want to chance it, you can be proactive, and go back and ask them if they've made a decision yet. This is a fairly legit thing to ask. And, no matter the answer, you have the same conversation as above. But you got to do it with good tact, because it may make you look overconfident when you don't even have an offer from the store.

go in there and tell them you have big plans on how to improve productivity in department 1 upto and including airstrikes on non-productive members homes, report back.

Thank you. I do want to work at this store, it was the first and only place i applied because im familiar and have experience with most of what they sell and i have spent many hours in there buying things for the last job i did. I need to go in and talk to him about something any ways so i thought it would be a good time but if im already there then he may just tell me to my face whether they want me or not so i will most likely have a chance then to talk about it. I think your right thou, after i have been offered the job would be a good time to discuss other depts.

I revised the reply above so check it out a bit more on how you should prepare your conversation. The key is to tell the store that you'll be a good employee no matter what, but your particular skill/exp may make you worth more to the store in 2/3/4 compared to 1. Now if 1 is just harder work, then it'll be harder to sell this idea.

I think if you need to go into the store anyway, then you could afford to be proactive as long as you don't make an ass of yourself about only wanting to be in 2/3/4. Some (but not all) employers want to have people who speak their mind, and no matter what store, they always want proactive people. It may actually make you stand out against other applicants.

Of course, this all depends on how urgent is getting this job and if you can afford to pick and choose.

How every Arfcomer should do an interview! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4rSZP0nNCc&p=7A9B1287355D8D76&playnext=1&index=17

Thats good advise. The main thing i wanted to do was express to him how i would rather have a job in 2,3,4,4 ect over 1 but if 1 is all that available then i would take it but like you said i dont want to make myself look like an ass especially since we already discussed #1. Also #1 is outside so a small portion of why i dont want to work dept 1 is its going to be winter soon...idk if your familiar with MN winters....if you are i dont need to say anything more

Thats funny as shit!

Advise?

I would advice you to never promote yourself as being wide open as far as availability goes.

You will get fucked every time!

Every single time I've told an employer that I would work any schedule or any dept, I've ended up stuck with shit just because I left my self wide open for it.

No more!

Yeah, but you also got the job, didn't you? If you can afford to pick and choose then you shouldn't tell them that you'd do stuff you dont' want to do. But if it's between taking the job or leaving it, then you may not have much of a choice.

And to OP, remember it's always about how the store (and the manager) will be better off to have you in 2/3/4, that includes how you'll know the product better, how much your good attitude will benefit the place. You always have to think about this decision from their point of view, since they're making the call.

The thing about the hours is the stores hours are such that no matter what shift i got i would be just fine with it.

Thanks for the advice man. Ill have to see what he says first and sort of go off of that

Not my first rodeo.  Been riding the Corporate bull for 6 years now.  Six looooong years.

"See, I’m washing lettuce! Soon, I’ll be on fries. In a few years, I’ll make assistant manager, and that’s when the big bucks start rolling in!"