Upcoming Interview at Staples

AutoSciz

I have an interview at Staples on Sunday and was curious about the kinds of questions they ask you. I filled out the online application (for PC technician) though I'm not sure what exactly I'd be doing there yet. If it is for PC technician, what sorts of skills should I brush up on. I have no professional experience with PC repair and have never worked at a store like this before, only random jobs.

I'd like to think I know the basic dos and do nots of a job interview, but who knows what could happen and how off guard they could catch me.

What sorts of subjects should I brush up on?

phonkenstein

I'm a tech at Staples and my interview consisted almost entirely of chatting with the managers. I don't know how common that is though, since our managers are pretty relaxed about stuff. 90% of the work you'll do will be PC Tune-ups, which is basically running norton system works and stuff like that, so you probably won't have to study up too much to impress them.

SkyGheNe

Just letting you know...there is nothing wrong with a pregnant pause. After they ask you a question, if it throws you off guard, stop and really think about it before answering.

Thinking is a good thing.

Alpine

If you're going to be a technician, then you're not going to impress them with buzzwords. The technician's job is more than just fix the customer's computer - by fixing them and building a rapport with the customer, you do wonders to ensure a good relationship between the store and the customer.

As a Staples employee, I can tell you that talking about sales will help. Upselling is a big thing, and you're likely going to have a few shifts on the sales floor if your store is a bit smaller. Like if someone comes in saying their computer is running slow, and they might have a virus, say how you would recommend that they do their system updates, a defrag, etc. It'll score you huge points.

phonkenstein

Alpine is right about sales. My store isn't all that small, but most of my time is spent selling.

AutoSciz

Thanks for the advice. Just wanted to say I got the job and start paperwork/training tomorrow.

Side note: The manager asked if I knew about Vista and I said yes. I had installed one of the first betas for a brief period. She told me it comes out the end of January. Is there any way they'd be able to hook me up with the RTM version or whatever? Is that legal?

I guess what I'm asking is, am I allowed to ask for things before they're released since they want me to know all about whatever when it's released?

iTunesIsEvil

AutoSciz wrote:

Thanks for the advice. Just wanted to say I got the job and start paperwork/training tomorrow.

Side note: The manager asked if I knew about Vista and I said yes. I had installed one of the first betas for a brief period. She told me it comes out the end of January. Is there any way they'd be able to hook me up with the RTM version or whatever? Is that legal?

I guess what I'm asking is, am I allowed to ask for things before they're released since they want me to know all about whatever when it's released?

Nah, you can ask but Staples won't hook you up.

AutoSciz

Is there a way to still get Vista then?

iTunesIsEvil

AutoSciz wrote:

Is there a way to still get Vista then?

... Buy it when it's released, or buy a machine with it on it. That's pretty much it.

AutoSciz

I meant the beta or whatever. Are those still around to download free and legally? I can't seem to find it.