What does it take to work at Sephora?

lcterp

lcterp

La bella vita
O.G.
May 23, 2007
865
1
#1
Hey ladies,
There is a Sephora right across the street from where I live for grad school and I was thinking of maybe seeing if they were hiring so I could work one or two days a week for some extra income. I wanted to see from some of the girls that have worked there if you can go in knowing not much or do you have to have some make-up artist experience or what. I'm just getting more into make-up and by no means an expert.

There is also a JCrew, Gap, Banana Rep, and some bars that are also options however I have only worked retail for about 6 months and never tended bar/waitressed in my life so I am a bit more hesitant for that although the money would be great, any thoughts on any of that is also appreciated. TIA!
 
#2
lcterp said:
Hey ladies,
There is a Sephora right across the street from where I live for grad school and I was thinking of maybe seeing if they were hiring so I could work one or two days a week for some extra income. I wanted to see from some of the girls that have worked there if you can go in knowing not much or do you have to have some make-up artist experience or what. I'm just getting more into make-up and by no means an expert.

There is also a JCrew, Gap, Banana Rep, and some bars that are also options however I have only worked retail for about 6 months and never tended bar/waitressed in my life so I am a bit more hesitant for that although the money would be great, any thoughts on any of that is also appreciated. TIA!
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I never worked there, but applied to work there a couple times while looking for a job and each time got offered an interview right away. I think if you just have some retail experience, you shouldn't have a problem getting hired.
 
#3
They really like retail experience and an open schedule. If you are available to work nights that's good, as long as it's not just nights on MWTh or something limited like that. I think you have a great shot. They get lots of freebies too!
 
#4
I worked for them for 6 months, and previous experience at any retail store is preferred. You must wear some type of eye make up (even if it's just eyeliner and mascara), blush or foundation and some type of lipgloss/stick daily. Be prepared to answer why Sephora as a store interests you and why you want to work there. Sephora also refers to things differently. Customers are clients. The floor is "the stage" and your uniform is your "costume". You must look like all the other girls. No more than 2 earrings per ear, hair is not to be in your face, so, either wear clips or put it in a ponytail. Nails are to be well groomed, no tattoos or facial piercings can show. You can't wear watches, bracelets or necklaces either. Only 2 rings per hand are allowed. There are a LOT of rules when you work there. That's ultimately the reason why I left, I hated looking and feeling just like everyone else. It's a good company to work for, and you'll get a TON of free stuff. During your interviews (you should have 2-3 total) mention that you're a team player, but you are also self sufficient, so, you don't need to be asked to do things. Taking the initiative went a long way for me when I worked there. PM if you have any more questions...I'd be happy to help! You could send your resume to the store c/o the "Store Manager" and wait for them to call you into the store to actually fill out an application. That's what I did, so I didn't waste my time and their paper unless I thought they might actually be interested in me.
 
#5
^^^ Those rules seem somewhat silly, considering we're dealing with a beauty store. I have always though of beauty as a form of self-expression, and you would think the store would want a diverse array of beauty types. Wanting everyone to look the same seems contrary to whole concept of beauty. I could see having a few limitations, but those seem excessive. It's also funny considering all the wild makeup looks Sephora puts in their mailers and on their website.
 
#10
Yeah, I'm always fascinated by the behind the scenes rules that stores have for their SAs.

I guess I can see both sides of Sephora wanting a professional but creative workforce out there, but the no jewelry except no more than two rings per hand is surprising...I guess they worry it could get caught on something or get in the way if you're putting on a customer's makeup - ?? Hmmm.

But on the other hand, beauty is about self expression! I love seeing SAs or MUAs with completely different and dramatic looks that work for THEM and not necessarily for me. It inspires me knowing that they are confident in their looks and can suggest something creative for me that I maybe never considered. Facial piercings and tatoos don't scare me for the most part, LOL. And they are so mainstream these days.

I work in a corporate environment where the dress codes are probably a lot more conservative, so when I'm NOT in a corporate environment I expect to see a little more drama and flair, KWIM?
 
#11
The reason they have rules about earings etc is because they want a uniformed look, company policy.
Prior retail experience is not mandatory, many SA have their Sephora jobs as their first, you just need to project the correct image they're looking for in a suitable candidate. Flexible schedule is an absolute must. You're better off speaking to SA of another Sephora store to give you a better idea on what they're looking for.
 
#12
VPT said:
The reason they have rules about earings etc is because they want a uniformed look, company policy.
Prior retail experience is not mandatory, many SA have their Sephora jobs as their first, you just need to project the correct image they're looking for in a suitable candidate. Flexible schedule is an absolute must. You're better off speaking to SA of another Sephora store to give you a better idea on what they're looking for.
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Yep. That pretty much sums it up. They have the minimum make-up requirement, but, you can do whatever you want with it and make it look however you wish. On Saturdays at my store we had a "look" that all of the girls had to copy, but add some flair to. So, one day we'd all have to have a smoky eye with red lipgloss, but, the gloss could be as bright or as subtle as we wanted and the smoky eye could be any color. But, other than make-up, they want their employees to look the same so that they look like a unit. I don't personally agree with it, but, that's my personal opinion, and, that's why I left. :yes:
 
#13
I would think that a makeup store would allow their MA/SA to express themselves however they want to each be unique & different.

Now I just realized that Sephora girls are so plain compared to MAC MA's.

Not very cool.
 
#14
Sorry I haven't checked back for a few days, moved back to Pitt for another year of law school so I have been doing all those fun moving in things.

Thanks so much for all of your input, especially you digby, I will probably PM you with a few more questions if I get serious about it. School starts tomorrow so I will have to guage my workload to see if i can pick something up for 2-3 days a week (only could do Fri, Sat, Sun) so I don't apply and then have to quit. I'm not worried about the retail part but about applying the make-up part, I'm experimenting more with my own but afriad of making someone else look like a clown!
 
#15
lcterp said:
Sorry I haven't checked back for a few days, moved back to Pitt for another year of law school so I have been doing all those fun moving in things.

Thanks so much for all of your input, especially you digby, I will probably PM you with a few more questions if I get serious about it. School starts tomorrow so I will have to guage my workload to see if i can pick something up for 2-3 days a week (only could do Fri, Sat, Sun) so I don't apply and then have to quit. I'm not worried about the retail part but about applying the make-up part, I'm experimenting more with my own but afriad of making someone else look like a clown!
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Chances are, if you end up working there, at least one of the guys/girls will be willing to "use" you. I know when I worked there there were two girls who loved doing the other girls make-up on our "look" days, and, one of the guys was trying to become a make-up artist, so, he was always willing to use someone for a new "look". There are trainings you can go to and the reps will teach you more about the brand and how to use some of the products (and the more trainings you go to, the more free stuff you get. Not every brand gives you free stuff, but most do!) You can start small with the make up applications and go from there. I used to only wear one shade b/c I sucked at blending. But, looking up tutorials online and watching the other girls helped. You also play around a LOT with the make-up and different brands when you're "on duty". I practiced blending on my hand a LOT, lol. It's really not hard to learn make-up application, it just takes practice. Let me know if you have any more questions, I'd be happy to answer them for you :yes: :flowers:
 
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