Under The Palms

Sup guys

I have a job interview tomorrow at vans in my town. It's a group interview and i'm sure there's other people on the site that are managers/employees and vans stores so I was wondering if any of you could hook me up with advice. I've been through group interviews before i'm just looking for specifics for vans. Wear some clean shoes or beaters? etc....

Gain some knowledge about Vans, ie. founder, how Vans are made, who wore Vans (surfers adopted the Authentics, then skaters caught on), what sports events do they sponsor (Vans Triple Crown, US Open, etc.), who rides for Vans, know what action sports Vans sponsors (BMX, skating, snowboarding, surfing, etc.), knowledge of the shoes (model names, materials, know what shoes fit wider like 106's & Maderos), ability to remember colorways, etc. They want people who know what their talking about & know how to sell it. If they ask you how you would sell a shoe, ask the customer if they're looking for any color or style in particular, if not suggest a new shoe or bring out something that you'd think they'd wear, maybe something that goes with the outfit they're wearing. Hope this helps.

BTW, Good luck!

That's the best advice anyone could ever ask for! Keep in mind, knowing about rare and limited Vans shoes means nothing to them. It's all about knowing what you're selling, and knowing the company's culture. Good thing Vans has a rich culture, and I see that you're from SoCal so you should have a grip of examples that come to mind. For what it's worth, here's a few names and words that you might be able to visually reference while answering specific questions:

Jim Van Doren
Steve Van Doren
Christian Hosoi
Steve Caballero
US Open of Surf
Warped Tour
Authentic vs. Era
Slip-On
Sk8-Hi
Half Cab
Waffle Sole
Checkerboard
Fast Times At Ridgmont High
Jeff Spicoli aka Sean Penn
Surf
Skate
BMX
Snowboarding
Cali Lifestyle

How did it go? can we get some otws hookups yet ? lol

Thanks for the help guys, forgot to keep you updated. Interview went well even though the assistant manager didn't know much about Vans. Have a second interview scheduled this weekend.

don't get your hopes up this store may be different then the one I managed but we never called anyone back for a second interview if they didn't get the job.

Cool thanks for the heads up

I got called back for a second interview, and they basically automatically hired everyone that came for a second interview, everyone except for maybe one person.

I was hired, thanks for all the help.

Right on!

Congrats on your new job!

DJGuamstyles wrote:Keep in mind, knowing about rare and limited Vans shoes means nothing to them.

I just saw this; it's so true.

In the time I've worked for Vans, I've only seen a guy come in with the Supreme PCL Chukka's & a guy come in with the Syndicate Checkerboard Authentics, and neither of them cared to talk shoes with me. My knowledge for limited edition Vans has not once been utilized. It's all about whats relevant in the 'GR' world of Vans.

So true, Wolfstrice and I attended the Compound Vans Gallery here in Portland and people weren't even interested in Vans, hell, there wasn't even any art related to Vans there aside from the art on the free tote bags they gave away.

akamedaniel wrote:

DJGuamstyles wrote:Keep in mind, knowing about rare and limited Vans shoes means nothing to them.

I just saw this; it's so true.

In the time I've worked for Vans, I've only seen a guy come in with the Supreme PCL Chukka's & a guy come in with the Syndicate Checkerboard Authentics, and neither of them cared to talk shoes with me. My knowledge for limited edition Vans has not once been utilized. It's all about whats relevant in the 'GR' world of Vans.

That's just crazy to me! That's how I met Aaron (48Waffle) at his Lake Elsinore Outlet store. Talking about the site, and Vaults and Syndicates. And yes, an OUTLET! Well, I must say that his outlet always had the dopest stuff. Many a Syndicate and Vault release dropped in there, and we're talking about stuff that was still selling pretty well in the boutiques and skate shops!