Aeropostale, once a popular mall destination for teens, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, becoming the latest victim in the fast-changing retail landscape. Aeropostale joins the ranks of teen retailers looking to reorganize under bankruptcy protection including Wet Seal Inc.
And like many of these ailing merchants, Aeropostale had been struggling for several years. The chain has racked up three years of annual losses and five straight years of annual sales declines for a key measure.
Its shares were delisted by the New York Stock Exchange last month, after they were trading for 15 cents. Since the Great Recession, many teen chains have suffered because of fierce competition from the likes of online players and fast-fashion retailers such as Forever But they're also wrestling with seismic changes in shopping behavior.
Teens have always been fickle shoppers, but these days they're shopping differently, mirroring broader trends in the retail industry. They're no longer roaming around at the mall but researching deals and fashions on the Web before they go. And they're not looking to be carbon copies of their peers; instead, they're embracing individualistic styles. I had you on the list to reach out since it was your advice that helped me prep differently for my interviews.
Thank you for your support and friendship while I was transitioning. It had an impact! I appreciate it and mean it. I used Mr. Simon to prepare for a job interview, and it helped me re-think my responses and gain confidence. Also, the questions were not very far from real life interview questions. In addition, having the opportunity to hear my own answers and read the recommendations on how to respond concisely was really helpful.
I enjoyed using Mr. Simon and would use it again! Almost anyone may inspire us at some point in our lives, depending on circumstances and their unique qualities. By prompting you to answer such a question, the employer wants to judge your character, your value system and your personality. Therefore, you need to do your homework. The person s you choose should be someone that you hold in high regard.
It would be helpful but not a deal-breaker if the personal values you speak about have relevance to the job you are applying for. Whoever this inspiring person is, remember that the interviewer is looking for a heartfelt response. What qualities does the company value in their employees? See if you are able to match their values to those you learned from the person that inspired you. You should not only list people who inspire you but, if possible, also tell why and how their influence may have relevance to the company you are interviewing with.
Be extra cautious while naming a celebrity, a politician or any other controversial person as your inspirer, because the interviewer might have preconceived notions towards certain people that you might be unaware of and they may turn you away from the interviewer. Be prepared to give examples of how the words, actions or teachings of your inspirers have helped to motivate you in achieving your goals. As always, prepare an answer which highlights qualities that would be highly valuable in the position you are seeking.
Most employers look for characteristics such as adaptability, good interpersonal communication, leadership, creativity, innovativeness, honesty and dedication. Mention how learning such attributes helped you in your career. Let the interviewer know that you are a self-confident person, who listens to yourself and is inspired by the challenges faced every day, both in your life and your career.
This question ranks as the most challenging for many people. Fortunately, Mr. Simon is here to help! Interviewers ask this question to gauge your level of self-awareness, your honesty and openness, and your capability for self-improvement.
What's important is to find a weakness that you have overcome or something that is not related to the position for which you are applying. For example, one of our clients admitted that he is not very good at public speaking and that he has recently become a member of Toastmasters International to improve.
What a respectful answer and approach, in my view! Research the company website, social media, etc to learn about the company culture. It is important that the weakness you decide to talk about is not one that will prevent you from performing the job for which you're applying.
For example, if you're applying for a front-end developer position, do not talk about how you are struggling to understand HTML code. It's important to show how well you've overcome a weakness by motivating yourself and learning a new skill to grow professionally. A Sometimes I just work too hard. C I am a perfectionist. D I cannot think of a single thing. The interviewer wants to see whether you are reflective about yourself, whether you are ambitious and strive to grow as a professional, whether you like to learn and develop your skills.
They are also looking for your ambitions to fit the career path opportunities related to the position you are applying for. Think about the possibilities that may lie ahead for you: take a personality test I recommend 16Personalities which is based on Myers-Briggs test , research the internet on what career paths are possible with your skills and current job.
For example, if you are applying for a software tester position, you may find it fascinating to master automated testing in full and eventually become a software engineer, or you may be a natural trainer and love coaching other people which may lead you to become a QA team or department lead, or you may be more interested in understanding business aspects of requirements which may logically lead you into a Business Analyst position.
However, if you are happy just where you are and want to further your current skills, that is also fine as long as there is a growth path for you that can be imagined and described. Research the company to learn what career opportunities may be available in the department you are applying to, and what the trends are in the company in general.
In the future, if the product becomes a success - which is what the company hopes for - the company will hire more designers and you may become a lead designer, or you may become a product manager.
On a side note: If you train your mind to be open to opportunities you will be amazed at how much this world has to offer to you! However, beware of the risk of showing too much excitement for future opportunities compared to your attitude towards the current position. Try to find a source of excitement in the current position as well, otherwise, you may be doing yourself a disservice by applying to a position you will find boring in months.
This question gives you a good opportunity to showcase your Key Selling Points e. This will show you as a person who is unimaginative and not forward-thinking enough to grow with and be a good fit for the company.
This question may be a little touchy for some people, but it's a question asked by interviewers, to find out why you left, in order to better understand how you may or may not make a good fit with their company. Based on your research about the company and the position, what do you like most about the company? If you are looking for career advancement or a career change, you can be very upfront and honest.
Be as enthusiastic as you can about the position. If you were unhappy with your previous job, focus on the positives. Talk about the ways that you will best fit in with the company, in the role for which you're applying. If you were let go, focus on the positive. Share your accomplishments at your previous employment. Whatever the reason you are looking for a new opportunity, always turn things around to show how you are the perfect fit for the job for which you are interviewing!
Nowadays, professional life is stressful everywhere and always. However, there are levels of stress that are so common that we consider them normal, and there are times when they really skyrocket. Your future employer wants to know how you will behave in such times, whether you will be a helping hand or a burden. Remember a time when you had to hit a tight timeline and to work long hours, hard and overtime; or when you found yourself in the middle of a conflict with someone, or with a group of people.
If you had more than one such occasion, choose one that ended positively and successfully, and ideally, that can demonstrate some of your key skills - your Key Selling Points. For example, in one of our projects, my team and I had to hit a really tough timeline for a customer, which seemed almost impossible in the beginning. However, we knew that we owned the results and that a major decision by the customer depended on the outcome.
This sense of ownership, meaning, and impact gave us energy and excitement. Those were the challenges that we loved and could deal with for a sustained period of time.
Are they going through a difficult time when cost-saving is a top priority, company culture is full of negativity and mistrust, they have gone through massive layoffs, customers are neglected, and everyone wears a long face? These are always stressful times, and you should try to know more about expectations in the company, and how realistic they are. Or, are they just a dynamic, highly agile company run by smart and creative folks, which may work excellently for some people and be confusing and mind-blowing for others?
If you feel compatible with this company culture and enthusiastic about the challenges you expect here, this is a good chance to mention it and to show your excitement. If you cannot remember any stressful situation with a positive outcome, you can use one with a negative outcome accompanied by your lessons learned. However, this option should not be your first choice, as the failure to give an example of a successful outcome may portray you as an emotionally immature person.
People are motivated at work by many different types of things e. The interviewers want to know how you work with different kinds of people who have different kinds of personalities.
The answer to this question will give them insights into both your leadership as well as your interpersonal skills, in a professional setting. The example you share with the interviewer is a good indicator of how you will react to similar situations in the future. On the other hand, have you found it difficult to motivate others, and if so, what have you done to overcome this trait? This is a great opportunity to show the interviewer that you are able to motivate others and to sell your skills by describing a specific situation that you encountered during your career.
Having a coworker or manager that can keep employees motivated is an invaluable asset, as they help the company meet its goals by keeping on task. Prove that it is YOU who is this asset by showing your passion and enthusiasm to be the part of this company. Wherever you go, you will always have to work with people. This means that there is a greater chance for conflict to happen.
This question helps the interviewer determine how well you would fit within the organization. Think of the times you had to deal with conflict. Reading comments to their social media posts often prove helpful to see how they react to customers' complaints. Try to conclude with your lessons learned or methodology for approaching conflicts - this will show the interviewer that you would be able to apply your methodology to future situations. A key to addressing conflict is listening, communication and emotional intelligence.
Highlight these skills. If you're able to, turn the question around and ask the interviewer if they have experienced the same thing. This will start a conversation, which is the goal of an interview. What would you do if you worked hard on a solution to a problem, and your solution was criticized by your team?
How would you handle working closely with a colleague who was very different from you? You're working on a key project that you can't complete, because you're waiting on work from a colleague. What do you do? You realize that an early mistake in a project is going to put you behind deadline.
I would like to retire from this company. I would like to make a difference in the company whether in the company or any other position or area of the company At Aeropostale. This is another opportunity to show the interviewer what you're capable of so make sure to be prepared for this type of question. Have an example ready and make sure its an example of a suggestion you've made that was accepted and that have positive influence.
If you can come up with an example that relates to the position you're applying for that would be even better. Heading information: This should include job title, pay grade or range, reporting relationship by position, not individual , hours or shifts, and the likelihood of overtime or weekend work.
Summary objective of the job: List the general responsibilities and descriptions of key tasks and their purpose, relationships with customers, coworkers, and others, and the results expected of incumbent employees. Qualifications: State the education, experience, training, and technical skills necessary for entry into this job. Special demands: This should include any extraordinary conditions applicable to the job At Aeropostale for example, heavy lifting, exposure to temperature extremes, prolonged standing, or travel.
Job duties and responsibilities: Only two features of job responsibility are important: identifying tasks that comprise about 90 to 95 percent of the work done and listing tasks in order of the time consumed or, sometimes, in order of importance. The employer would want to know that not only you can do the job but you can make the difference and bring significant contribution — Simple as that.
This is your time to express why you think that your professional abilities fit into the job and its requirements. This is when you talk about your record of getting things done. I know there are other candidates who could fill this position, but my passion for excellence sets me apart from the pack. I am committed to always producing the best results. Candidates without specific examples often do not seem credible.
However, the example shared should be fairly inconsequential, unintentional, and a learned lesson should be gleaned from it. Moving ahead without group assistance while assigned to a group project meant to be collaborative is a good example. Bad Answer: They don't know much about the company.
If a candidate is serious and enthusiastic, they should have done some basic research. Good answer: An answer that shows they've really done their homework and know what the company does, any important current events that involve the company, and the work culture. Although it may be phrased a little differently, the gist of this question is clear: Do you like being around people?
It helps a lot if you sincerely like interacting with them. While answering this question, make sure to mention that you like helping people too. This will drive home the point that you are a talented medical assistant and would be a valuable part of the team At Aeropostale. How would you define teamwork?
I would define team work as getting the job done At Aeropostale whether that means if I have to do more then the guy next to me as long as the work gets finished. Inside is a single light bulb, controlled by one of the three switches. You need to determine which switch operates the bulb.
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