Job Description and Duties A department store sales associate working at Sears primarily provides customer service. Specific job duties include assisting in sales and answering questions about products, services, and merchandise. Sears sales associates also assist with shelf-stocking responsibilities and organizing displays. Additional job responsibilities include maintaining a clean work environment and operating cash registers during busy hours. Ideal candidates for Sears sales associate jobs include workers 16 and over with friendly, attentive, and personable personalities. New-hire workers encounter a straightforward hiring process involving both visual and verbal orientation and demonstration. Sears sales associates receive hourly pay. Most sales workers start out at just above minimum wage. Solid work performance and advancement into supervisory or managerial roles may lead to increased pay. More experienced sales associates generally make about $10.00 to $14.00 per hour.
The majority of Sears sales associates work part-time; however, full-time sales associate jobs do exist. Many Sears locations offer qualified associates employment benefits. Eligible sales workers earn 401(k) retirement plans, paid time off, healthcare coverage, and discounts on Sears merchandise and services. Job benefits eligibility and availability vary by Sears store location and specific position. Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties. Sears Sales Associate: My job title was I was a sales associate at Sears. Basically, my primary duties was to find the right product for the customer, something that would match up them, whether it being fit into their budget or if they got to wash a lot of clothes for a big family, things like that, so basically kind of getting to know the customer. Interviewer: What was the work environment like? Sears Sales Associate: The work environment was kind of different, I would say, because it was my first job.
Usually a lot of people work at restaurants or things like that. I was a 16-year-old working in an appliance store, so the environment was great, but at times, it was a little bit overwhelming seeing that I was such a young person in kind of a more experienced kind of field. Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there? Sears Sales Associate: My favorite part about working at Sears was I would say the customers and the extra money that you get to make as well. The customers were great, and sometimes they would even tip you, which would be extremely surprising because you’re just helping them find an appliance for their house, and they’re willing to give you extra money after they’re already spending a lot of money on appliances. Interviewer: Please describe a typical day as an employee. Sears Sales Associate: A typical work day would be obviously come in, clock in, wait around until about prime time, which would be, if it was the morning, 12 to 1, or if it was an afternoon, around 5 and 6 after everyone gets off work, and basically get stormed by a lot of customers, helping them out, and then basically it dies back down again.
Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process? Sears Sales Associate: The interviewer actually asked me am I a people kind of person, am I flexible, which is also a really great thing about the job. That was it, yeah. Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates? Sears Sales Associate: What set me apart from other candidates was obviously I was still in high school. I took a class in Latin because it was required for 3 years, and I actually put that on my application. That’s what kind of set me apart because he asked me to speak some. Interviewer: How were you notified that you received the job? Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment? Sears Sales Associate: I would say be a people person and always be open to learn new things. You always meet a whole lot of different people in that environment, so as long as you can adapt to different situations, you should be a good sales associate at Sears.
Sears Sales Associate: I was a sales associate in the electronics department. Basically, I had to sell membership gift cards, things that help with different lines of credit, as well as selling electronics like TVs, boom boxes, home theater systems, things of that nature. Sears Sales Associate: The work environment was actually fun. That happened to be my first job. The other people were very forthcoming, very helpful. Once you got into the opportunity to be a salesperson, and actually understand the needs of the customer, they helped you out like it was nothing. Sears Sales Associate: You walk in, clock in. First off, you get everything cleaned and dust up, make sure all the TVs are dusted from the night before. You probably, depending on a good day, a few extra customers, everybody gets an opportunity. Then, we talk to customers, treat every customer the same, because you don’t just try to label customers, because that’s how you don’t get any. Basically, you try to sell throughout the day.
After that, you clean up, close down shop, and go on. Sears Sales Associate: The application process was quite long. It was worth it. They wanted to know basic stuff; what was your past history, what do you know about sales, things like that. Part of the reason I got it was because I was in DECA, which is a marketing program back in high school. During that, I went through two interviews with the electronics manager and one with the hiring representative. Basically, they took two interviews, see what they like. The questions were fairly easy: what you know, what you know about product placement, the four “P’s” basically. After that, I was hired. Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview? Sears Sales Associate: One of the main things was how would you treat a customer that came in that did not enjoy their TV, didn’t enjoy the customer service they got, and how would you go about that. The best answer for that question is to basically understand why, what happened during the process, because everything is a process.
If something goes wrong in that process, the whole sale could fall apart. So, find out what went wrong in that process. Once you can identify that, then you can help heal the wound, and have that customer leave happy. Sears Sales Associate: Research the company that you’re working for, because if you go in the interview knowing anything about the company, it can help you a lot, knowing something about that company. They look at that, like “You went the extra mile, interviewee A over here did not.” Sears Sales Associate: Know your stuff. Always gave great morale, because you can come in and your sales can be down one day. It’s not always going to go right. Have the morale, be willing to work, and be willing to do what you need to do to have that job and be successful. If you come in with your head down one day because something’s not going right, they’re not going to want to keep you. They want people that are high energy, high efficiency, and ready to get the job done.