History of Sephora

Founded back in 1969, Sephora today operates more than 750 stores in more than 21 countries in the world.   With over 250 brands, you can find things such as makeup, fragrances, bath products and so much more.   You can find their North American headquarters located in San Francisco, California.   As they continue to grow, you can find some Sephoras located in JCPenney.

Sephora is a chain of cosmetics stores established in France in 1993and purchased by Paris-based multinational Louis Vuitton and Moet Hennessy in 1997. The Sephora chain comprises over 750 stores in 17 countries. Carrying more than 250 brands, including Sephora’s own private label, the store proffers cosmetic and beauty items that comprise makeup, skin care, fragrance, bath and body, hair product, and hair and make-up tools.

Sephora opened its initial US store in New York City in 1997.Its North American headquarters are situated in San Francisco, with marketing offices in New York City and Montreal. The company is a division of the Paris-based Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Sephora is recognized for their sampling program and for their lifetime return policy. If you acquire a particular brand and if a certain location does not carry that brand, they will still accept the product under their return policy. In 1999, the company launched its online shop Sephora.com in nine countries.

Hours of Operation:   Mon-Fri: 10:00am-10:00pm; Sat: 9:00am-10:00pm; Sun: 10:00am-8:00pm

Minimum Age to Work Here:   17 years old

Positions Available:   Retail Sales Associate, Cashier, Bagger, Assistant Manager, Counter Manager, Beauty Assistant, Supervisor, Store Manager, Make Up Artist, Beauty Manager, Multi-Store Loss Prevention Agent, Product Consultant, Field Manager, Operations Product Consultant, Freelance Retail Make Up Artist, Retail Store Director, Beauty Educator

Background Check Required?  Yes

Negotiation:   There is no room for negotiation since the hourly rate and other employment perks are already set.

Job Description / Average Wage

Sales Associate: You’re going to be working with the customers, as they enter the store.   You will assist them with products, as well as make sure that they are getting all of their questions answered.   You will keep the store clean, stock the shelves, as well as make sure that the store is running at 100%.   The average wage for this position is $8 to $18 a hour.

Makeup Consultant: You will work in the makeup section.   You will apply samples, as well as make recommendations to those that come to the counter.   You will also help with their selection, as well as ring them up.   You will be asked to stock the shelves, as well as keep your area clean. The average wage is $9 to $19 a hour.

Cashier: You’re going to work up front at the register.   You will ring up customers, as well as make sure that they are satisfied with their purchase.   You will ring up their order, as well as bag it.   Your average wage is from $8 to $11 a hour.

Assistant Buyer: An assistant buyer will assess market trends and price of goods and supplies in the market. Usual task include networking and negotiating with suppliers for competitive prices as well as making market survey investigation and reports. This keeps a record of all the materials acquired for the store. This also scrutinizes market reports as well as strategizes plans for the stores.   As the company’s Assistant Buyer you can expect to get $50,000-$55,000 in a year.

Store Director: A store director manages the department managers, assistant managers and general staff. This sustains inventory, determine sales and advertising tactics, give outstanding customer service, implement merchandising programs, and guarantee safety and security standards are upheld. A store director is also responsible of hiring, training also firing store employees.   The average starting wage for this position is from $60,000-$65,000.

HR Manager: The position will serve as a connection between management and employees by means of handling queries, interpreting and managing contracts and helping resolve work-related dilemmas. This scrutinizes and modifies compensation and benefits policies to establish competitive programs and guarantee compliance with legal requirements. This executes complex staffing duties, including dealing with understaffing, refereeing disputes, firing employees, also managing disciplinary procedures.   This position pays an average of $53,000-$63,000 a year.

Other positions: Color Specialist, Skin Care Consulting, Lead, Assistant Manager, Manager.

Benefits

Your benefits are going to depend on the job that you apply for.   Part time workers, as well as full time will get different benefits.   The retail, as well as corporate level will all vary.   You will want to discuss this when you get hired, with your manager.

Atmosphere and Perks

Sephora workers can avail many job perks on top of the competitive and generous pay rates and paid training for entry level associates. The full-time associates can access to other employment benefits like future planning benefits, health and wellness programs, and insurance coverage, also provided with paid time off like paid vacation, holiday pay, and sick leave; they can take advantage of a bonus incentives programs, and more room for career growth and professional advancement.

Interview Questions

Why do you want to apply for a job here?

What kinds of cosmetic products do you use?

Are you familiar with all of the products that Sephora sells?

What are some of the advantages of using our skin care products?

How much experience do you have in sales?

How would you sell a cosmetics like lipstick?

How would you handle a difficult customer?

Where do you see yourself 3 years from now?   Do you have career plans for the future?

How do you deal with co-workers that are hard to work with?

What kind of person are you?

When are you available to work here?

Interview Tips

If you are scheduled for a job interview, you are heading towards exciting career opportunities. The interview schedule can be called for interview after submitting the necessary documents as part of the application process. The interview can be done one-on-one or through a panel session. The interview questions will likely involve those questions that will gauge your personality and ability to do the job as well as your communication skills. Make sure you can impress your interviewer about your positive personality and your ability to deal with people.

How to apply

If you want to apply for a job, Sephora asks that you either mail it to a store near you, or apply in person.   You can find openings for their jobs on HotJobs via Yahoo!   You can also find a nearest store here.

>> Download Sephora Job Application