In 1873 Charles Barnes opened a book-printing business in Wheaton, Illinois which was the onset of the very first Barnes & Noble bookstores. The very first true bookstore was set up by his son William Barnes in partnership with G. Clifford Noble. The two young men started the store in New York City. The very first store was located at 31 West 15th St.
The store operated all through World War I and during the depression. It was a known factor that the boys had a problem paying their bills during the depression so they moved everything to 18th Street and Fifth Avenue. Leonard Riggio purchased the stores in 1971 and oversaw the growth of the stores from that point onward. Barnes & Noble became the very first store to advertise on television. Today they are known as the largest bookstore retailer in the United States.
Barnes & Noble, Inc. operates the biggest chain of bookstores in the United States. The company revolutionized bookselling through introducing giant, supermarket style stores with intensely discounted books in the 1970s, and by the late 1990s it operated over 520 such superstores across the country. The company is also a leading operator of mall bookstores, running the well-known B. Dalton chain, and Scribner’s and Doubleday Book Shops. Barnes & Noble is a primary supplier of books through mail-order catalogs as well. The company vends discounted publishers’ remainders and imported books throughout its catalog, as well as books under its own “Barnes & Noble Books” imprint.
Hours of Operation: Mon-Thurs: 9:00am-10:00pm; Fri-Sat: 9:00am-11:00pm; Sun: 9:00am-9:00pm
Minimum Age to Work Here: 16 years old
Positions Available: Bookseller, Lead Bookseller, Customer Service Representative, Cashier, Head Cashier, Merchandise Manager, Assistant Store Manager, Store Manager, Cafe Manager, Cafe Lead, Cafe Server, Sales Manager, Production Manager, Receiving Manager, , Merchandise Planner, Digital Sales Lead
Background Check Required? Yes
Negotiation: There is no room for negotiation since the hourly rate is already set by the company.
Job Description/Average Wage
Booksellers Hourly: People who work in the store as booksellers usually have a certain department that they work out of providing service to customers. They are able to find the books that customers need or order special books. They make sure that the shelves are well stocked with the up-to-date books. They help customers who are doing research work find the proper materials. When the customer is just looking for something to read they try to find out what peaks their interest and then make suggestions on what is available that the customer like to read. The average wage for a bookseller is $8.35 a hour.
Lead Bookseller Hourly: The lead bookseller usually makes sure that the all the up-to-date books and tapes are provided on the shelf. It is great that with the use of computers they can find books from other stores, or order in special editions. The lead bookseller trains the other book sellers and usually is in charge of taking care of the customer’s orders, charging them, and making sure that at the end of the shift that all cash drawers are in balance. The average wage is $9.20 an hour.
Store Manager: The Store Manager is the store’s leader, liable for meeting or surpassing the store’s sales objectives, identifying business opportunities as well as motivating booksellers. It is the Store Manager’s job to construct the finest and most gainful bookstore serving the local community. The average pay is $30,000 to $85,000 a year.
Assistant Store Manager: The Assistant Manager is the number two person in the store and is entailed in each aspect of its operations. The position will plan an integral role in the selection, assessment and development of their booksellers, promoting an employee-centric atmosphere while maximizing productivity. The average salary is around $30,000 to $49,000 a year.
Head Cashier: Head Cashiers ensure lines move quickly and never get long. This will open and close register each day, permit returns and exchanges, as well as audit receipts. The average salary is $9.85 per hour.
District Manager: The District Manager makes sure that all Barnes & Noble stores in the district meet or surpass their sales objectives and live up to Barnes & Noble’s standards of service and quality. Whenever a store in a district has a dilemma, needs advice or wants to develop a new program, it turns to the District Manager. The District Manager also identifies best practices across stores as well as mentors Store Managers. Annual income for this position is $82,000-$89,000.
Community Relations Manager: The position will develop and implement local programs designed to exploit sales expansion and augment customer traffic throughout community outreach. This serves as representatives of Barnes & Noble with community organizations as they develop existing business as well as produce new opportunities. The average salary is from $28,000-$53,000.
Benefits
- Comparative wage
- Good Benefit package
- Discounts on purchases
Atmosphere and Perks
Barnes & Noble employees will have a challenging and exciting work environment. Both entry-level and full-time workers are offered with wide range of employment perks, competitive base pay and salary options, flexible work schedules, paid training programs, and career growth potential. Qualified workers will also be able to get access to various employment benefit packages like future planning benefits, insurance coverage, and work-life balance programs, paid vacation, discounts on products and services, complimentary name tags and a lot of employment perks.
Interview Questions
Do you love books? What kind of books do you love to read?
What genres of books you are familiar with?
Will you recommend a book to someone?
What will you do if someone asks to find the right book for him or her?
How well do you work in a team environment?
Do you believe this company is a great place to start your career?
How will you encourage people to love books as well?
Can you work for longer years in this company?
What are your skills and knowledge which are helpful for the company?
Will you report to the supervisor if you caught fellow employees stealing from the company?
Interview Tips
Barnes & Noble employment process begins with the candidates to submit the necessary documents and then the job interview follows. You have to wait for an email or a call by the hiring manager for an interview schedule. During the interview, you will be answering questions regarding your job skills, previous jobs and flexibility of your schedule. You should also show that you have interest on books. Demonstrate utmost professionalism in answering questions and must have to maintain focus while the interview is in progress.
How to apply
If you are interested in one of the many open positions you can apply online by visiting their website:
http://www.barnes_nobles.com/careers
Please feel free to stop in your local store and request an application for any open positions in your area.