I applied in-person. I interviewed at Mountain Equipment Company (Toronto, ON)
Interview
Very friendly interviewers that were calm and professional. I had dropped off my CV in person, the staff member who accepted it didn't seem very kind, almosst declined accepting my CV because apparently there were no jobs available. In the end, another staff member took over, stating that there are always job opportunities popping up. I got a simple phone interview before being called for an in-person interview. The phone interview consisted of questions about my knowledge about the store, my interests in outdoor activities, my experience in retail and what i have learned from past jobs.
I applied online. The process took 5 days. I interviewed at Mountain Equipment Company (Vancouver, BC)
Interview
Went for a job fair they were having at Vancouver - had 1 staff to run through your details and availability, followed by 2 interviews.
First interview was with I believe a floor staff, that asked me rather basic questions about my interests, what I like about MEC etc.
The second interview was with the store manager that asked more complex questions such as, why retail and why MEC, how would your friends/employers describe you, situational questions etc.
It's only been a few days since the interview so I've yet to receive an offer. But it was a good interview in any case! Very friendly and open staff.
(edit: got called in for a final 'interview' 5 days after - got an offer!)
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Interests? Why MEC? Why retail? What if it gets really busy, how would you deal with customers trying to get your attention? What qualities do you have? Is there a specific department you prefer?
I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Mountain Equipment Company in May 2014
Interview
I applied online but also came with an employee referral (I was told this speeded up the recruitment process significantly). I had two in-person interviews, one with the store manager and the next one with my Team Leader (watersports). Questions were mostly about fit: why do you want this job? What are your outdoor experiences? Describe an ideal workplace. What does collaboration look like to you? If a member came and said they wanted to buy a PFD, what questions would you ask them to help them make a proper selection?
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What would you do if you were helping a customer when all of the sudden a different and difficult customer started interrupting you and kept trying to get your attention. Would you leave the customer you were helping originally?