I applied in-person. The process took 1 day. I interviewed at Trader Joe's (Costa Mesa, CA) in Nov 2008
Interview
You have to go into the store to fill out an application. Every store does their own hiring so go to the store which you would like to work. If they don't call you, be persistent but not annoying. Go back and talk to the Captain to see what the status is. One day they may not be hiring, but the next day they may need to hire two more people. You never know. The more consistent you are the more they see that you really want to work there.
Be Friendly! Trader Joe's likes genuinely friendly people and don't pretend to know the store and the products if you really don't. The one-on-one interview is the biggest part of the hiring process and your personality is key. Some stores may require more than one interview.
If you're hired there, be prepared to work smart and work hard, otherwise you will find yourself with less hours than you would like.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
If a customer did or says this (example of situation), how would you handle the situation?
I had 3 separate interviews. 1 was over the phone. 2 were in person. I never heard anything after the third interview. I called the store about a week later and they let me know they didn’t actually have any available positions. Really felt like they wasted my time.
I applied in-person. I interviewed at Trader Joe's (West Hollywood, CA)
Interview
Casual, took place outside of the store. First I had a phone call interview. Then another which was in-person with 2 of the mates in the store, and finally a third in-person with the captain of the store.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What was something I did for a friend that was above and beyond?
Different questions than I have experienced in past job interviews, but seem to be their traditional hiring questions. They want to make sure they are hiring sociable people more so than just someone that can do the job.