Waterstone&#x27;s blacklist?!

I worked at Waterstones for a Christmas, two years ago. They pay just about minimum wage - £4.75/hr. The hours I did were Saturdays and Sundays - still at school then! :rolleyes:

I did from nine am til five on Saturdays with a half hour for lunch and two twenty minute breaks, one in the morning one in the afternoon. Ten til five on Sunday.

It was good fun, if tiring - you're on your feet all day, not really allowed to sit down, you have chains of customers, and it can get repetitive. It's really about who you're working with; I was a bit young to appreciate the other guys working there, but they were lovely people - I still chat to them if I drop past the shop.

Do realise, if you're working as X mas staff- you'll be working Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Year's Eve/Day, so the opportunity to get pissed at Christmas is not... likely. Unless you want to deal with stroppy customers and a hangover.

Reply 3

OP

I got an application form sent to me which I'm just filling out- how much time could I do as minimum commitment d'you reckon? With Jan exams I don't want to be working all the time...

Reply 4

OP

Finished! Sent it back last night...just wait and see now!

Reply 5

notebook

Hello!

Heres the story:

In July 2004 I got a job at Waterstones in the local shopping centre; I worked for 4 hours trainning and then decided not to go back on my first day (Saturday- it was a saturday job). I wrote a letter and handed in my badge and book etc the next day.

We have two waterstone's in my town, the other one is much bigger. Anyway...I have been toying over applying for a Christmas job there- but do you think they'd accpet me? The shops are about 3mins walk from each other?

There are no other bookshops in my city centre.

Anyone else work for Waterstones? What is it like? What is the pay like?

I worked for waterstones for 3 yrs :s-smilie:

i was a grade 4 bookseller before I left (highest is grade 5). They have a very "high" level of customer service and the pay band is good depending on your location .i.e. they give a location allowance.. Training and progression is also good depending on your manager.
The pay increases at inflation rate and I think the starting band now is in the region of 5 - 6 pounds an hour..
They might still take you on if they need staff..

Reply 6

OP

How do you progress up the 'grades'?

Reply 7

notebook

Finished! Sent it back last night...just wait and see now!

on a related note to this thread (well, sort of!): when you applied to waterstones, did you find out about vacancies through an advert, or did you ring the store up and ask for an application form? thanks, and good luck with your application!

Reply 8

notebook

How do you progress up the 'grades'?

You go through an "appraisal (sp????) every 3 months ideally, its called "carrer development framework". Your manager gives you a list of objectives for the current grade you are on and gives you methods in which to fufil those objectives, if you satisfy all those objectives and you manager is happy, you go to the next grade. as a new beginner, you start on a 3 months probabtionary period and after that you get launched into grade 1.

I fast - tracked to grade 3 in a year because I had alot of responsibility as a part - timer and I helped my manager out alot when she was on maternity leave which meant even more responsibility

Reply 9

OP

Cool.

I e-mailed in and asked that way

Reply 10

notebook

I e-mailed in and asked that way

(was this directed at me? :confused:

)

if it was, then did you email the individual store or a general address? thanks! :smile:

Reply 11

OP

If you go to www.waterstones.co.uk (its an exstension of the Amazon site) and go to store locations you get a list of them; find what you're after and it lists the postal addrtess, phone numbers and contact e-mail address which will 99.9% go to the manager of that branch.

Reply 12

notebook

and contact e-mail address which will 99.9% go to the manager of that branch.

that depends on the size of the branch... doesnt necessarily go to the branch manager; best thing is to call them up, ask for the HR department and then ask if they have vacancies..
(My branch was the 2nd biggest branch of waterstones in Europe :eek:

)

Reply 13

notebook

If you go to www.waterstones.co.uk (its an exstension of the Amazon site) and go to store locations you get a list of them; find what you're after and it lists the postal addrtess, phone numbers and contact e-mail address which will 99.9% go to the manager of that branch.

yup, just done that, thanks!

dimexi

that depends on the size of the branch... doesnt necessarily go to the branch manager; best thing is to call them up, ask for the HR department and then ask if they have vacancies..

thank you! do they send you an application form or are you meant to post your CV, cover letter, etc?

Reply 14

OP

They sent me an application form online and I e-mailed it back- but it may vary branch to branch. By the way- what area are you applying in?? (as in of the UK!)

Reply 15

notebook

They sent me an application form online and I e-mailed it back- but it may vary branch to branch. By the way- what area are you applying in?? (as in of the UK!)

ok!
The north west... why?

Reply 16

~nat~

yup, just done that, thanks!

thank you! do they send you an application form or are you meant to post your CV, cover letter, etc?

As notebook said, it depends on the branch! I know they have an application form that they send out but sometimes they may request your CV and cover letter.. Since you in the North west, i believe they will send an application

Reply 17