The Student Room Group

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Reply 1
I suspect it is similar to the Waitrose which is part of the JLP group interview days.

You will probably be asked questions about the partnership, do some research via www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk they will be impressed if you know something about the partnership.

Then they will probably make you introduce yourself to the group and then you will probably have a tour of the store, including back areas, you may then do some roleplay exerscies etc....

I think you will then have a one to one interview.

If succsfull, I think you will be asked back for a second interview more indepth if unsuccsfull you will be told to go!

As I say this is how the Waitrose interview process works, im not sure but I think it will be similar.

Good Luck the JLP is an excellent company to work for.
Reply 2
OMG.. That is soooo long:frown: , all that for a part time sales assistant role, How depressing!!:mad:

O and thanks for your help, It would be a great job (If i get it and i doubt it lol)
Thanks neway xx
Reply 3
Sillycow1
OMG.. That is soooo long:frown: , all that for a part time sales assistant role, How depressing!!:mad:

O and thanks for your help, It would be a great job (If i get it and i doubt it lol)
Thanks neway xx


Yes and that's only the start, wait until the training starts, ps do not refer to it as being an employee use the term "partner" it goes down a lot better!

Also you will find that the eating area is not called "canteen" it will be called "PDR" Partners Dining Room"

Good Luck!
Reply 4
OMG i want to die :frown:
Reply 5
I worked for John Lewis from November untill a few weeks ago (and another time before that).

Ive done this but can't remember it loads.

I do remember we played with lego! We had to recreate a lego model which only one person in the group had seen and that person wasn't allowed to touch it.

Another thing was something like 5 things that make a good 'seller'.

All in all its probably a bit much for the position your going in for, but is a great experience for the future, in terms of more serious interviews.


I think its just a reflection of what a good company it is! :biggrin:

Any other questions, just ask me and i'll try and help.
Reply 6
Really lego haha, that actaully sounds amusing , Do you know how many people got the job? Basically were they just trying to see if you could follow instructions?

Thanks btw :wink:
Reply 7
Sillycow1
Really lego haha, that actaully sounds amusing , Do you know how many people got the job? Basically were they just trying to see if you could follow instructions?

Thanks btw :wink:


No problem

Just remembered you do do a short test on basic maths as well.

I think its just to see how well you can get on talking confidently and showing youve got a bit of a brain, dont need to be a genius though!

Not sure how many got a job. From what i can remember it was most of the younger people that got the job...
Reply 8
Thanks...I hope i get it , need to save up some money for uni!!
Reply 9
Sillycow1
Thanks...I hope i get it , need to save up some money for uni!!


work on a sunday if you can, the money is great!
I had a christmas job at John Lewis, from November till end of January. I was working in the coffee shop as a catering assisstant (which is a posh term for SLAVE), so I just had a one-on-one interview. It was a b*tch of an interview though! I was asked some typical questions, like why did I want to work for John Lewis and what did I think would be expected of me in my role, etc. But there was also loads of random questions, like "if I was to ask your friends what you were like, what would they say?" I somehow ended up telling her about the time we all went to Fuengirola and my mate tried to throw a bucket of water over me from the balcony. I'm sure that story went down well. I was also asked how my future career plans (journalism) related to the position I was applying for. Er, in no way whatsoever!? But, miraculously, I managed to bullsh*t my way through the interview (and beat off some stiff competition, apparently) and got the job. I then went to an induction day with people who had been hired to work in other departments of the store as sales reps. I got talking to them, and some of them had been to a recruitment day, and been picked from there, which sounds like what you'll be going to. If you think the recruitment day's bizarre, just wait till you get to the induction day! You have to watch a load of videos, and go on "mystery shopping" adventures, and make group presentations, etc. There's unlimited free water and Opal Fruits though, I made sure I stocked up on the Opal Fruits!

OK, I've waffled on a bit there. I don't know whether you've already been or not, but good luck. John Lewis is a really good company to work for, they treat the staff, sorry, PARTNERS, really well; there's great staff benefits and facilities. Just don't work in the coffee shop, it's HELL ON EARTH. Seriously.
Reply 11
how much experience do u need to work atjon lewis, i have about 8 months retail experience, ive worked in m+sand a supermarket store, and john lewis rejected my application twice, although im sure my answers were good, and i flled in every section
Reply 12
i worked there for a year. wen i went fcor an interview, they split us into groups and gave us a group discussion task, it was somthing about 15 people being stuck on an island, all with different roles in society, ie priest, doctor, reformed criminal, pregnant woman, child. you could only save half and you had to discuss it. they wern't bothered about who you choose, i guess they just wanted to see that you could make a contribution. after that we all had a quick individual 'chat' with someone from management, and that was about it. hope it goes well.
ps if possible, ask to work sundays, you get time and a half, and if you're a temp, but planning to stay on and get a permanent job, when it comes to that interview refer to the wage price given in the JL magazine, as it is only the over 18 wage they advertise. i did this and wnt up from $4.20 to £5.00 per hour, which was alright.
Reply 13
Thanks everyone, I had the interview on wednesday it was rly fun , i went for a meeter/greeter position so it was kind of different but we were put into groups and then we were actually taken onto the shop floor to do the job which was actually rly funny. Neway we don't find out for another two weeks typical. :p:
how much experience do u need to work atjon lewis


Well to be honest i think you need quite abit for the sales assistent jobs, but i dnt have any retail experience what so ever lol, lots of other experiences but not in retail, i don't think it mattered for the meeter/greeter job so maybe you should try that type of vacancy!!

sillycow1:biggrin:
sweetie999
how much experience do u need to work atjon lewis, i have about 8 months retail experience, ive worked in m+sand a supermarket store, and john lewis rejected my application twice, although im sure my answers were good, and i flled in every section


I got a job with 0 expierience. So it cant be your 'lack' of expierience that's getting you rejected!
Reply 15
rly? u got the job with zero experience. I have no experience either and im rly worried that i won't be able to find a job. That and the fact that im not very confident is the only thing letting me down. I rly want to find a job for this summer, mainly for the experience. I would rly want to work at John Lewis. How do u apply? Do u go up to the store and ask for an application form or apply online?
Reply 16
^^ Just go up to a desk and ask, they'll sort you out. I work at Waitrose [hello all you partners out there!] and theres such a mix of people, from the really shy to the outgoing types. I got in with no experience apart from mentioning the occasional babysitting :P
Im sure John lewis will be the same. And dont worry about the confidence, i wasnt all to confident when i started but it really helped me grow up and gain confidence, good luck!
Reply 17
Yeh thnx, I always seem to find the run up to the interview really terrifying but for some reason, I always seem to find the interview quite easy going. I dont think I have ever had a bad interview but i still really lack in confidence. And as I said before the main reason I want a job in summer is for the confidence and experience, the money comes as a bonus.
akash_a88
Yeh thnx, I always seem to find the run up to the interview really terrifying but for some reason, I always seem to find the interview quite easy going. I dont think I have ever had a bad interview but i still really lack in confidence. And as I said before the main reason I want a job in summer is for the confidence and experience, the money comes as a bonus.


You need some degree of confidence, it's a group assessment sort of thing. Nothing to worry about though and you've got expierience of an interviews, I had none. I handed in my application mooonths before I heard anything back, I assumed my applicatoin hadn't been successul even though it was great :p: I talked about how its a partnership and how that really impresses me, all that bull****
Reply 19
I just got a job at John Lewis too. I've got no experience as i've never worked before and I went to the assesment thing and it was really fun - we had to pick out outfits for different people and talk about swimwear and underwear! It only lasted about an hour and a half.
Anyway, I applied for a summer job to get some money together for uni and I start on Friday! They said that i'm working in schoolwear! I have to visit schools and sell it and also hold events in the store as well as selling in the shop. Should be interesting as I think I may have to go back to my school and sell the uniform!

Anyway, I guess that Friday is the 'induction day' type thing! Bit scared though!