Interviews for bookseller positions can be the hardest thing in the world or ones that are the easiest to navigate.
It all depends on you. If you are prepared for an interview, it will be the latter. If not, you might not be ready for the job that you are hoping to obtain.
The interview process is created for a reason, which is not to see if the candidate is eligible to work at an organization. The eligibility step is taken care of once the hiring manager has decided that your resume and cover letter are good enough.
When the interview stage approaches, the hiring manager is trying to determine if you actually are as amazing as you seem to be in your job application documents. Impressing the manager at this stage is imperative.
A set of interview questions and answers for the position of a bookseller is given below for your reference:
Bookseller Interview Questions and Answers
1. What made you decide that you wanted to work as a bookseller?
For a reader who has always loved books, working as a bookseller is the only thing that makes any sense. Being surrounded by books is a perfect environment to work for someone like me.
2. What is it that you like the most about working as a bookseller?
Working as a bookseller means that you get to meet so many different people, most of whom share your love and enthusiasm for reading and literature. I believe that this is what I like about the work the best.
3. How do you feel about the way technology is affecting book readership?
Although I like going along with the times, I believe that no e-reader can replace the feel of an actual book in your hand. While I am not too keen about technology trying to take over actual readership, I believe that it is also helping people read, even if it is on a different platform than what we “old-fashioned” people believe in!
4. What has been your work as a bookseller in the past?
As far as actual work duties are concerned, I have been involved in setting up books and resources properly on shelves and displays, creating and maintaining inventory/catalogs of books in the shop database, providing customers with information on where to find their books of choice, leading customers through payment processes, handling online orders processing work, and creating and maintaining effective liaison with book suppliers and vendors.
5. Apart from the selling part, what other activities have you been involved in that concern books?
I have arranged book reading sessions and put together many clubs as well, which have increased many people’s interest (specifically children) in reading classics.
6. As far as external liaison is concerned, what has been your exposure?
Apart from creating and maintaining professional bridges with vendors and suppliers to ensure timely and accurate delivery of required books, I have been busy creating an effective liaison with schools and libraries, aiming to provide them with the books and resources that they require.