How do you get a job at Petco or Petsmart?

Unless your friend has fairly substantial (several years) experience in retail, showing career progress beyond the basic floor staff level, I wouldn't expect him/her to be hired as a manager straight off. Time as manager in another store would be best, as much of a manager's time is spent on paperwork sort of things that don't change a lot from one type of business to another.

Scheduling, budget, supervision, training, loss prevention, safety....etc. Everything BUT working directly with the animals--that's what the floor staff does.

What it pays would be very hard to say. Store managers often get stiffed in every which way but loose by the company. Because they're "management" they're on salary (flat rate, no overtime), but are also expected to work a huge number of hours/week, and be on call every moment they're not actually in the store.

But hey, some people thrive on it. And whatever level he gets in at, it's a job. Good luck to yer friend.
/rant off.
 
I think I would get too angry if I worked there.
 
DavidZ said:
lol
nice
Sounguru, if it would be that simple the country wouldn't be in the mess it is.
Click to expand...

Sad to say it is that simple. First you have to fill out an application then follow up on said application. If in 3 months they don't hire you then fill out another and follow up on that. Also dress better than they require shirt and tie will always be my first call backs when I'm looking for someone to work for me over the jeans and tee shirt type. Then once you get the job work your arse off and prove that you can handle the responsibilities and the work load of being a manager. Pick up any shifts you can and if they call you to work go in unless you are too far away to make it back in time or dying. Let them know that you are open to be trained to do anything.

It does help if they are hiring, but if they have someone they are looking to drop and you seem to be a better worker than said lazy bum they may drop him to bring you on. Always follow up on any application by stopping in 3 days after you drop it off and asking to see the manager. Then ask him nicely if he had a chance to look it over. If he say no ask nicely if it is okay to check back in a couple of days. Then once a week drop in and see if they have any positions open. What this does is show that you have a real desire to work there and can go a long way to getting your foot in the door.

Took me 5 months to get a job I really wanted but in the hiring meeting they told the that my follow up helped them make the decision to hire me over better trained people because they wanted someone that was willing to work and willing to learn. I worked there until the day they sold out to another company and it was the best job I ever had. When they closed I was managing the largest car audio dept on the west coast.
 
Xan, looks like you are speaking from experience, yes he has more then 10 years experience in retail management.
Thanks for the info, and yes looks like crazy hrs, hope it pays.
 
Soundguru, I agree, most companies are looking for someone to handle 3 things at once, saving money.
The only thing with following up with large companies, the HR dept will not take outside calls, unless you know someone on the inside.
lol
 
In most large companies the hiring is done on the store level not by some distant HR dept. You first have to get the manager to want you to work for him first. HR may do entry screening checking for things that don't add up, but if you are clean the final hire or no hire usually falls to the store level manager.

In the several companies I have worked for the process was simple.

  • Fill out application at the store not online unless that is the only option.
  • Follow up on the application
  • Get interview with manager
  • Manager sends hire request to HR
  • HR checks into things and approves or disapproves based on stuff they find ie: a record with the police etc that you didn't disclose.
  • Get job
People have made it too hard on themselves to find a job by not following simple rules and just doing the leg work. Most employers are looking for someone that stands out from the crowd not just another cattle and in dealing with the younger generation they all act like cattle anymore. They fill out an application never follow up whine and complain about how hard it is to find a job and that the establishment hates them and it isn't their fault.

I have never gone more than 2 weeks without a job if I really wanted to find one with both big companies and small ones. First thing I will tell anyone is get a job somewhere I don't care if it is Burger King then work on finding the better job while you still have employment.

You don't know how many kids I had come in drop off an application looking like something that just walked out of a dark alley then get all upset when I don't call them right back for a job. First impressions still go a long way just most people have forgotten that.
 
Well this is not a kid we talking about, plus the location he is applying for is a new store opening, so this system that Soundguru has will not work.
 
This is a reason why I actually posted.
This was one of the replies: I worked for PETCO as a D.M. for five years. They are a "network" hiring organization. If you know someone that knows someone that works at a hiring level at PETCO you can get in easily.
 
I was called back on 2 interviews for floor manager at a Pet extreme. Didn't get the job because they decided on someone who was older with all the same experience that I had. Oh well what can ya do.

I say call them up and ask what a good time to have a lil meet n greet with the manager would be. Ask if they are hiring and what positions and exactly what they are looking for. That should give you a good idea of what they are expecting & show them you or your friend are interested.
 
I have gotten jobs with stores opening up and stores that were open. If the store is just opening it maybe a little bit of a waiting game, but the same rules still apply.

For a store opening usually the applications are being taken at a near by store and that is where the interview process is also taking place so you need to impress that manager. In a lot of cases the manager at location A takes the aps for location B and if you stand out from the crowd then he will make sure the manager at location B should check into you more.

Now in some cases it maybe that the HR is doing the pre-screening and then you will have to sit back and wait. If they do call you in for an interview then you need to make a better first impression than the others looking for that position. In a lot of cases they will bring in managers from other locations and just hire the grunts, so the option of getting a management position goes thru the door.

If you are not called in then you need to be at that store within the first week filling out an ap and start pounding away again, because they usually have a high turnover in the first couple of months. Take in mind that if the HR did the pre screen they may have only looked at the first 300 of the 600 aps they got because they can select the 100 or so they want to hire form that lot. They may have never even looked at your ap and that is why you didn't get called not that you don't fit the bill for what they need.

So what you are saying is that you want to find the quick and easy road in instead of really having to work for the job.
 
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