30 Questions to Ask at a Jewelry Store Job Interview (With Answers)
People who work in jewelry stores know that different pieces mean different things to different people. They like to listen to their customers so they can help them find the right piece. Interviewers are looking for people who can sell well and treat customers well. In this article, we talk about some of the most common questions jewelry store interviewers ask and give examples of how to answer them. 30 Questions to Ask at a Jewelry Store Job Interview
Questions for a job interview at a jewelry store
Here are some questions that interviewers at jewelry stores often ask. They may or may not be important, depending on the position:
General questions
You might be asked these questions for any job in a jewelry store:
- Tell us what you know about our company.
- What do you think about working with other people?
- What would you do if a customer or coworker stole from you?
- What do you do when you’re feeling overwhelmed?
- If you had this job, what would a typical day look like?
- How have your past jobs prepared you for this one?
- Tell us about a work mistake you made and what you learned from it.
- How do you decide what to do first and how to organize your work?
- Tell me about a time when you had to work with someone who was hard to get along with.
- What kinds of personal goals have you set for yourself in the last year? Did you get what you wanted? How?
- How would you measure your success in this role?
- Tell us about your favorite piece of jewelry and why it’s your favorite.
- Have you ever set up a place to display things? If so, please tell us what went wrong.
- Why did you leave your last job?
Jewelry skills or knowledge
Interviewers might ask about specific skills, like designing jewelry, or how much you know about jewelry in general. Think about the following questions:
- Explain what sterling silver is.
- How knowledgeable are you about diamonds and other gems?
- Tell us the last piece of advice you gave someone about jewelry.
- What are the four Cs of a diamond?
- Can you fix or make jewelry?
- Have you ever made a piece of jewelry with computer-aided design (CAD) software?
- What would you tell a customer who asked you how to take care of their new jewelry?
Customer service or sales questions
These questions might come up in an interview for a job in sales or customer service at a jewelry store:
- Since when have you sold jewelry?
- What have you learned in the past year about jewelry or sales?
- How have you handled angry customers in the past? Or, if you saw one, what would you do?
- How would you sell a new piece of jewelry to a customer?
- What do you do best and worst when it comes to selling?
- What do you know about reaching sales goals?
- What do you say to a customer who isn’t sure if they want to buy something or not?
- Tell us about the best thing a customer has ever done for you.
- What would you say or do if a customer asked you a question you couldn’t answer?
Interview questions about a jewelry store, with examples of how to answer them
Here are some answers that show what employers want to hear in an interview:
What do you think about working with other people?
Teams are how workers get their jobs done. In a jewelry store, the people who sell jewelry have to talk to the people who fix or make jewelry to make sure that customers get what they want. Interviewers ask this question to see if you can get along with others and work as part of a group. Tell them about a good time you had working with a team and why it was a good time, especially if your actions made it a good time.
Example: “Most of the teachers I had in college gave me group projects to do. I’ve always enjoyed working with other people and seeing how they see things. In an economics class, my favorite project was to look at a company. Our project was one of the best in the class because we all got along so well. Some of my teammates were also in business school, so they told us things we might not have known.”
How have your past jobs prepared you for this one?
If you have worked with jewelry before, you can use this question to talk about what you did. They want to know what you’ve learned in your past jobs that is relevant to the one you’re applying for. If you haven’t worked with jewelry before, tell them about work that is similar and how your skills can be used in this job.
Example: “My last job was in customer service at a shop that sold wedding dresses. I learned how important it is to treat customers with respect and how to listen to what they want so I could help them find the right dress. People’s weddings are very important to them, and I’ve helped clients who were upset or worried about their dress feel better. Customers who want to buy jewelry can also use these skills, and I know how important it is to answer any questions they may have and tell them how much the item is worth.”
How would you measure your success in this role?
This question helps the interviewer figure out if your values are the same as the company’s. Before your interview, do some research on the company so you know what might be important to the interviewer. For example, if a business wants to make a lot of sales, you could tell them that this is part of your idea of success. You might want to say in your answer that the company cares about how the customer feels. For the job and company to be a good fit for you, you need to show that you want the same things they do.
Example: “When I help a customer find the right piece, I’ve done my job well. I love it when a customer finally finds what they are looking for and leaves with something that makes their day better.”
Tell us about your favorite piece of jewelry and why it’s your favorite.
Interviewers ask this question to find out how much you know about jewelry and which style you like best. Some jewelry stores want their workers to wear the jewelry they sell, so they want to know if you do the same. This can also give you a chance to talk about how much you know about jewelry, especially if you had specific ideas for the piece you’re talking about or did research before buying it to find out more about the material or gemstone.
Remember that some people wear jewelry because it means something special to them. You can build stronger relationships with your customers if you tell them how the jewelry you wear or sell makes you feel. Also, the people conducting the interview want to know if you can do this.
Example: “My favorite piece of jewelry is a beautiful ruby ring that my aunt gave me for my birthday. It was the first piece of jewelry I had that I had to take care of, since it was a professional piece and more expensive than anything else I had worn before. I looked up how to care for it and learned a lot about gemstones and jewelry in general. It got me really interested in jewelry, and every time I wear it, I think of my aunt.”
Why did you leave your last job?
Two things can be learned from this question. Interviewers want to know why you’re looking for a new job, whether it’s because you want more money or because the company you were working for closed down. They also want to know what you think of the job you had before. Use this time to talk about why you quit, and keep a positive attitude when you do. Interviewers might think that how you talk about your last job is how you will talk about theirs if you leave, so they want to hear good things.
Example: “I really liked my last job, but I needed to find a place where I could grow into a different role. At my last job, my manager taught me a lot, which helped me grow. I thought that if I worked for your company, I’d have more chances to improve my skills and move closer to my career goals.”
Tell us the last piece of advice you gave someone about jewelry.
Interviewers want to know what you would tell a customer about the jewelry the company makes. Use this question to show how well you treat people and how much you know about jewelry.
Example: “My friend wanted to buy a birthstone ring, so she showed me pictures of rings she liked. I could tell right away that some of the bands she was looking at were so thin that they might break if she wore them every day. I told her this and showed her some other options that looked just as nice but would last longer.
She was happy to hear that because she hadn’t thought that could be a problem. I also showed her simple ways to clean and take care of herself. She finally found a ring that is just as beautiful as the day she bought it two years ago.”
What have you learned in the past year about jewelry or sales?
This is a question that interviewers ask because they want to know how you keep learning and getting better. They want to find someone who will work hard and learn how to do their job better. Use this question to show them how you’ve become more marketable in the last year and how you can help their business with those skills.
Example: “I learned that a local community college had a series of speakers on business. It was open to everyone, and I went to a few sales-related sessions. I learned a lot about how to talk to people and sell things. When I sold things, I used some of these skills and got better at them.”
What do you know about reaching sales goals?
Some stores have goals for their employees, and this question tells them if you have worked in a similar setting before. Tell them about your goals and what you did to reach them if you’ve done this before. Focus on what you did to improve your performance and reach your goals, or what you did regularly to reach them.
Example: “I’ve worked in customer service before, and my managers didn’t set goals for us. Instead, I made goals for myself to make sure customers had a good time. Because I listened to them and tried to understand them, all of my customers were happy when they left. I did everything I could to make sure that every customer left happier than when they arrived.”
