I applied online. The process took 3 days. I interviewed at Nordstrom (Thousand Oaks, CA) in Feb 2010
Interview
I applied online for the Brass Plum department. I filled out the long survey then was contacted by HR by email to set up a phone interview. My interview was set for two days later. I then had the phone interview which lasted at most 5 minutes. The woman asked me a few questions about myself and previous sales experience. At then end of the interview I was invited in for a 1:1 interview the next day with the same woman from HR. This interview in person was much more in depth. Lots of questions about handling upset customers and asking about strengths and weaknesses. Also, lots of questions on being competitive and goal oriented. I was then introduced to the BP manager who asked me about my availability and took me on a tour of the stock room and the floor. She then explained commission rates and the average hourly pay in the department. Before we wrapped it up, she did one quick "selling exercise". She pretended she was a high school girl looking for a date outfit and I had to help her pick out an outfit and sell it to her. Very in depth process, but well worth it!
So easy, I went to a job fair and was hired on the spot. They need people in the kids department, that's the easiest section to get into. They just ask about your personality and who you are.
Was inside Barton creek mall, hiring manager was prompt and clear with questions ranging from how I would handle difficult customers, to my personal experiences that could apply to the job.