Ten Things You May Not Know About Barnes & Noble
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ก.ค. 2024
- I’ve been working at Barnes & Noble since October of 2019 (more or less; the pandemic definitely threw a wrench in the middle of my employment) and I absolutely love my job. It had always been one of my dreams as a kid to work for a bookstore and so realizing this dream was amazing. I wanted to share that love with all of you and share some Barnes & Noble “secrets” and surprises that I have learned since working there.
If you’re interested in more “secrets” or want advice on how to make yourself a desirable applicant for a B&N job let me know down in the comments! If you also work at a B&N let me know that, too! I’d love to connect with booksellers from different regions.
Just wanted to reaffirm that these are my personal experiences and thoughts.
Currently Reading: This is How You Lose the Time War
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Glad you were able to get your job back! I've never worked at a bookstore or library myself, but always thought it would be a fun job.
It's definitely a fun job! Still retail so I do get some customers who are not the best, but of all the jobs I've worked this is by far my favorite. Being around books makes even the really bad days better.
@@theteapotreads Haha yeah, I imagine being able to escape into the book stacks, so to speak, after a not so great customer encounter is a big plus! :D Also perhaps a fun premise for a portal fantasy novel lol
I know this is a year later, but my pet peeve about B and N, is discovering a new book that turns out to be a 2nd or 3rd in a series, and they don't have book 1 there. Which means, if I want it, I go home to Amazon and order the first and 2nd book and get it in 2 days. And I would have bought both right then. I know you can order it in store, but there isn't a store close enough for me to make an extra trip.
I totally understand; at my store, at least, we work hard to try and make sure we keep the first of a series in stock (normally ordering in more copies of book 1 than book 2 to make sure book 1 will outlast book 2 on the shelf) but unfortunately it's not always possible.
I have an interview today and I was kinda nervous but your words were really encouraging I definitely think Im gonna do better now that i’ve watched and learned!! thank you and i cant wait to deep dive into your videos!!!!
i love barnes and noble i went last week, i would live there if i could, i don't get to go to barnes and noble as often as i would like
I miss Borders so much. Partly because I grew up with them with the original in Ann Arbor but also because the employees, no matter what store, seemed so chill and friendly. For some reason Barnes & Noble employees don’t seem friendly or approachable. I’ve been a regular at my local one for over 23 years and still they don’t recognize me.
I fell down the BookTube rabbit hole and ended up here all the way from Ontario, Canada (where we don't even have Barnes & Noble)! My ears perked up when you mentioned that you also purchase a lot of games, since I'm an avid board game hobbyist (my own TH-cam channel is largely about board games and books). If you were to ever do a video about your favourite games, I wouldn't NOT watch it... Cheers from a new subscriber!
Glad the rabbit hole brought you here and thanks for subscribing (and I'll definitely be checking out your channel, too)! I would love to do a video of favorite games, I think it's just a matter of finding a good way to film them to do them justice.
great video. I love the store!!! Thank you
I just found this in my reccomendations but I just started shopping at Barnes and Noble (My hometown never have one until I moved for college). I recently found a new hardback book in the new release that was put out 1-2 weeks before it's release date which some people did say that happens often.
I worked at independent bookstore and got 40% off on everything,, and we carried tons of games and plush animals, and gift items, even jewelry, scarfs and purses.
Here’s a secret: I worked there and it was horrendous. The pay is horrible and it’s a culture of fear that they perpetuate. Just listening to this girl reminds me of the fact that they hire young talented bright men and women who perhaps are just out of college or dropped out of college and they suck them into jobs that pay crap and do not pay for position upgrades.
I just need something for the summer
I love that store. Where I live now there is not one of that store, but while living in Houston was a pleasure spending time at that store. Now I have my own book but only online. Hope I can see it inside of the store. Is just a dream that can one day became true
Good luck on getting your book in stores!
I love Barnes & Noble... It's my go to place for books.... Magical fun store!!!
It's so comfortable there! Definitely a great job.
Good video. I still use my Nook till this day. Barnes and Noble for life! R.
Glad to hear it's holding up well for you!
Oh you’re making me miss my Waldenbooks. I was there for 13 years. We borrow any books (hardcovers and paperbacks), borrowed up to 2 books at a time, and could read magazines on breaks. And, you’re right, the customers are a little elevated over other retail. Running a sur la table ruined me for retail, as it was a company run to enable Karens by Karens, Karens coming at you from every direction. I have a Nook, but honestly, the Kindle works with Libby, which gives it an edge.
Waldenbooks! I think I only had the pleasure of visiting once and when I was very young so sadly I don't remember in any detail. I'm sorry Sur la table wasn't such a great experience--I worked at a home good type store for a while and yeah not only was the customer always right but it was kinda like they expected us to grovel to them the entire time. Definitely awful.
Oh that's totally fair; I had a kindle years and years ago before I started at B&N (and before ebooks started giving me headaches) and I really enjoyed being able to get books from my library through Libby.
OMG! I worked at Homegoods for like a week worst place to work at… hopefully if I get a job at b&n I’ll love it as much as you!
Good luck if you apply! While I definitely do love my job I do also want to say that it can be a stressful retail environment, too, and, sadly isn't sunshine and roses. But if you love books you'll probably enjoy B&N!
I do the same thing with the hardcover borrowing lol I have no control and will just wanna buy the book rather than borrow
Owning books is just so soothing I think
You are amazing. I love your passion for books! I'm wondering if you have a video where you recommend some of the books you have read and loved. I did write down one of them that you mentioned in the beginning of the video. I was totally shocked that Cheesecake Factory supplies their food. We love eating at our local Barnes and Noble. They also have an outside seating option which is amazing. Thank you I enjoyed your video!
Thanks for your kind comments! I have a couple videos recommending some of my favorites, but this one ranks my top 50 of all time th-cam.com/video/IhMQFMD9Cgo/w-d-xo.html so probably has the most to offer in it. Yes the food is soooo good one of the best perks of working there is knowing the cafe will have something good to eat if I forgot my own lunch.
@@theteapotreads Great! Thank you so much!
is there a way for the employees to see what is in stalk because i want the berserk deluxe editions but they expansive and most likly have it hidden
Yep; employees can check stock count on the computers at customer service and can also see warehouse stock counts. For manga if there's a reprint date that will also be listed.
Barnes & Noble looks so nice😊 it's just sad that I can't buy from them online😔 (I always receive an email with "did not pass our order verification process") I will never get the b&n edition of kotlc😭😭
Anyway really nice video😊 It makes me want to work there but there is no b&n in my country 😅
The only bad thing about this video is the empty space on the bookshelf in the background.
Hahaha; well the good news is that I've completely filled up that empty space with new books.
Hey! Great video! I’m interviewing at B&N tomorrow :) I was wondering what the dress code is like for booksellers?
Good luck with the interview! Dress code is pretty chill, which is one of my favorite parts. Jeans are okay as long as they're clean/nice without holes. Sneakers are totally okay (again, not like dirty or ripped up ones, but mine are getting pretty old and a bit worn but are still okay). Nothing with logo's really, but comfortable clothes are okay as long as they are neat and somewhat professional looking. Generally I tend to wear a plain sweater and jeans, but we've also had employees who dress up a little nicer as well.
How long did it take for them to call you back for an interview?
I was thinking about working at the Barnes & Noble near me, I've never had a job and am just a high schooler looking. I was wondering if you know anything about the application process and interview that could be helpful to me. Any information is greatly appreciated :]
I know a bit about the application process! I will say I originally applied over two years ago so some of the details and questions have probably changed, and this is just my personal experience. The big thing is to apply online, keep checking the careers tab at the bottom of B&N website. We get people coming into our store to apply and we just direct them straight to the website which stays pretty up-to-date. If there's not a listing right now for a location that works for you check back every week or so, or set up alerts, because stores will update it rather frequently (at least in my experience). There was a phone interview and then an I was invited to an in-person interview, and those events both happened the same week, within only a couple days of each other (and only two days after I had submitted my application). Writing a cover letter that highlights how much you love books, and making it clear that you are a book lover, will definitely give you an edge. I don't remember the exact questions that were asked at either interview, but they were pretty general retail-based questions, which you can probably find on any websites that helps prepare for interviews. The in-person interview focused more on me as an individual and giving me scenarios that might come up in the job (such as how to interact with customers and how to hand sell a book--it's a good idea to have a book or two prepped that you might be able to hand sell; the interview might even ask you to try and sell them the book then and there). The only specific question I remember was "What motivates you to do a good job"; my answer was along the lines of "I like looking back at something I've worked on and being proud of it". Something I recommend of all applications is when the interviewer asks if you have any questions to have a question or two prepared. It shows how engaged and interested you are in the job and also makes it clear that even though you want this job, they should want you as well. I hope that was helpful! Once again, totally just my experience, so I can't promise you'll have the same one.
@@theteapotreads thank you so much, this was very helpful!! :D
How can I get a Barnes and Noble store in my area? Right now the nearest one is about a 40-minute drive from where I live. There used to be a Books A Million store at my local mall. But that closed, sadly, because of the pandemic.
The only way to request one, as far as I know, is to call customer service and just let them know you think your area would be a good one. Perhaps even calling whatever store is closest and letting the manager there know and they might be able to pass it up. Openings and possible locations are kept on the kinda DL, at least at the store level, so we rarely hear about it until the store is ready to move into the new location, so getting a new store is definitely an upper-corporate thing. That being said, everything I have heard about new store openings is that B&N has been opening more stores successfully in the last year than we have in a long time. That also being said, I'm fairly certain all the new stores that are being opened are the smaller versions, which are not everyone's cup of tea, though having lived somewhere without a bookstore for several years I know that even a small bookstore is an oasis.
💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛
I love book stores and Catholic stores... I was crushed when Borders closed back in the day ;(
Border's was such a wonderful place! Some of my earliest reading memories are at Border's. When they were closing my parents took me to a theme park and I was having a blast and they broke the news there because they knew I'd be crushed and I was just a wee child.
When I make an order online, I instantly receive an email saying the order failed to "pass our order verificaiton process" and the order cancels.
How can we resolve this?
I'm sorry I don't know; I don't work with online, that's a separate department from in-store. Possibly something to do with the account you're using? You could try to delete that account and/or create a new one because it may be a glitch with the account. But I don't know for certain.
I currently work in a public library and was wondering if there are many people with library experience working at B and N.
There are a few people at my store, actually, who have library experience! And in a sort of vice-versa there are several past employees who have gone on to pursue careers in libraries, one of my close friends being one of them. As for other stores, or people in corporate positions, I can't say.
The reason I found your video is that I want to know why buy B&N? The prices are outrageous vs Amazon. Like there are a couple books I picked up today at B&N that was $35, on Amazon… $20. Ha so I just don’t get why I would ever buy anything from the store. The prices are insane. I wonder if there’s like a rewards system… some type of special discounts…. Brick and mortar is way better, but no way I’m paying these prices.
There is a rewards system-there’s a free one where you earn points and then points turn into rewards dollars; there’s also a paid version where you can eat points and also get a flat 10% discount on top of everything
Wow that's amazing if you could have free books to add to your library shelves but my question how much you could have as free books during month for example ?
If you mean the ARCs--as many as I wanted, technically. ARCs are sort of free-for-all so as long as no other employee snaps it up I could take it home. At my previous store we got around 24 (often more) ARCs a month, but at my current store we get maybe a dozen. These days I might take one home a month because I'm trying to be actively reading everything I bring home.
@@theteapotreads wow great I hope I could someday work at a bookstore or launching a bookstore business
That's not nice to say they are annoying bad on you!! Missy perfect!!!
4:00 weirdos get along with weirdos ✅
YOU TALK TO MUCH
Like now you keep talking that's annoying, get off your station your just RUDE!!!!!!!