Job interview tomorrow at clothing shop

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I'm very nervous unsurprisingly. This is my first real interview for a real job. I'm trying to research interview questions that could be asked, but even just sitting here it's very difficult for me to come up with good responses (like how should I respond if they say "Tell me about yourself." It's so vague.) It doesn't help it feels like I need to lie about a lot of things and not be fully truthful about how I really am. Plus I'm very worried about what might happen if they ask me a question I haven't prepared for. If they blindside me there's a good chance my mind will jam up and go blank. It would be awful if I just sat there stuttering because I don't know what to say to.

I don't know if I'd be able to handle even a simple a job, honestly. It worries me. I have a lot of difficulties - socially awkward, easily overwhelmed, anxious, difficulty focusing, etc etc. Doesn't help I'm not on medication or getting any kind of help currently. I wanted to tell my mom about this today, but she came in talking so much about her own problems and is completely overwhelming me and I don't think I want to anymore.

Does anyone here have experience working in a clothing store, especially as a sales associate? Obviously there's no guarantee I'll get the job but I'm curious to hear from people here.

I haven't worked in retail for awhile, but I have been built up some interview skills. Ask questions. This allows them to talk about themselves (like "what do you like about this job? what are you looking for in an employee?"). It also give you time to gather your thoughts. When they ask you a question about your strengths, they are likely trying to see if you are comfortable around customers and if you will focus on some of the details about the job. Let them know that you see every customer as someone who is spending their hard earned money to find something that makes them feel beautiful/hansom, and you want to treat them the way you would like to be treated in the same situation. Retail managers love to hear how you see yourself in each customer.
Good luck

I hope you get this job.

But you should aspire to something beyond retail.

I have never worked in a clothing store, but in undergrad school some of my classmates did a riveting presentation about what it's like to work at...Hollister? It was one of those preppy clothing stores that I personally would never go in, so I knew nothing about it before this presentation. It was fascinating and I remember it well years later.

They said that every clothes store has a culture and you should blend in with that culture, mostly by the way you look. If you don't blend in, you can get a job stocking shelves or working in the back, which might be a better job anyway.

The "look" of the preppy store is to have shoulder length or longer hair, to be in shape or slender, and to wear natural colored makeup. If you're a guy, it's to be in shape or slender and to have trendy, but not outrageous hair. No piercings or visible tattoos. A light tan is preferable if you're white. Your clothes should be from the store you're interviewing for. This last is really important.

Obviously this would be different for different stores. If it's a plus sized store they would prefer to hire plus sized people. If it's Journeys or one of those snappy trend stores, funny colored hair and piercings and stuff are preferred. You get the idea.

I never thought clothing stores would be interesting until this presentation. If you find that you'd like to learn more, there's an author named Paco Underhill who writes about retail science. Also quite interesting.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes!

^ Expanding on this, if you're attractive and female, you'd have virtually no trouble getting hired at a clothing store.

Oh, sorry. I didn't mean it that way. That's probably actually the truth, but my takeaway was that dressing and doing your hair and makeup in the same style as the other workers at the store was the most important part in getting hired.

Yeah, I agree. Being attractive just also plays into their "image".

The girl who was giving the "tell all" presentation was gorgeous, with light blonde hair, tan, blue eyes, perfect figure, perfect clothes. She told us the people at the Hollister or Abercrombie or whatever made her work the front because she looked like that and made another girl always work in the stock room because she was chunky and had brown hair.