First: will there be an interview?
Often, but not always first. Employer pages read October 31, 2026:
Scroll horizontally to view every column.
| Employer | What it says | So prepare for |
|---|---|---|
| Home Depot | A 20-minute online assessment after you apply, on teamwork, dependability, helping customers and driving sales | Answer truthfully. The same traits come up later |
| Walmart | Some positions require assessments. You are told if you are not picked for an interview | The questions below |
| Trader Joe's | You may be asked to call the store "to schedule a phone screen or interview" | Have your hours ready when you call |
| Lowe's | "Most store roles take around two weeks from application to offer" | A short wait, so keep applying |
The general list, including gaps and pay, is at hourly job interview questions. This page adds what is specific to a store. Practice out loud with the mock interview by job type.
Advice to drop
These lines appear online, including on the older version of this page. Skip them unless every word is true.
Scroll horizontally to view every column.
| Line | The risk | Say this instead |
|---|---|---|
| "All evenings, all weekends, and most weekdays" | You may get scheduled exactly there, then miss it | The days and times you can really work |
| "I shop here regularly and have always been impressed" | A follow-up question exposes it | One real thing you saw when you visited |
| "I never make a mistake on a register" | Kroger postings set limits on shortages. Nobody believes it | How you would report a mistake |
| "Bring your Social Security card" | You do not owe it at an interview. Form I-9 waits until you accept an offer (USCIS, reviewed April 2, 2025) | Bring ID and your hours: documents you need |
The questions
Change the words in parentheses to what is true. Drop any line you cannot back up. No store job yet? Use school or family.
1. "Tell me about a difficult customer." Checking: your temper. 26% of cashiers and 22% of salespersons deal with unpleasant or angry people every day (O*NET, updated 2026). Kroger asks you to "manage conflict in a reasonable, nonconfrontational and cooperative manner."
"(Your own example of an upset person.) I listened, said I was sorry about the problem, and (what you did). When I could not fix it, I got (who helped)."
2. "A customer is yelling about a return you cannot take." Checking: policy without a fight. Target tells guest advocates to "attempt every return or exchange and follow register prompts," and to ask a leader for help.
"I would stay calm and explain what the register shows. Then I would call a lead, instead of arguing or making my own exception."
3. "You see someone put something in their bag. What do you do?" Checking: do you report it, and stay safe? O*NET lists watching for theft as a core salesperson task. A Lowe's head cashier posting says to "promptly" tell "management and/or Asset Protection" about signs of shoplifting. No source read sets one national rule, so each store has its own.
"I would not accuse them or chase them. I would tell a manager or loss prevention right away, with what I saw. What is your policy here?"
Why not chase? It can get you hurt, and these postings do not ask it (JobPin's advice).
4. "What if you saw a coworker ring up a friend at a discount?" Checking: honesty under pressure. Kroger asks you to "act with honesty and integrity regarding customer and business information."
"I would not accuse them on the floor. I would tell a manager what I saw, just the facts, and let the manager handle it."
5. "Your drawer is $20 short at the end of a shift. What do you do?" Checking: do you hide it? Kohl's lists "register and cash balancing." Kroger says to follow "the company's limits on cash shortages and/or overages."
"I would tell my manager right away, before I leave. I would not put in my own money to cover it, and I would help go back through the sales. What happens here when a drawer is off?"
Your rights are below. Never handled money? Say so, and ask how long training takes.
6. "How would you get a customer to add something or open a store card?" Checking: can you sell without pushing? Target asks workers to speak to the benefits of its loyalty programs "with every guest." Kohl's posts "individual goals (e.g., credit, loyalty)." Home Depot wants associates to "greet, qualify, recommend and close." Best Buy watches "Customer Metrics (NPS and Mystery Shops)."
"I would ask what they came in for, then mention the one thing that fits. If they say no, that is the end of it. I would explain a card honestly, costs included. Is there a goal for this, and what happens if someone misses it?"
7. "Can you work weekends and holidays?" Checking: schedule fit. Costco says "open availability is needed," apart from religious or disability reasons. King Soopers in Arvada, CO, wants "weekends on a regular basis." Trader Joe's says "evenings and weekends" are its greatest need. This is where overpromising starts.
"I can work (days and times). I can do (which holidays). I cannot do (which ones), because (only if you choose to say). If that rules me out, I would rather tell you now."
Need time off for religious practice? Say which days. Federal law requires a reasonable accommodation, such as flexible scheduling, unless the burden on the business is substantial (EEOC, read October 31, 2026).
8. "Can you stand for a whole shift?" Checking: can you do the job? Walmart says "Stand for long periods of time." Publix says "standing at a register for prolonged periods." 51% of cashiers stand continually or almost (O*NET).
If yes: "Yes. I (your own example of being on your feet for hours)."
If unsure: "I have not done a full shift yet. How long are shifts, and when are breaks?"
If no: "Not all shift. With (a stool or a sit-stand chair), I can do the job."
An employer may ask if you can do a task. Before an offer, it may not ask about your health (EEOC, October 10, 1995). The EEOC's own example for a job with long standing is an applicant suggesting a tall stool (EEOC, October 7, 2003). California's mercantile wage order also requires suitable seats "when the nature of the work reasonably permits" (Order 7-2001, section 14).
9. "Why this store?" Checking: did you look at us at all? Wanting steady pay is fine.
"I came in on (day) and saw (one real thing). The (location or shift) fits my schedule, and I want steady work I can keep."
10. "Do you have questions for us?" These protect you.
"How many hours did new people average over the last three months? How far ahead is the schedule posted? What happens if my drawer is off? Is there a sales or card goal? What is the attendance policy?"
Cash shortages and your rights
This is information, not legal advice, and state rules differ.
- Federal. U.S. DOL calls it a typical violation when "a minimum wage employee working as a cashier is illegally required to reimburse the employer for a cash drawer shortage" (Fact Sheet 16, revised July 2009). The test is whether the repayment cuts into the minimum wage or overtime you are owed.
- California. No deduction or repayment unless a dishonest or willful act or gross negligence caused the shortage, and "a simple accusation" is not enough. You can still be disciplined or fired (DIR, read October 31, 2026).
- Lie detector tests. Employers generally may not require or suggest one. A narrow exception covers polygraphs in an investigation of a specific loss, and you can still refuse (U.S. DOL Fact Sheet 36, revised July 2008).
Asked to repay a drawer? Write down the date and amount, then call Wage and Hour at 1-866-487-9243 or your state labor office.
What overpromising costs
Say a Saturday shift is 6 hours at $16.00:
- Lost pay. $96.00 gross, gone, each time.
- Lost benefits. Trader Joe's medical needs an average of 28 hours. Miss one 6-hour shift a week from a 30-hour schedule, and you average 24.
- No safety net. Being let go for missed shifts may count against you for unemployment, which is for people out of work "through no fault of their own" (U.S. DOL, read October 31, 2026).
Say no now, and you may get another shift:
"I cannot work (shift). If anything opens on (days and hours), I would like to be considered."
Already said yes and cannot? Tell them before your first shift.
What to wear and bring
Clean, plain clothes and closed-toe shoes, in case you walk the floor (JobPin's advice). Bring ID, a pen and your hours on paper. Know the pay: pay benchmarks and retail pay by store. Need a page to bring? See retail resume tips. Unsure about the work? Read what retail work is really like.
Current openings
See retail jobs and retail jobs with no experience. By city: Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Orlando.
Source-linked openings
Current source-linked listings could not be confirmed in this sample. Check the category search and each original posting for availability.
How to verify a listing
Every opening on JobPin links to its source posting. Before an interview, confirm the job on the employer's own site, and check the address and hours. Honest employers never ask you to pay to get a job (FTC, read October 31, 2026). More: how JobPin verifies listings.
How JobPin dates and sources listings: How JobPin verifies listings and events. Report a listing.