bookworm44 Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Like most of you, my dream job is to own a second-hand bookstore, but till then, I'd love to work at the library. So, I'm in the process of trying to do that now. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 A few days ago, I had the strangest feeling that I should go to my local Waterstones at lunch time. When I got there what did I see - a sign in the window - full time book seller wanted ! I filled the form in and got my partner to take it back for me yesterday. Fingers crossed then that I will hear from them soon ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonsays Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 I worked in Waterstones for a few months. It was great but a little bit like being a kid in a sweet shop and I just got too distracted! I did once have a job del;ivering the Yellow Pages too. Does that count? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 I once applied to work at Waterstones - they didn't even give me an interview. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 Lets hope my experiences then are different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 , Talisman! Let us know how you fare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedge Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 I'd love to work in Waterstones! Let us know how you get on Talisman - good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 We walked past there on our way to lunch today - the sign has been taken down. Have they found someone already then, or does it just mean they have enough applicants I wonder ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Library Nook Posted July 23, 2008 Author Share Posted July 23, 2008 Fingers crossed for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Had a letter waiting for me when I got home to say they had given it to someone 'more suitable'. I hate it when they say that as it makes me wonder how I am not suitable ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyB Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 I'm sorry to hear that Talisman - it's always such a disappointment. I hope you find something soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyanddandy Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Commiserations Talisman there will be something else out there for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Had a letter waiting for me when I got home to say they had given it to someone 'more suitable'. I hate it when they say that as it makes me wonder how I am not suitable ! I've heard that Waterstone's are notoriously difficult to get a job with. They probably just mean that they had an applicant with experience in book sales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 I've heard that Waterstone's are notoriously difficult to get a job with. They probably just mean that they had an applicant with experience in book sales. Yup - I could never get a job with Waterstones and I applied to three different branches at various points. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly2008 Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Like most of you, my dream job is to own a second-hand bookstore, but till then, I'd love to work at the library. So, I'm in the process of trying to do that now. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Thanks! Thats exactly like me lol Me and my mum want to get a bookshop together but we going to sell our other business first Till then I'm thinking about working in a library inbetween checking on the current business twice a week. My mum's friend has 2 bookshops one of them is hugeeeeeee!! We will be visiting this weekend, and he said theres some books he will just give us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 I've heard that Waterstone's are notoriously difficult to get a job with. They probably just mean that they had an applicant with experience in book sales. That is exactly why I find it so difficult to understand their decision. I may not have experience at actually working in a book shop, but as a self published author who has managed to get her book into over 100 stores nationwide and has in depth knowledge of the publishing industry, making an effort to keep up to date on what is happening, I thought that would count for something. It seems that I was wrong. It will be interesting then to see who they did appoint - probably some blonde 20 something who thinks that Jordan (sorry, Katie Price) writes her own books ! Still, their loss will be someone else's gain and I might not have liked it there anyway - the Manager can be a bit funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Butter Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 You're probably right about that! Maybe I've been unlucky (at the 397 different Waterstone's stores I've visited) but a knowledge of the book industry (or indeed, of books) hasn't been an attribute possessed by many of the staff I've come across. More an ability to avoid customers and, if collared, to deal with their queries as monosyllabically as possible while staring at a point somewhere on the horizon. OK, that's a bit unfair, I know, but if I go to a garage I expect the mechanics to know more about cars than I do, so why should a bookshop be any different? I'd guess the manager was probably a bit frightened by you, to be honest. Bookselling is such a poorly paid job that most store managers probably want pliable youngsters who are grateful for their Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 I can be very gobby when I have to be, and you have to be like that an awful lot if you are a POD author like me, and and are trying to get your book into stores - you couldn't do it o9herwise, neither can you be easily scared or put off ! As for the £7 an hour bit, I wish I did earn that - my current employer pays one penny above the minimum wage, although admittedly we do get bonusses. How come you've visited what must be all their stores though Roland - are you a rep or something ? ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyB Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Did they say on the application form what attributes they were looking for and what questions were asked? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisman Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 They didn't say anything at all about what they were looking for - it was just a straightforward sign in the window with no information at all, other than the fact that it was a full time job. As for the questions - just the usual - contact details, education, previous jobs etc plus one or two other questions, not unlike those asked by other retailers - why are you interested in book selling, why Waterstones, mention a time that you worked as part of a team and what your contribution was and so on. All straightforward stuff, and nothing difficult or out of the ordinary. I think to be honest it wasn't because they didn't feel I was suitable, it was more to do with the fact that by the time I saw the sign it had been up for a while already, and they may even have been already interviewing. There was also a delay in getting it back, as we were so short staffed I could not get out of the store. I suspect then that by the time i got it back they had already found someone, as the sign had been taken down by then. Still, it is not the only local branch, so I could always try some other ones if they need people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrysalis_stage Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 Another Black Book fan! I actually met a Bernard Black wannabee the other day. He has a second-hand bookstall on Cambridge market. He was actually shouting at browsers and telling them to leave if they weren't buying. Also, I heard him tell a customer off for putting a book back in the wrong place. Haha, I may have seen the man you mentioned, but luckily haven't been told off by him yet. Bernard Black is a legend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kehs Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 I've been back to Cambridge since that post, Chysalis, and the guy was just as entertaining in his own quirky way. Somehow I don't think he intends to be, though. :mrgreen: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ahsilet Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 I am an American Literature major and I always wanted to work for a publishing company as a critical writer. Ever doing that would be a stretch, so I went into engineering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadya Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 From the moment I could read, I always wanted to be a writer. I wasn't sure about other jobs, my preference always changed about that, but about writing a book, I was always sure. That isn't going to happen though, but I do write stories for the pleasure of writing. For many years, one of my wishes was also to work in a library. Nowadays I don't really like our libary and perhaps that's why I'm not interested in that anymore. I would like to do something with writing and with books though. Perhaps something in publishing, I don't know. But I'm happy enough to have the pleasure of writing for fun and reading nice books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggie Dana Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 I'm a freelance book designer and typesetter and I work with production editors who're far less glamourous than the 'editors who do lunch.' We're the folks who take a raw, unedited manuscript and turn it into a real book with typeset pages, pretty covers, and even that lovely new book smell some readers rave about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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