How Old Do You Have to be to Work at JCPenney?
To get an entry-level job at JCPenney as a Merchandise Handling Associate, Fulfillment Associate, Customer Experience Associate, Pricing & Signing Associate, Operations Associate, or a Cashier, you must be at least 16 years old.
When you work at JCPenney, it means you are joining a dedicated team of associates who are encouraged to be uniquely themselves in a safe, caring, and welcoming environment. JCPenney describes their company as a place where “careers prosper, accomplishments are celebrated, and diversity flourishes.”
Teen Jobs at JCPenney and Age Requirements
Merchandise Handling Associate (Hourly)
A Merchandising Handling Associate at JCPenney leads all shipping/receiving and merchandise prep processes.
Primary Responsibilities Include:
- Contributes in the merchandise handling/door to floor prep process to achieve productivity targets.
- Contributes in the reverse logistics process of recycling materials and any merchandise shipping out of store to warehouse, vendor, or customer.
- Contributes to fulfillment processes by shipping online orders prepared by fulfillment team, jcp.com order receiving, sorting, and binning.
- Partners with other team members when additional support is needed.
You must be at least 16 years old to work as a Merchandise Handling Associate at JCPenney.
Fulfillment Associate (Hourly)
A Fulfillment Associate at JCPenney contributes to all omnichannel processes. Primary responsibilities include contributing to all fulfillment processes to complete in prescribed time standard (Ship from Store, Buy Online Pick Up in Store, Curbside pickup, Reserve to Try), maintaining stockroom standards for all Omnichannel processes to ensure efficient execution and a safe work environment, and partnering with other team members when additional support is needed.
You must be at least 16 years old to work as a Fulfillment Associate at JCPenney.
Customer Experience Associate (Hourly)
A Customer Experience Associate at JCPenney contributes to the customer experience through merchandise SET, restock, recovery, and fitting room standards on the selling floor.
Primary Responsibilities Include:
- Creates and maintains clear and visually appealing merchandise statement following the SET guide
- Contributes in the SET process by completing floor moves, placing fixtures, and merchandise
- Contributes in the door to floor process of put to fixture to achieve productivity and standards
- Participates in the fitting room and sales floor recovery processes to maintain a clean and organized shopping environment for customers
- Contributes in the restock process to identify and replenish needed merchandise from the stockroom to the selling floor
- Contributes to maintaining stockroom standards – keeping them clean, organized and safe
- Partners with other team members when additional support is needed
- Utilize Mobile POS to checkout customer as needed or required
- Provides recommendations and solutions to customers
You must be at least 16 years old to work as a Customer Experience Associate at JCPenney.
Pricing & Signing Associate (Hourly)
A Pricing & Signing Associate at JCPenney contributes to all promotional pricing and signing processes.
Primary Responsibilities Includes:
- Contributes in the promotional pricing and signing process and achieves productivity targets.
- Contributes in the clearance markdown and regular price change process and achieves productivity targets.
- Partners with other teams to ensure pricing and signing standards are followed consistently.
- Assists in the liquidation process when needed by pulling merchandise from the sales floor/stockrooms.
- Partners with other team members when additional support is needed.
- Troubleshoots pricing inconsistencies and works to resolve any pricing issues in accordance with company procedures.
- Supports company shrink and safety initiatives.
To work as a Pricing & Signing Associate at JCPenney, you must be at least 16 years old.
Operations Associate (Hourly)
The role of an Operations Associate at JCPenney is to create an outstanding customer experience by performing operations functions within the store. The Operations Associate role is an early morning position and you will work with the team to perform functions prior to store opening.
Primary Responsibilities Include:
- Customer Service
- Executes pricing and signing
- Replenish and restock the store
- Receive and unload merchandise
- Keep the stockroom safe, clean, and organized .
- Contribute to Omnichannel efforts including Buy Online Pickup in Store, Ship from Store, Order Delivery and Returns, Shipping Online Orders, and Merchandise Receiving.
To work as an Operations Associate at JCPenney, you must be at least 16 years old.
Cashier (Hourly)
As a Cashier at JCPenney, you are accountable for the customer service and sales experience including: maintaining checkout standards; assisting with general operations such as Omnichannel, recovery and inventory; and upholding performance standards relative to shrink/safety and meeting performance standards associated with the role.
Primary Responsibilities Include:
- Customer Service & Sales – Greets and assists customers while providing excellent customer service. Demonstrates WORTH behaviors consistently. Partners where needed for additional support. Actively and enthusiastically engages customers while working to resolve problems and assist with credit, rewards and gift card programs. Promotes Findmore and other programs intended to drive sales and enhance customer service.
- Checkout Standards – Completes checkout processes including returns and re-ticketing. Assists with the signing and merchandising standards at all checkouts while stocking and merchandising Impulse Fixtures and replenishment.
- General Operations – Assists with Omnichannel efforts as needed. Assists with recovery, put backs and fitting room maintenance as needed. Participates in annual inventory processes
- Performance Standards – Supports company shrink and safety initiatives. Meets established performance standards for the role on a consistent basis, including (but not limited to) the company’s iCAP program, product and service sales, customer service, profit, productivity, and attendance.
To work as a Cashier at JCPenney, you must be at least 16 years old.
Can a 15 Year Old Work at JCPenney?
No. The minimum age to work at JCPenney is 18. We do have a page on our website specifically for 15-year-olds that you can view for other options.
Can a 16 Year Old Work at JCPenney?
Yes. 16-year-olds can work at JCPenney. We do have a page on our website specifically for 16-year-olds that you can view for more options.
How Much Does JCPenney Pay Part-Time Workers?
The hourly earnings for employees at JCPenney vary because of state and city minimum wage laws. However, we can give you a general idea of what the hourly pay is for each position.
Merchandise Handling Associate (Hourly)
As a sales and support associate at JCPenney, you will be making somewhere between minimum wage and $15 per hour. If this is your first job, then you will most likely start at or near minimum wage.
The average hourly rate for a JCPenney merchandise handling associate is $10.
Fulfillment Associate (Hourly)
The rate of pay for fulfillment associates is between minimum wage and $15 per hour an hour. You will most likely start out at the lower end of the range.
The average hourly rate for a JCPenney fulfillment associate is $10.
Customer Experience Associate (Hourly)
The pay range for customer experience associates at JCPenney is between minimum wage and $15 an hour. If this is your first job, you will most likely start at the lower end of the range.
The average hourly rate for customer experience associates at JCPenney is $10 an hour.
Pricing & Signing Associate (Hourly)
The pay range for pricing & signing associates at JCPenney is between minimum wage and $15 an hour. If you don’t have prior work experience, you will most likely start near minimum wage.
The average hourly rate for pricing & signing associates at JCPenney is $10 an hour.
Operations Associate (Hourly)
The pay range for operations associates at JCPenney is between minimum wage and $13 an hour. If this is your first job, you will most likely start at the lower end of the range.
The average hourly rate for operations associates at JCPenney is $10 an hour.
Cashier (Hourly)
The pay range for cashiers at JCPenney is between minimum wage and $15 an hour. If this is your first job, you will most likely start at the lower end of the range.
The average hourly rate for cashiers at JCPenney is $10 an hour.
How Much Experience Do You Need to Work at JCPenney?
JCPenney is an entry-level friendly company, and they do hire teen workers. You can apply for a position without any experience and get hired. However, if you do have some work experience, it could get you a higher hourly pay rate and move you faster into supervisory and management positions.
What Should You Wear to a Job Interview at JCPenney?
When you show up for your interview at JCPenney, you will want to be dressed in business casual attire. Consider something like a buttoned-down shirt with nice slacks or jeans and dress shoes. It’s definitely a good idea to wear items from JCPenney, if you have them.
JCPenney Interview Questions
The possible questions in a job interview are endless, and it always depends on the interviewer. But, there are some common questions that they do often ask.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Why are they asking?
If they ask you this question, they are trying to find out what job skills you can bring to the position, and what you need to work on.
Applicants are usually able to communicate their strengths, but when it comes to weaknesses, some think it’s best to say they don’t have any or can’t think of any. Don’t do this—that answer is a red flag.
What’s the ideal answer?
The hiring manager wants to know that you can accept feedback and develop your own skills. Give one or two strengths with examples to go with them. Then list one or two weaknesses, and describe how you’re working on them.
A good answer for a weakness would be something like, “I’ve been told I speak too quickly, so I’ve been practicing on slowing down when talking with customers.”
Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer and what was the outcome?
Why are they asking?
When it comes to life in customer service, you will come across your share of upset or difficult customers. If you have prior work experience, they might ask you this question to see how you dealt with the situation because it does come up, and you need to handle it in the best way possible.
What’s the ideal answer?
If you don’t have any experiences with difficult customers, that’s okay. If you do, tell them the story (if you handled it well, and it had a positive outcome). If the situation ended up with you screaming and yelling or getting fired, that’s not a story you want to share.
They want to hear that you did your best to make the difficult customer happy. Or, if you couldn’t fix the problem, you notified a manager and had them help you.
Why should we hire you?
Why are they asking?
If a manager asks you this question, they are trying to get you to sell yourself. Part of your job as a team member is selling products, credit cards, and promotions to JCPenney customers. They are wanting to find out how well you can communicate, while being positive and professional.
You may not have any previous work experience, but you can still have skills like communication, time-management, money-handling, etc...
What’s the ideal answer?
Know your strengths. If you get asked this question, tell them how you will benefit their business. They want to hear that you have good verbal communication skills, have a friendly and upbeat demeanor, and can give good customer service.
Tell them that you are a reliable worker who will show up to work on time for every scheduled shift. If you are interested in a long-term career with the company, definitely let them know.
Benefits of Working at JCPenney
All JCPenney associates receive a discount on merchandise. However, benefits are for full-time workers only.
Benefits include:
- Medical, dental, and vision benefits
- Paid Vacation
- Paid Sick Days
- Paid Holidays
- 401(k) savings plan with a company match
- Performance Bonus
