How Old Do You Have to be to Work at Zumiez?
To get an entry-level job at Zumiez as a sales associate, key holder, or assistant manager, you must be at least 16 years old.
Zumiez was founded in Seattle in 1978 as a single store called Above the Belt. Today, Zumiez has grown to over 600 locations in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, and has become a global leader in specialty retail.
This growth is the product of hard work and strong leadership from people who thrive on high expectations, support each other's development, and strive to set and achieve aggressive goals with their teams.
Teen Jobs at Zumiez and Age Requirements
Sales Associate (Hourly)
As a sales associate at Zumiez, you are responsible for maximizing personal and store sales results by providing quality customer service and adhering to Zumiez sales programs and tools. Sales associates also perform regular housekeeping, comply with Zumiez merchandise standards, and prioritize customer service and inventory awareness at all times.
To be a successful sales associate at Zumiez, you must have an appreciation of the company culture, demonstrate a high level of energy and enthusiasm, be competitive and self-motivated, and be comfortable with working in an aggressive, sales-driven environment.
You must be at least 16 years old to work as a sales associate at Zumiez.
Key Holder (Hourly)
Key holders at Zumiez must be career-focused, committed, energetic, aggressive, and competitive leaders who thrive in a fast-paced retail environment. Key holders help manage the sales associates to drive a great selling experience, and they use store-provided tools and programs to develop a great sales team.
As a key holder, you will plan out sales and development from week to month, and execute projects each day to maximize sales. You will have sales commission eligibility and the potential to attend national training events.
You must be at least 16 years old to work as a key holder at Zumiez.
Assistant Manager (Hourly)
As an assistant manager at Zumiez, your job responsibilities are in sales, merchandising, and operations. When it comes to sales, you are expected to maximize your own sales results while training and directing sales associates to provide customer service.
Assistant managers must also execute product direction from the home office, and make store-specific merchandising decisions to drive sales results. Operations responsibilities include opening or closing the store, reconciling the cash register, doing markdowns, transfers, inventory audits, and conducting promotion set-ups.
To work as an assistant store manager for Zumiez, you must be at least 16 years old, and they also prefer that you have one year of retail management experience. However, experience is not required.
Can a 15 Year Old Work at Zumiez?
Because the minimum age to work at Zumiez is 16, 15-year-olds can’t work there. But we do have a page on our website specifically for 15-year-olds that you can view instead.
Can a 16 Year Old Work at Zumiez?
Yes! The minimum age to work at Zumiez is 16, so 16-year-olds are encouraged to apply. We also have a page on our website specifically for 16-year-olds if you want to view other options.
How Much Does Zumiez Pay Part-Time Workers?
The hourly earnings for employees at Zumiez 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.
Sales Associate (Hourly)
The rate of pay for sales associates is between $8 and $11 an hour. This is an entry-level position, so if you do not have any prior work experience, chances are you will be on the lower end of the range.
The average hourly rate for a Zumiez sales associate is $9.
Key Holder (Hourly)
The pay range for a key holder at Zumiez is between $9 and $14 an hour. They do not require that you have previous retail experience to land this job, but if you do have experience, don’t be afraid to negotiate your hourly rate.
The average hourly rate for a key holder is $11 an hour.
Assistant Manager (Hourly)
The pay range for an assistant store manager at Zumiez is between $11 and $15 an hour. Because this is a management position, don’t be afraid to negotiate your rate of pay instead of accepting their first offer.
The average hourly rate for an assistant manager is $13 an hour.
How Much Experience Do You Need to Work at Zumiez?
Zumiez is an entry-level friendly company, so you can apply for a sales associate position without any experience and get hired. However, if you do have previous work experience, you can land a key holder or assistant manager position, and this will get you a higher wage.
What Should You Wear to a Job Interview at Zumiez?
Zumiez is a fun, retail environment, so when you show up for your interview you will want to be dressed in business casual attire, but you definitely want to show off your personality. It’s okay to keep things simple with something like a buttoned-down shirt with nice slacks and dress shoes. But keep in mind, this company values individuality, so don’t be afraid to show it.
A good rule of thumb is to visit the store before you interview and take a look at what current employees are wearing. This will give you a good idea how to dress for your interview.
Zumiez Interview Questions
The possible questions in a job interview are endless, and it always depends on the interviewer. But, according to current and former employees, there are some common questions that they do often ask.
Make sure to prepare for the interview by researching the company and culture because the more you know about the company and their products, the more successful you will be at the interview.
They will tell you in advance if you will be part of a group interview or one-on-one with the manager. Here are some questions that they have been known to 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 if 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 yourself.
Why are they asking?
If an interviewer asks you this question, they want to get to know you better and see if your personality fits into the company culture.
What’s the ideal answer?
This question is all about you and what you bring to the company. So, the ideal answer is to tell the interviewer about your interests and passions that line up with Zumiez culture and brand.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Why are they asking?
If a manager asks you this question, they are trying to find out what your career and personal goals are. Are you simply looking for a part-time job to make some extra money? Or, do you have specific career goals that you believe working at Zumiez will help you achieve? There are opportunities for advancement at Zumiez, so they are asking you this question to see where their company fits into your plans.
What’s the ideal answer?
Be honest and share your goals. If you don’t yet know what you want to do with your life, that is okay. An ideal answer would be that you are wanting to gain some work experience and skills while making some money and getting your education. If you want to eventually move to a different area, that is fine, too. Zumiez has stores all over the country. Working for Zumiez would allow you to have a good job waiting when you move.
If you want to move up through the company and be a manager or work at corporate, let them know. The ideal answer for this question is to be honest about what your goals are.
Benefits of Working at Zumiez
Everyone who works at Zumiez gets a merchandise discount. However, the benefits they offer are for full-time workers only.
Benefits include:
- Paid time off and paid sick days
- Performance Bonuses
- Vacation
- 401K and Retirement Plan
- Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
- Life insurance
