How do I get hired by airsoft stores?

[vibora]

Thought I'd ask here, seeing as a lot of you guys own, work at, or dream of working at airsoft stores. I've been looking for a summer job, and I stumbled upon an paintball/airsoft shop out in Illinois. When I walked in, I was quite surprised to see that they had a very good selection of brands, guns, and accessories to choose from. Unfortunately, they guy working the shop didn't know the first thing about the airsoft guns he had. He couldn't even tell me what kind of gun he was looking at without reading the little description cards underneath. As such, I offered my services as someone who spends way too much time on the internet looking at airsoft stuff, as well as someone who spends way too much money on said airsoft stuff, and...well you can't spend too much time playing with airsoft stuff. Anyway, I was turned down (quite rudely, in fact) because "we've got it covered" when, clearly, they don't.

As store owners or store associates, is there a "best way" to present yourselves to the people that own or work stores? Is there a certain level of competence or a certain skillset that you like to see? Is it just a matter of knowing the right people? In short, how does one get hired in such a store?

[Payback]

A resume', put down your skills, knowledge, hobbies, and strengths. If they don't want/need you they wont hire you even if you think they do.

Plus, if you let them know they need someone who actually knows what they are talking about, that might get a few doors slammed in your face

[LettuceHead]

Don't work in an airsoft store but have worked in retail pertaining to my hobbies. My advice:

1. Be knowledgable in all aspects of the hobby. Be open minded to the different cliques within it. Too often people think one version is the 'best' and ridicule the others. Don't do it.

2. Learn how to sell. Seriously, you can have all the specs of various merchandise memorized but if you can't introduce yourself, qualify a customer, present options and then close a sale you are useless to a manager or business owner. Start reading books on how to sell, it will make you a better consumer as well.

3. Realize that most specific-hobby based stores generate minimal profit so making a decent standard of living at it can be rough. There is very little room for new employees in most cases.

4. One way to get your foot in the door is to hustle for a store. Talk to people on your own (at events, online, etc) and do everything to make a sale happen. Tell them to go to the store, purchase what you suggested and drop your name to them. When they begin to notice sales happening because of you then they might consider bringing you on. It worked for me once.

5. Be active in your local airsoft community and have a good rapport. Word of mouth and how the public perceives you is valuable.

[Sir Stubby Eyre]

Work ethics are a great skill to have.

Be on time to everything, customer is always right, do not be afraid to admit that you don't know something but always try to find the answers, if you are wrong admit to it, always say your please and thank you's, and dress for success as well as for the job.

[Ivan Daylovich™]

Spend thousands of dollars there and hound them constantly.

[PanzerFaust]

I took off my hat for the interview.


helps to know the people also.

[Infidel]

Being named Jesse or Adam helps.