Educate me a little bit

st1264

st1264

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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Location
Windsor ON
So Covid messed up my work situation and I finally got a job interview at a store that sells Guns/Ammo/Fishing/Hunting gear. I know Gun/Ammo/Accessories from Target Shooting but where I lack knowledge is in Hunting/Fishing, as in Zero experience.

I shouldn't say that, I fished a couple times when I was a teen with my Grandfather up at his cottage and caught nothing. If a customer at the store would ask me right now to recommend a rod/reel/crossbow/etc I would have no clue.

Wondering if anyone could point me to some basic Hunting/Fishing regs/info (Ontario) or basic info so I can get by the interview and then learn on the job. The pay is garbage but I have to get out of the house and do something.

PM me if you don't want to post.

Thanks.
 
st1264 said:
So Covid messed up my work situation and I finally got a job interview at a store that sells Guns/Ammo/Fishing/Hunting gear. I know Gun/Ammo/Accessories from Target Shooting but where I lack knowledge is in Hunting/Fishing, as in Zero experience.
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In my experience, you will be hired instantly.
 
You can do an internet search for the Ontario hunting and fishing regs, then read through them. The store will most likely be more interested in if you have retail experience, having some firearms experience will likely be a bonus.

Jim
 
you could take a different approach and ask costumers for their experience? if anything fishermen and hunters like to talk, most of them
know your equipment, study manufacturers specs and wing it
 
Well I have a lot of random knowledge. I was just thinking if I had that job what I would respond with when asked about a rod and reel combination. I think it would go something like this. Do you like to fish or do you like to eat fish? If the answer was I like to eat fish. I would lead him to the tannerite. Then to the rifle section. I prob wouldn’t last long.

It’s a sad fact people night fish the Fraiser River with gill nets. Sockeye fetches 20$ a pice. Couple years ago a guy down the way was getting 200+ fish a night. As the season started to slow down he wasn’t coming up with the numbers. He was getting almost nothing. I overheard a conversation about a guy still getting great numbers. I interrupted and asked where he was running his nets, the Fraiser is a pretty big river. He explained to me that it’s really not about where you place your nets. The question is really how many explosives you need to keep the seals out of your nets.
 
dilly said:
In my experience, you will be hired instantly.
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x2

As long as you can be incredibly biased towards brands, talk to every customer as if they know absolutely nothing, and lie about half the things you're talking about you'll be hired.
 
Misread your post - you are looking for help with interview to get the job - you do not have it, yet. I would agree about the on-line sources for regulations, but don't set yourself up as an "expert" on them - you will get caught out about "facts", if they were important - at least if interviewing with me, you would be - if they were important. Most people can learn "facts" - would be surprised if that is critical in this hiring decision - I suspect I would be looking for someone who can "play nice" (work) with others. Have you had a chance to wander through that place to see what the work environment is like? Could be anything from sterile corporate setting, to the family GrandPa working behind a counter. Then, no doubt, there will be internal sales programs - maybe they have a reason to be pushing Zebco reels - not really an issue whether or not they are better than Diawa, if the boss wants Zebco ones to be sold. That is what retail is about, I think. But I am old, maybe too "old fashioned"...
 
I'm not a salesman, but I have a decent idea about what I want before I buy: Know what you are selling and don't BS me is what will be useful to customers. If you come across something you don't know, admit it and remedy the situation on the spot: I've never faulted a clerk/salesman for being stumped by a question... BS or no attempt at a bit of study, I'd rather do it alone and not pay for baggage. This doesn't help with the interview, but you'll probably be up against people who come with less knowledge and willingness to improve. Conveying with sincerity that this is how you are might be the ticket. You are 50% of the way already. In addition to product familiarity it is important to know game species and what characteristics the product needs to be effective to kill/catch it... user function isn't something you can help.
 
You don't actually need to know stuff about hunting and fishing. You just need to know how to sell hunting and fishing gear to people that don't know anything about hunting and fishing.
 
Logan370 said:
You don't actually need to know stuff about hunting and fishing. You just need to know how to sell hunting and fishing gear to people that don't know anything about hunting and fishing.
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And isn't this the truth!! If I have reason to want a particular Diawa reel or a specific Speer bullet, not going to be selling me a Zebco or a Hornady - but I am a grumpy old bugger. A sales clerk's "assistance", for me, is to show me where what I want is, or to tell me that they do not have it in that store. I suspect many people asking questions at the counter really do not have anywhere else to ask...
 
The store will be looking for retail experience over all I’d expect, firearms experience will be an asset but they likely will train you in product knowledge anyway. Reading and being familiar with the regs is a good thing but most real hunting and fishing knowledge is learned in the field.
 
Some salesmen are knowledgeable, some know next to nothing. Some think they do.
Customers come in those same types as well.
A big thing is to figure out which one you are; and which one the customer is.
 
Butcherbill said:
The store will be looking for retail experience over all I’d expect, firearms experience will be an asset but they likely will train you in product knowledge anyway. Reading and being familiar with the regs is a good thing but most real hunting and fishing knowledge is learned in the field.
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I'm hoping this is the case, I'm brushing up on the Reg's right now. I'm not going to BS a customer when they ask for info if I don't have any to give them, being transparent is always the best path. If someone is looking at a rifle or shotgun, then I can help. I'm certain that when individuals come in who know what they want, I can learn by seeing what they are buying and get info from them.

I have tons of Customer Service experience, currently background checked (with another license)... but as I found when Covid happened it's not easy even getting an interview when they find out you are middle aged.
 
st1264 said:
I'm not going to BS a customer when they ask for info if I don't have any to give them...
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You’ll get the job but with that kind of attitude, be prepared to not fit in with your co-workers ;). Good luck with the interview. Stores like that need less know-it-alls and more people like you.
 
Talk to your strengths, if asked about stuff you don't know be honest, don't try to BS, as others have pointed out in this thread retail salespeople are notorious for not knowing what they're talking about.
Ask if product knowledge courses will be available to you, what the culture in the store is like, are other staff open to sharing their knowledge etc.
 
Runningfool said:
You’ll get the job but with that kind of attitude, be prepared to not fit in with your co-workers ;).
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Until someone walks in wearing this..
71QIrAaGzoL._AC_UX425_.jpg
 
Apparently they're doing interviews all week for a job that consists of 10 hours a week (didn't know that until the interview). I had them chuckling with a couple jokes but I don't care if I get it or not if it's so few hours, to be honest.

Mostly asked about physical restrictions (how much you can lift, are you afraid of heights, etc) and how I dealt with conflicts before. There was no expectation of being an expert hunter/fisherman - like most of you pointed out.

Oh well, no biggie.
 
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