Aeropostale Inc. or Aeropostale, or Aero, is a clothing mall situated, as a retailer of garments of mostly teens and young adults, in the light of New York in the USA. It separately has another division called the P.S. that targets the age group of 4-12 for clothing. Aero has more than 500 clothing stores selling accessories and apparel for people aged 14-20 across America, spread in several states.
There are also over 350 stores being handled overseas in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and other parts of Latin America. With the idea of attracting young crowds towards its seemingly adventurous sense of fashion, Aeropostale has become a famous brand since its establishment in 1987.
And it is no wonder that the potential job prospects at Aero are another magnetic factor.
Hiring At Aeropostale
The Age Bar and Limitations
The minimum age to work as an employee, like a brand ambassador or a merchandising flow assistant, at Aero is 16 years. Therefore, lower age groups than this, like 14 or 15-year-olds, are not permitted to work because 16 is the minor age to be allowed to work. In the USA, if you are younger than 16, you will only be able to run errands for extra money when you have a work permit.
Note: Aeropostale has a limit to comprise minors in their employee composition. The estimated limit is 20%. So, if you apply as a 16-year-old, the company might have to reject you in case they have no vacancies for minors. The most available jobs are for 18 and 21-year-olds because vacancies like sales leader and manager are open for them.
The experience might be helpful but not mandated to work at Aero because the company searches for employees who have a flair for fashion and are obsessed with apparel trends. The qualities that they search for in people are those with dynamic demeanor, charismatic attitude, and creativity who can engage people.
Upon entering the initial stage, the entry-level wages for the employees are mostly minimum because Aero is particular about its job prospects. It favors the internal promotion of diligent employees who commit to the targets of their assigned tasks.
Salary of Employees
Firstly, the jobs taken as a teen or minor employee at the Aeropostale are primarily two: Brand Ambassador and Merchandise Flow Associate. The salary differs, not hugely though, in the two cases as does the work responsibilities.
Merchandise Flow Associate:
The responsibility of a merchandise flow associate at Aéropostale pertains to arenas beyond customer engagement:
- They have to be aware of the stock of clothes in the store and be ready for the sales to go on floors. All kinds of styles, sizes of clothes and as many colours as possible should be present in the stock.
- The merchandise flow associate has to keep tabs on the sales of the store and if the goals of selling are met or not. They have to work both individually and as a team to ensure the restocking of the right product at the right time in the right quantity.
- The cleanliness of the stock room, the execution of sales and minimisation of backstocks are under the management of the merchandise flow assistant assisting the merch flow. If there are any faults in the products, then it has to be conveyed to the manager at once.
Brand Ambassador:
The duties of a brand ambassador at Aéro include several stages:
- They have to be friendly with customers, validate the fashion sense and personal style of customers before bringing them to the apparel trends of Aeropostale to ignite the beam of excitement in the consumers. As sales goals are to be met, the brand ambassadors are expected to keep the customers engaged and inspire them to buy the products with proper assistance throughout the buying process.
- As brand ambassadors, in a way, are the face of Aeropostale and a reflection of their hospitality towards their customers, be diligent and helpful to the entire shopping mechanism.
First, the earnings of both professions are based on hourly work shifts. These may differ in each branch of every store because of the difference in living costs in every state of the USA. However, the range of income per hour for brand ambassadors is $8-$12, while that of a merchandise flow assistant is average $10.
At The Work
Many questions are surrounding the work culture, the working ambiance, and the attire at work. To put it appropriately, Aeropostale offers one of the most tranquil and exciting environments to work in.
The environment is indeed professional, but at the same time, employees do enjoy the long hours of work because of the element of strong bonding and no unnecessary nagging. The attire at work is flexible with casuals or business casuals that are not heavily branded or explicit in textual or graphical means. Employees can opt for clothes with Aeropostale logos as well. Almost everything is acceptable as long as the employee is smartened and tidied.
The working hours for Monday to Saturday are Mon-Sat: 10:00 am-9:00 pm while for Sunday it is 11:00 am-6:00 pm.
Tip: If you are applying as a candidate and have an interview scheduled and want to prepare yourself to ace the interview for grabbing the job opportunity, here is a site to visit to get a grip over what can be questioned to you: https://worknearyou.net/aeropostale-interview-questions/
Conclusive Facts and Figures
With Marc Miller as the CEO of Aeropostale, the company that sells apparel and accessories to target teens, closely competes with Hollister, American Eagle, and Abercrombie & Fitch. It is said to be one of the largest retailers in the market, has been listed under ‘100 Best Places To Work For,’ and is also a haven for under 18 jobs.
The parent company of the retailer is RH Macy & Co.
You may look at the company’s website to get a better glimpse of its working strata: http://www.aeropostale.com/.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1) Where does the name ‘Aeropostale’ come from?
Interestingly, the pronunciation of ‘Aeropostale’ differs from tongue to tongue, even that of the employees working at Aero. After being knocked for six by several variants of the pronunciation of the name, the company had released a video that stated the name being derived from French and that the French meaning of the word is ‘French airmail service,’ along with the correct pronunciation in both French and English language. The French meaning justifies the name’s roots; Compagnie Generale Aéropostale had been the first airmail service to fly from South America to France in 1920.
2) What is the hiring process at Aero?
The hiring process is quite simple. Fill out an application form, either online or offline, and wait till you hear for an interview. First, there will be a group interview to sort out candidates for one-on-one interviews. In group interviews, questions based on customer service, fashion, trends, and the keenness to join will be tested. The one-on-one interviews shall pertain to questions from a similar arena only with deeper inquiries. After clearing all the rounds, you will have an orientation, and soon you will begin your job.
3) I have tattoos and dyed hair. Will it hinder me as a candidate at Aero?
Well, not. Aeropostale encourages trends in garments, accessories, and the personalization of fashion. It has an affinity for authenticity. Plus, the working environment is a semi-formal one with the flexibility of attires. All that requires is your ability to meet the company’s standards and be an asset to achieve the goals set.
