Careers at Barbara's
Barbara's Bookstore is looking for talent. If you think you have the experience, the know-how and skills to work for Chicagoland's largest independent family-owned bookstore, we want to talk to you. Please send your resume to us at jobs@barbarasbookstore.com, (MS Word Documents only, please) for consideration. We are looking to fill a number of positions, including entry-level management. Obviously, experience in retail bookselling is a huge plus, but don't let lack of specific experience stop you from submitting a resume. We look forward to hearing from you.
This position is either part-time or full-time and entails working scheduled hours, usually at one specific store location.
Booksellers report to store managers and are responsible for helping customers to find the books they are looking for and ringing up the sales. Often a bookseller will be given other responsibilities as well, including shelving, display, and back office functions. Booksellers are required to read books and select their favorites, and to write short reviews of these books for display at their store.
This is a demanding but rewarding full-time position that involves managing every aspect of store operations at a specific location.
Typically there is only one manager per store except in rare circumstances. Store managers report to the corporate General Manager, yet they have a great deal of autonomy and are encouraged to take ownership of their stores. Every Barbara's store has its own unique flavor, size, shape, traffic patterns, and customer base. The manager must always strive to better serve the community that the store calls home. Some locations frequently host events (such as author appearances) and managers are required to prepare for and staff these events.
Managers are responsible for hiring and scheduling booksellers. They have to ensure that the basic functions of the bookstore are performed properly. That includes communicating regularly with our central offices and providing necessary financial and sales information. Also, the manager is responsible for doing some of the buying for the store. Buying is done at both the store level as well as centrally, so this requires careful coordination of efforts.
What we're looking for... We expect our managers to be well-rounded individuals who are capable of responding to the many challenges of this role. Successful store managers are excellent communicators, self-motivated, independent, creative, and detail-oriented. A candidate must have a significant amount of bookstore experience to be considered for this position. _____________________________________________________________
Corporate employees are responsible for specific areas of the business across all the stores, such as buying, event planning, marketing, information systems, and accounts payable, to name a few.
Our corporate team is a small in number but composed of greatly talented and experienced individuals (if we do say so ourselves). Therefore, it is rare that we either lose or hire employees in this category. Any openings at the corporate level will be advertised in specific detail as they become available.
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Bookseller
Job Description:This position is either part-time or full-time and entails working scheduled hours, usually at one specific store location.
Booksellers report to store managers and are responsible for helping customers to find the books they are looking for and ringing up the sales. Often a bookseller will be given other responsibilities as well, including shelving, display, and back office functions. Booksellers are required to read books and select their favorites, and to write short reviews of these books for display at their store.
What we're looking for... The skills required for this position vary according to the needs of the store at the time of hire. However, our ideal candidates all posses a love of reading and the willingness to share their enthusiasm with our customers.
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Store Manager
Job Description:This is a demanding but rewarding full-time position that involves managing every aspect of store operations at a specific location.
Typically there is only one manager per store except in rare circumstances. Store managers report to the corporate General Manager, yet they have a great deal of autonomy and are encouraged to take ownership of their stores. Every Barbara's store has its own unique flavor, size, shape, traffic patterns, and customer base. The manager must always strive to better serve the community that the store calls home. Some locations frequently host events (such as author appearances) and managers are required to prepare for and staff these events.
Managers are responsible for hiring and scheduling booksellers. They have to ensure that the basic functions of the bookstore are performed properly. That includes communicating regularly with our central offices and providing necessary financial and sales information. Also, the manager is responsible for doing some of the buying for the store. Buying is done at both the store level as well as centrally, so this requires careful coordination of efforts.
What we're looking for... We expect our managers to be well-rounded individuals who are capable of responding to the many challenges of this role. Successful store managers are excellent communicators, self-motivated, independent, creative, and detail-oriented. A candidate must have a significant amount of bookstore experience to be considered for this position. _____________________________________________________________
Corporate Staff
Job Description:Corporate employees are responsible for specific areas of the business across all the stores, such as buying, event planning, marketing, information systems, and accounts payable, to name a few.
Our corporate team is a small in number but composed of greatly talented and experienced individuals (if we do say so ourselves). Therefore, it is rare that we either lose or hire employees in this category. Any openings at the corporate level will be advertised in specific detail as they become available.
