I applied online. The process took 1 week. I interviewed at Nordstrom in Nov 2013
Interview
Applied online and got a call 2 days later from a super nice HR person. Got interviewed right on the spot unexpectedly but they were incredibly easy questions. Asked to come in for an interview the next day in the afternoon and fill out a questionnaire online. Again, met with HR who were so nice and sweet and made me feel really comfortable. She asked me around 6 or 7 typical interviewer questions. Wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. And she hired me on the spot. She didn't ask me to sell her anything and I didn't meet with a department manager like I thought I would. The interview lasted around 30 minutes. She did, however, contact my references. But that was really about it.
Make sure you wear trendy business casual to the interview as well. You want to make a great, professional first impression but you also want to show you have a fashion sense.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Why do you want to work at Nordstrom? Tell me about a time you went out of your way to do something that you weren't required to do at work. Tell me about a time you had to work with a team but didn't meet your team goals. What is your proudest achievement at work? What is the best quality you have that would help you achieve your goals here at Nordstrom?
So easy, I went to a job fair and was hired on the spot. They need people in the kids department, that's the easiest section to get into. They just ask about your personality and who you are.
Was inside Barton creek mall, hiring manager was prompt and clear with questions ranging from how I would handle difficult customers, to my personal experiences that could apply to the job.