If you’re a teenager who is 16 years or over and looking for a job, Goodwill has various roles available. These include cashiers, donor greeters, or production associates. The company recommends that applicants should have a high school diploma or GED and previous retail experience, but all applicants will be considered equally for their individual merits.
Goodwill Industries International, Inc. is a non-profit provider of education, training, and career services, catering equally to people with disadvantages. These include employment challenges, homelessness, or a lack of education or work experience, as well as those who have physical, mental, and emotional disabilities.
Goodwill operates donation centers throughout the entire United States, and there are various employment locations. These stores give an opportunity for career advancement to a team leader or supervisor roles once you are qualified.
Retail associates perform one of two Important roles, either cashier or donor greeter, but you will be fully cross-trained across all of the job responsibilities in the store.
Contents
- Available Job Positions
- Retail Associate – Donor Greeter (Hourly)
- Retail Associate – Cashier (Hourly)
- Production Associate (Hourly)
- Can a 15-Year-Old Work at Goodwill?
- Can a 16-Year-Old Work at Goodwill?
- How Much Does Goodwill Pay Part-Time Workers?
- How Many Experiences Do You Need to Work at Goodwill?
- What Should You Wear to a Goodwill Job Interview?
- Goodwill Interview Questions
- Benefits of Working at Goodwill
- What it’s Like to Work at Goodwill?
- Also, Considering Other Teen Retail Options?
- Final Thoughts
Available Job Positions
Retail Associate – Donor Greeter (Hourly)
As a Goodwill retail associate – donor greeter, your key focus will include:
- Greeting donors to provide excellent customer service in line with Goodwills’ customer service policy while receiving donated goods by unloading customer vehicles, and provide them with receipts to maintain records.
- Transfer the donated items into the storage area by separating the donations into the appropriate bins.
- Assist with the process of sorting and, at times, assisting a truck driver with loading and unloading donations.
The role involves being on your legs for long periods of time, and the ability to lift forty pounds is required.
In terms of age, you must be 16 years or over to work as a retail associate at Goodwill.
Retail Associate – Cashier (Hourly)
As a retail associate – the cashier at Goodwill, your job will usually be fast-paced and require multitasking skills. Your areas of focus include;
- Greeting customers and assisting them with their purchases and pricing.
- Operating an assigned cash register.
- Providing excellent customer service, in line with Goodwill’s customer service policy.
- Maintaining a clean and organized store.
- Meet or exceed daily sales goals and ask customers if they will round up their totals to support Goodwill’s mission and scholarship program.
- Organization of shelves, putting away carts, maintaining stock, and returning merchandise from the dressing room to the sales floor.
The cashier role requires a basic understanding of math, basic addition and subtraction skills, and knowledge of the tagged color system on priced merchandise.
In order to do this role as a retail associate/cashier, you must be 16 years or more.
Production Associate (Hourly)
As a Goodwill production associate, your key focus will include:
- Daily responsibilities include greeting customers and donors, transferring goods for sorting, grading, tagging, cleaning, hanging, testing, inspecting, counting, colorizing, and sizing in and out of the production area by hand, machine, mechanical device, or container.
- Loading as well as unloading trucks from the distribution center.
- Organize and inventory goods for customer orders and seasonal storage.
- Establishing positive relationships with clients in line with Goodwills’ customer service policy and (if required) assisting with the unloading of donated items from donor’s vehicles.
Production associates ensure the critical flow of the donated goods from the donation areas through the production area and on to the shipping area, stock room, and sales floor.
To work as a Production Associate, you must be at least 16 years and over.
Can a 15-Year-Old Work at Goodwill?
Due to the fact the minimum age to get a job at Goodwill is 16, 15-year-olds can not work there.
Can a 16-Year-Old Work at Goodwill?
The minimum age for a job at Goodwill is 16, so yes, 16-year-olds and anyone who is older can work there.
How Much Does Goodwill Pay Part-Time Workers?
The hourly earnings for employees at Goodwill differ due to state and city minimum wage laws. However, here is an approximation of what the hourly pay is for each position.
Retail Associate – Cashier (Hourly)
As a retail associate/cashier at Goodwill, your wage will be somewhere between the minimum wage and around $13 per hour. If you are joining Goodwill at entry-level and with no prior experience, then you’ll most likely start at the minimum wage.
However, the average hourly rate for a cashier at Goodwill is around $9.
Retail Associate – Donor Greeter (Hourly)
As a Goodwill retail associate/donor greeter, your wage will be somewhere between $9 and $16 per hour. Since this is an entry-level position, you’ll probably start at the lower end of the range.
However, the average hourly rate for Goodwill donor greeters is around $9.
Production Associate (Hourly)
As a Goodwill production associate, your wage will be somewhere between minimum wage and $13 per hour. Again, this is an entry-level position, so you will probably start at minimum wage.
However, the average hourly rate for a Goodwill production associate is around $9 an hour.
How Many Experiences Do You Need to Work at Goodwill?
Because Goodwill is an entry-level friendly company, you can apply for a role as a retail associate or production associate without any previous experience and still get hired. However, if you do have some experience in retail, you may be eligible for a higher-paying team leader or supervisor positions.
What Should You Wear to a Goodwill Job Interview?
I recommend that you dress in clean and pressed casual business attire. Something like a buttoned-down shirt or blouse with a nice pair of slacks and clean dress shoes. It’s best not to show up in something too casual, like a t-shirt and jeans, but don’t be too formal, so leave the business suit at home.
Goodwill Interview Questions
The list of questions that could be asked in a job interview is never ending because it all depends on the interviewer. But, there are some common interview questions that hiring and store managers often ask the majority of candidates.
At Goodwill, you will most likely be interviewed by the store manager, so don’t expect a serious corporate interview, it is most likely to be very friendly, and they will only ask questions to get to know you and your work style better.
Therefore, it is important to let your personality shine through; Goodwill are looking for people with upbeat and friendly personalities, so if you have one, show it.
What is your availability?
In most Goodwill stores, a part-time position averages out at around 20 to 25 hours per week, but the hours fluctuate based on business needs, the store location as well as seasonal changes with donations. They are simply asking this question to find out if your schedule is flexible enough to meet their needs.
What’s the ideal answer?
As a general rule, retail associates have to be flexible; this means that you will need to be available to work shifts from Monday through to Sunday. If you are still in school or college or have other commitments, you can discuss these during the interview. Having some availability limitations will not stop you from getting the job, but, understandably, the more flexibility you have, the better.
Do you have any experience in customer service or working with the public?
This is a very common Goodwill interview question because the available positions all relate to good customer service and working well with them. You are simply being asked this question to find out if your customer service skills and experience are in line with Goodwills’ customer service policy.
What’s the ideal answer?
Answer honestly, if you don’t have any previous customer service experience and Goodwill will be your first job, that’s fine. But it’s likely that you have had some kind of experience dealing with the public at some time; if so, tell them about it.
Why should we hire you?
Whenever you are asked this question, the interviewer is trying to get you to sell yourself. A major part of any job at Goodwill is to provide high-quality customer service and interact with donors. Therefore, you should be able to drive sales effectively, have excellent communication skills and comprehensive product knowledge.
The manager is attempting to find out how well you communicate while remaining positive and professional. Basically, if you can sell yourself, you can also sell their merchandise.
What’s the ideal answer?
It’s important to know your strengths. If you get asked the question, tell the interviewer how your skills will benefit the business. They want to hear that you can think creatively, have above-average verbal communication skills, a friendly and upbeat demeanor, and the ability to successfully sell merchandise and interact with customers.
Of course, you also need to mention that you are a reliable worker who understands the importance of showing up to work on time for every scheduled shift.
Benefits of Working at Goodwill
All staff members at Goodwill get a 20 percent discount.
There are also benefits offered for full-time workers; these include:
- Health, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
- Paid time off, holidays, and sick days
- Flexible schedule
- Paid Vacation
- 401K, Pension, and Retirement Plan
What it’s Like to Work at Goodwill?
Well, the easiest way is to watch this informative Youtube video about a Day in the Life of a Goodwill NNE sales associate.
Also, Considering Other Teen Retail Options?
Then check out our in-depth look at the Champs Sports Application, the Modells Sporting Goods Application, the Hibbett Sports Application, the Academy Sports and Outdoors Job Application, or the Sports Authority Application.
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You may also be interested in finding out Can a 16 Year Old Work In An Animal Shelter, the Best Fast Food Jobs for Teens, Good Jobs for Teens, How to Become a Teenage Dod Walker, or How to Become a Teenage Youth Sports Referee.
And if you fancy a good read and some quality career advice, check out Soft Skills Training: A Workbook to Develop Skills for Employment, Life Skills and Career Coaching for Teens, the Life Skills Activity Workbook, or, the excellent, Road Map to Your Job.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know that a number of positions at Goodwill are available to 16 year olds, there is no better time to apply. Further information can be found on the Careers at Goodwill website, or you can apply through sites like Indeed or Glassdoor.
All the very best with your Goodwill application.