Ladies and gents, anyone worked for Benefit Cosmetics? Have been asked to attend an audition and in two minds, due to other job, and other things. Have to travel an hour to audition (I know if I really want it then the travel shouldn't be an issue) deffo! But just want some great advice/tips from you geeks? How did you find audition? Do you enjoy working for them? Is there a lot of travelling away to do training. Hearing your stories will be a big help. Hugs x
Benefit Cosmetics
- Thread starter Spooky
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glam8babe
Well-Known Member
I've heard bad things about these 'auditions' ... apparently they hold these audition days when they are low on staff and need to boost their sales so they 'use' people and obviously don't have to pay them.
I think benefit is crap makeup to be honest... you're paying for the packaging. I'm a freelance MUA and have tried benefit products in the past but never repurchased and never recommend the brand to any clients.
In my honest opinion, benefit is just overpriced drugstore makeup with pretty packaging.
If you want to work for a makeup counter I suggest brands such as MAC, Dior, Estee Lauder, clinique, YSL etc. they have great pay, lots of great benefits and training is fab.
Benefit also hire people who arent from a makeup background (its all about sales for them)... I wouldn't want to go to a makeup counter wanting advice on what to buy from someone who doesnt have a clue
I think benefit is crap makeup to be honest... you're paying for the packaging. I'm a freelance MUA and have tried benefit products in the past but never repurchased and never recommend the brand to any clients.
In my honest opinion, benefit is just overpriced drugstore makeup with pretty packaging.
If you want to work for a makeup counter I suggest brands such as MAC, Dior, Estee Lauder, clinique, YSL etc. they have great pay, lots of great benefits and training is fab.
Benefit also hire people who arent from a makeup background (its all about sales for them)... I wouldn't want to go to a makeup counter wanting advice on what to buy from someone who doesnt have a clue
Thanks glam8 babe, just as I thought! Have worked for Estée Lauder and Lancôme and have done courses ect to be a great make up artist so the artistry side is my passion. A new counter is coming to Debenhams and that was my initial attraction. I have to agree with you and your advice is appreciated. I just wish I had the funds to start up on my own. Thanks for taking the time to comment. If You have any advice about starting my own freelance company would be great to hear from you, also a little about how your business is going, is that your only job as can be seasonal mainly can't it. Please pm me! 
Thankyou x
Thankyou x
Kristalinx
Well-Known Member
I've done the audition process. They had 3 girls, picked out 5 products to show us and then we had to spend the rest of the day "traffic stopping" to try the products on people and persuade them to buy. This went on from 9 in the morning to about 3 in the afternoon.
We also had to do a one to one interview with the regional manager and an interview with the head of hr in house of fraser because they aren't a proper concession.
They loved me, told me I had the job. I went for second interview with the house of fraser management and then got a phone call saying from Benefit saying I was too young and they were hiring someone else. I was gutted. Luckily the house of fraser manager liked me enough to put me into another department but I still hold it against Benefit.
We also had to do a one to one interview with the regional manager and an interview with the head of hr in house of fraser because they aren't a proper concession.
They loved me, told me I had the job. I went for second interview with the house of fraser management and then got a phone call saying from Benefit saying I was too young and they were hiring someone else. I was gutted. Luckily the house of fraser manager liked me enough to put me into another department but I still hold it against Benefit.
HelloSORRISO
Well-Known Member
A friend of mine worked for Benefit Cosmetics and didn't enjoy it at all. The "Audition" is basically a trial day. They put you out on the shop floor and make you traffic stop (approach people try to engage them into benefit cosmetics, try to do a demo and sell a product etc.) she enjoyed it at first thinking the initial audition was just to prove herself as a good sales person and that once she had the job it'll be fine she will do more demos etc on people but that wasn't the case at all.
From what I remember she was there for a year only to get the "retail" experience before she moved to MAC (because no matter how good an MUA you are, mac want retail experience! I have been a been a qualified and freelance creative makeup artist since 2007 and still MAC won't employ me because my retail experience at Phones4U is over 3 years old!! However they granted me MACPro and allow me to attend MasterClasses... Silly that!) back to the story... she very early on in the job she didn't like it. She was told it was a target based job, they wanted to see a turn over in prom for and a certain amount of various products sold. They would keep a tab on exactly how much she was selling etc, she had to manage the concession alone sometimes, sometimes she was told if it was a quiet day she would have to traffic stop all over the department store. She stuck it out for a year and moved to Mac which she now enjoys because of all their benefits. She gets an incredible discount, loves the atmosphere, gets to participate in MasterClasses, people actually book in for makeovers etc and she actually gets to be a Make Up Artist with MAC as well as sell products too. she's been there for 2 years now and never wants to leave.
Everyone's experience of Benefit is different I've heard mixed reviews for them. The above is just what I've been told by a close friend I've not experienced it myself and also I don't really use benefit cosmetics either so don't really have much to say about how well they do etc. I only know how distraught my friend was with the whole experience.
x HelloSORRISO x
Kristalinx
Well-Known Member
It is, I think that's why house of fraser gave me a job with them. I was young and didn't want to rock the boat by complaining when I'd been offered another job.
HollyVictoria
Well-Known Member
I used to work on counters in department stores as a mua for Lancôme too and Benefit was one of the counters I refused to work on. If you love hard selling, going round the store pulling customers back to the counter and slapping a bit of product on top of their face, you'll love it. When I worked in my first store, I witnessed the counter manager get sacked and frog marched off the premises for not hitting targets. I couldn't work for them, I enjoy selling but not harassing customers into sitting at the counter. I've also heard that they are quite rigid on how you apply their makeup, and there is a script you have to follow. Not sure how true that is though? .... Xx
Kristalinx
Well-Known Member
It is true, I had "sexiest flush in a bottle" hissed at me loads because I kept forgetting to use all the taglines.
LilMissEmmylou
Well-Known Member
I applied when doing my level 2 - heres my interview details A job audition with Benefit | Diary Of A Beauty Therapy Student and there is a follow up called and its a no from Benefit on the blog somewhere too.
Glad I didnt get it as I now work as an assistant manager for Lush and love it there!
Glad I didnt get it as I now work as an assistant manager for Lush and love it there!
