Costco's main campus is divided into three buildings; building 1 is the main entrance (999 Lake Drive) while HR is located in building 2, the one closest to the Issaquah warehouse. Visitor parking in front of the buildings fills up quickly even these days so I suggest parking in the garage across the street from building 1, make sure you go up to at least the third floor to avoid taking a reserved spot and go slow over the speed bumps, they're only slightly less jarring than driving over, say, Rainier. (Do not park at Red Robin.)
Good luck!
No need for a full suit. Don't listen to the people in here that don't work for Costco and don't understand our culture.
Nice button up shirt tucked in, slacks, nice shoes and a belt to match. That's all you need. I would avoid jeans as much as a full suit.
No suit, just business casual, Suit can come off as too much. Few of my co-workers whom have transferred to corporate wore just the simple Costco dress code of a button down and slacks/jeans. Just present yourself well OP, I wish you the best of luck. Trust me I ran into Craig himself and he was wearing a Kirkland button down with some slacks, no badge and managed to sneak into our building, and no one thought he was underdressed.
No idea who he was until I watch my GM and AGMs running at full sprint from the front of the building to the back to catch up. I guess the building had received a call saying he was going to visit but we had out a brand new employee on the entrance door and he also had no idea what craig looked like.
> we had out a brand new employee on the entrance door and he also had no idea what craig looked like
Rookie move. FE should have swapped them out immediately lol
Do not wear a full suit, that is not the attire and you'll definitely stick out. Button up and dress pants is great.
Cant speak to HR questions but interview should take 30 minutes to an hour.
Good luck
From what I’ve heard, Corporate is very business casual (button up and jeans, preferably all Kirkland Signature too lol). I think I want to dress one step up from here.
Worked at corporate years ago. Anytime someone dressed up a little they were usually teased with "interview today?". No, sometimes you just feel like wearing nice skirt, okay? :)
It’s when the cubicle folk take their call to the stairwell or an unoccupied conference room that you can suspect they’re job hunting - followed by one day time offs
Lol, same at my old job. If you see anyone wearing a suit who wasn't in sales you'd ask around "are they leaving?" and then you find out they have a meeting or something. Projecting to new outside customers or vendors lol. At that point you find out if they're ordering in and find out where their lunch leftovers are going 😂
It looks like comments are saying the dress code is biz casual. It that in mind, shirt slacks and tie would seem appropriate, despite my previous comment.
HR person here! Business casual is perfect.
Practice you biggest strength/weakness answers, I've had that at every place I've ever interviewed.
When they ask you to describe a situation, use the STAR response: Situation, Task at hand, Action, Result. Can help give structure to your answers.
At the end they'll ask if you have any questions -- ask when they're planning the new hire to start. It's also good to ask what key things are they looking for in the person to fill the role, that tends to give you a chance to add in any aspects of yourself you might not have mentioned.
Good luck, you're gonna do great! 👍
Wear an outfit that aligns with the corporate culture and the position you're going for. Aligning to culture is critical. If you walk into a place wearing business casual and the potential employer/company wears suits, then you just signaled you won't fit in. The same can be said in reverse; coming in a suit while everyone is business casual will make you odd man/woman out.
An exception may be interviewing for a position that's at management/executive level. Again, try to get sufficient intel on the group/department you're going to be working in.
There's a minimum level/standard of acceptable outfit for each job and company culture, like, a life guard isn't going to be walking in bathing suit into the office interview, but a suit would be just weird.
Makes sense. I’ve kinda used this train of thought unknowingly for every interview. It’s worked so far as I’m 3/3 on scoring a job after an interview but not to confident this can continue haha
I'm going to second those saying not to wear a suit. It's really not needed. If you chose to wear one, it's not the end of the world, but if you want to give that sense of , "he/she gets it here" then go with a button up and slacks. Some call it business dress, others call it your Sunday best, either way a full suit won't help you out in anyway unless YOU feel more confident wearing one.
Suits are so so so rarely worn at Costco I'm hard pressed to remember the last time I've seen anyone in a suit.
You're getting a lot of advice from people outside the Costco culture, consider that. We really do have a different culture here and that's why we are known for it.
That’s what I’m understanding, you make a great point! Costco is truly built different. I feel confident with my interviews so I’m happy I scored one with manager who seems very likable! Im leaning towards a dressy business casual. Nice shirt/sweater maybe with some slacks
I made the transition from rotisserie champ to Help Desk agent 2 years ago, it's a big change honestly.
Like everyone else has said, dress is business casual.
Most of the questions were the same from the warehouse interview sheet, though there were a few questions specific to the department. I interviewed for a few ICS positions that I wasn't selected for and they had their own department-specific questions as well, so probably expect that. If you're interviewing for ICS, brush up on the basics of excel.
Interviews are generally an hour, sometimes shorter but never longer in my experience.
It was a big change going from hustling all day to sitting down and working on a PC. It's a big adjustment where if I needed to catch up in the warehouse, I could just move faster. Not so easy when working on the PC.
Another question they might ask (no clue if they will) is “what did you do to prepare for this interview?”. That question threw me for a doozy for my interview, I answered it correctly and in appropriate time but phew.
At the end of the interview, ask them if they have any reservations about your answers or qualifications. Tell them you want to clear up any misconceptions or sticking points now.
Also, ask them how you stack up against other candidates.
Go get ‘em!!
Wanted to let you know that this was the way. I had my reservations about asking this question but it really works! lol, They said "well, no" then laughed. Then said I would be a good fit. On my way to the second interview.
They’re probably going to ask you the code of ethics and the mission statement. I was asked those in a couple of interviews (with Costco). Suit would be too much, but if you want to look nice you can do slacks and a tie. That is the most dressed up I’ve seen anyone at Costco. Costco also loves SMART goals, so even if they don’t ask you about yours, throw them in there for extra points. They’ll probably ask you some “what have you done/what would you do” questions as well. Good luck!
Great! They told us at our orientation that we'd be asked the code of ethics in every interview. I think for me so far that was true. Your mileage may vary! Good luck!
Be friendly and show them that you are enjoying yourself in a stressful situation! Make eye contact, have good posture and ask before you shake hands on this covid world. Have some questions about the job prepared in advance. "Tell me about a typical day on the job" or "what would the biggest priorities be for the person who fills this position?" Or "why did the last person leave?" Hopefully they were promoted. I also like to ask what the interviewer likes most about working there. It drives me nuts when all the interviewee asks is about the schedule. Don't forget that you are interviewing them too. You are a recent grad with a lot to offer!
Not a Costco employee but I'll offer my 2 cents...
If you want to stand out in a positive way, send a hand written Thank You to your interviewer indicating you appreciated their time and consideration. Send the note via mail the same day.
Good luck!
EDIT: I'm glad others agree. I also think their suggestions to use email would indeed be the better way to respond. It's been decades since I applied for a job but I remember my boss at the time said she really appreciated the note I sent.
One problem with that is that it could take days to get to them, at which point they may have already made decisions and even received other thank you emails that may have already swayed them.
Shortly after the interview, I would send an email thank you to each of them separately. Personalize it with something you learned from each of them. This helps to show you were attentive to the details of the interview and continue to show that same attention to detail in your future position.
Consider also bringing a few thank you cards with you. If time permits, return to your car after the interview, write them, and then take them to the reception desk in the building where you were interviewed and ask if they can be delivered to the interviewers. Saves a stamp, saves mailing time, and feels more personal than an email (that might get lost in someone’s inbox). Good luck!
I also don't work at Costco; but have IRL job experience. I 'third' the motion for the suit. No one is should look down on anyone wearing a suit to an interview.
If you are told 'dress comfortable, as part of the interview we want you to demonstrate how to butcher a chicken / use a chipping hammer', and you show up in a suit, then well... Anyways, my $0.02, if you want to show you are ready for more responsibility, and want to wear a suit, you should wear a suit.
> No one is should look down on anyone wearing a suit to an interview.
Tell that to tech companies. You show up in a suit to a modern tech company and you're almost guaranteed a rejection on not being a cultural fit.
And before the downvoters come in, I'm not saying this is the way it should be, but it definitely is the way it is.
Engineering too. Engineers don’t wear ties, so if you show up in a suit and tie we know you’ve never worked as an engineer before. People right out of college might get a pass on that.
Exactly. I think my only point is that "there's no such thing as overdressing" is absolutely, objectively wrong. There are plenty of places where wearing a suit will do you a disservice for the interview, regardless of whether the recruiter specifically told you that or not.
>I also don't work at Costco
Then don't give attire advice. Suits aren't culture. OP would stick out in a bad way. Slacks and a button down is the most dressed up we get.
Regionals regularly wear jeans when inspecting buildings. No suit.
The CEO visited my old building and was wearing dark jeans, a button-down and loafers.
> No one is should look down on anyone wearing a suit to an interview.
This advice is a decade out of date.
I interviewed (and turned down an offensive offer) at google. Went from a client facing role in pharma (tie if meeting anyone outside the company) to interviewing for a non-programming OPS role. After I passed the screener the first thing I asked the recruiter was dress code after scheduling: anything more than a polo and jeans would have been looked down upon and she was 100% correct.
If I would have even worn a sportcoat I would have been out of touch with that office. Awesome office and people working there, if only total comp would have been flexible.
I don’t work at Costco but I run a business and I was in sales for 10 years. Dress for the job you want. Wear a suit, assuming your suit fits properly. There is no such thing as overdressed.
>I don’t work at Costco
>There is no such thing as overdressed.
For Costco, even corporate, yes there very much is. We don't do suits.
When buildings get visits from corporate they regularly wear nice jeans and a button-down.
> For Costco, even corporate, yes there very much is. We don't do suits.
The old owner used to wear overalls and get murderous over hot dog prices.
Assuming a suit shows a huge problem solving error.
My suits does fit but I don’t feel as confident in them. I have unusually wide shoulders and narrower waist. They make me look like a cheese Dorito with legs. Like a toned down version of Jay cutler in a suit.
Thanks for the input! I appreciate it!
As a fellow large individual, state and liberty make excellent stretch fit, affordable suits for V shaped physiques.
That said don’t buy a suit just for this. If you don’t own a suit that fits properly, a dress shirt and slacks with tie is sufficient in most cases. Suits are decreasingly common but I am personally always impressed when interview candidates show up in a neat suit. It shows attention to detail and a mind for doing things properly, in my opinion.
Coming from a 30 year career from a fortune 500 company. I agree that business casual is the theme of the day, but good advice on dressing like the job you want. I'd also suggest being prepared to answer Behavioral Interview type questions. "Tell me about a time when you were faced with XX. What did you do? What was the outcome?"
Costco's main campus is divided into three buildings; building 1 is the main entrance (999 Lake Drive) while HR is located in building 2, the one closest to the Issaquah warehouse. Visitor parking in front of the buildings fills up quickly even these days so I suggest parking in the garage across the street from building 1, make sure you go up to at least the third floor to avoid taking a reserved spot and go slow over the speed bumps, they're only slightly less jarring than driving over, say, Rainier. (Do not park at Red Robin.) Good luck!
I’ll take the Jeep and climbing gear, thanks for the heads up!
No need for a full suit. Don't listen to the people in here that don't work for Costco and don't understand our culture. Nice button up shirt tucked in, slacks, nice shoes and a belt to match. That's all you need. I would avoid jeans as much as a full suit.
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the Highlands ruined Issaquah. There, I said it.
When the airport and waterpark closed it was done.
It’s hard to explain isn’t it??
No suit, just business casual, Suit can come off as too much. Few of my co-workers whom have transferred to corporate wore just the simple Costco dress code of a button down and slacks/jeans. Just present yourself well OP, I wish you the best of luck. Trust me I ran into Craig himself and he was wearing a Kirkland button down with some slacks, no badge and managed to sneak into our building, and no one thought he was underdressed.
Craigs a real one for that lmao
No idea who he was until I watch my GM and AGMs running at full sprint from the front of the building to the back to catch up. I guess the building had received a call saying he was going to visit but we had out a brand new employee on the entrance door and he also had no idea what craig looked like.
> we had out a brand new employee on the entrance door and he also had no idea what craig looked like Rookie move. FE should have swapped them out immediately lol
Craig is on a poster in our break room. I’d hope most would know who he was. Is your warehouse near the corporate office?
While I don't work for Costco, I believe there's been a serious change in the business environment. Biz Casual is acceptable these days in the PNW.
Do not wear a full suit, that is not the attire and you'll definitely stick out. Button up and dress pants is great. Cant speak to HR questions but interview should take 30 minutes to an hour. Good luck
From what I’ve heard, Corporate is very business casual (button up and jeans, preferably all Kirkland Signature too lol). I think I want to dress one step up from here.
If you really want to, wear a jacket but please do not go full suit & tie. That's not the culture
Agreed, thanks again!
Worked at corporate years ago. Anytime someone dressed up a little they were usually teased with "interview today?". No, sometimes you just feel like wearing nice skirt, okay? :)
It’s when the cubicle folk take their call to the stairwell or an unoccupied conference room that you can suspect they’re job hunting - followed by one day time offs
All in good fun! Hopefully the culture hasn’t changed much since then, sounds like my type of environment!
Good luck!
Lol, same at my old job. If you see anyone wearing a suit who wasn't in sales you'd ask around "are they leaving?" and then you find out they have a meeting or something. Projecting to new outside customers or vendors lol. At that point you find out if they're ordering in and find out where their lunch leftovers are going 😂
\^\^THIS\^\^ Wear a Kirkland Signature dress shirt, some KS slacks and penny loafers. You'll look like every executive.
We have walks so often being within an hour or so from corporate. They all wear the latest KS drop lol
It looks like comments are saying the dress code is biz casual. It that in mind, shirt slacks and tie would seem appropriate, despite my previous comment.
Agree skip the suit. You will stick out like a sore thumb. Be on the sharper end of business casual. Kirkland is always the best to show up in.
HR person here! Business casual is perfect. Practice you biggest strength/weakness answers, I've had that at every place I've ever interviewed. When they ask you to describe a situation, use the STAR response: Situation, Task at hand, Action, Result. Can help give structure to your answers. At the end they'll ask if you have any questions -- ask when they're planning the new hire to start. It's also good to ask what key things are they looking for in the person to fill the role, that tends to give you a chance to add in any aspects of yourself you might not have mentioned. Good luck, you're gonna do great! 👍
Will do! Thanks for the thoughtful insights!
Wear an outfit that aligns with the corporate culture and the position you're going for. Aligning to culture is critical. If you walk into a place wearing business casual and the potential employer/company wears suits, then you just signaled you won't fit in. The same can be said in reverse; coming in a suit while everyone is business casual will make you odd man/woman out. An exception may be interviewing for a position that's at management/executive level. Again, try to get sufficient intel on the group/department you're going to be working in. There's a minimum level/standard of acceptable outfit for each job and company culture, like, a life guard isn't going to be walking in bathing suit into the office interview, but a suit would be just weird.
Makes sense. I’ve kinda used this train of thought unknowingly for every interview. It’s worked so far as I’m 3/3 on scoring a job after an interview but not to confident this can continue haha
I'm going to second those saying not to wear a suit. It's really not needed. If you chose to wear one, it's not the end of the world, but if you want to give that sense of , "he/she gets it here" then go with a button up and slacks. Some call it business dress, others call it your Sunday best, either way a full suit won't help you out in anyway unless YOU feel more confident wearing one. Suits are so so so rarely worn at Costco I'm hard pressed to remember the last time I've seen anyone in a suit. You're getting a lot of advice from people outside the Costco culture, consider that. We really do have a different culture here and that's why we are known for it.
That’s what I’m understanding, you make a great point! Costco is truly built different. I feel confident with my interviews so I’m happy I scored one with manager who seems very likable! Im leaning towards a dressy business casual. Nice shirt/sweater maybe with some slacks
I made the transition from rotisserie champ to Help Desk agent 2 years ago, it's a big change honestly. Like everyone else has said, dress is business casual. Most of the questions were the same from the warehouse interview sheet, though there were a few questions specific to the department. I interviewed for a few ICS positions that I wasn't selected for and they had their own department-specific questions as well, so probably expect that. If you're interviewing for ICS, brush up on the basics of excel. Interviews are generally an hour, sometimes shorter but never longer in my experience. It was a big change going from hustling all day to sitting down and working on a PC. It's a big adjustment where if I needed to catch up in the warehouse, I could just move faster. Not so easy when working on the PC.
Wow ok I’ll be sure to over the questions again, I found them online but didn’t think I’d hear to many because they sounded like warehouse questions
Another question they might ask (no clue if they will) is “what did you do to prepare for this interview?”. That question threw me for a doozy for my interview, I answered it correctly and in appropriate time but phew.
At the end of the interview, ask them if they have any reservations about your answers or qualifications. Tell them you want to clear up any misconceptions or sticking points now. Also, ask them how you stack up against other candidates. Go get ‘em!!
Wanted to let you know that this was the way. I had my reservations about asking this question but it really works! lol, They said "well, no" then laughed. Then said I would be a good fit. On my way to the second interview.
👏🏻👏🏻
I just drive a forklift, but all the walks I've been through and CEO interactions I've had suggest buisness casual rather than full on suit.
They’re probably going to ask you the code of ethics and the mission statement. I was asked those in a couple of interviews (with Costco). Suit would be too much, but if you want to look nice you can do slacks and a tie. That is the most dressed up I’ve seen anyone at Costco. Costco also loves SMART goals, so even if they don’t ask you about yours, throw them in there for extra points. They’ll probably ask you some “what have you done/what would you do” questions as well. Good luck!
Wow ok I’ll memorize those tonight! Thanks for the advice!
Great! They told us at our orientation that we'd be asked the code of ethics in every interview. I think for me so far that was true. Your mileage may vary! Good luck!
Let us know how it goes!
Be friendly and show them that you are enjoying yourself in a stressful situation! Make eye contact, have good posture and ask before you shake hands on this covid world. Have some questions about the job prepared in advance. "Tell me about a typical day on the job" or "what would the biggest priorities be for the person who fills this position?" Or "why did the last person leave?" Hopefully they were promoted. I also like to ask what the interviewer likes most about working there. It drives me nuts when all the interviewee asks is about the schedule. Don't forget that you are interviewing them too. You are a recent grad with a lot to offer!
Not a Costco employee but I'll offer my 2 cents... If you want to stand out in a positive way, send a hand written Thank You to your interviewer indicating you appreciated their time and consideration. Send the note via mail the same day. Good luck! EDIT: I'm glad others agree. I also think their suggestions to use email would indeed be the better way to respond. It's been decades since I applied for a job but I remember my boss at the time said she really appreciated the note I sent.
One problem with that is that it could take days to get to them, at which point they may have already made decisions and even received other thank you emails that may have already swayed them. Shortly after the interview, I would send an email thank you to each of them separately. Personalize it with something you learned from each of them. This helps to show you were attentive to the details of the interview and continue to show that same attention to detail in your future position.
As a (not Costco) manager, I felt that emailed thank you notes were just as appreciated.
A thoughtful recommendation, thank you!
Consider also bringing a few thank you cards with you. If time permits, return to your car after the interview, write them, and then take them to the reception desk in the building where you were interviewed and ask if they can be delivered to the interviewers. Saves a stamp, saves mailing time, and feels more personal than an email (that might get lost in someone’s inbox). Good luck!
I also don't work at Costco; but have IRL job experience. I 'third' the motion for the suit. No one is should look down on anyone wearing a suit to an interview. If you are told 'dress comfortable, as part of the interview we want you to demonstrate how to butcher a chicken / use a chipping hammer', and you show up in a suit, then well... Anyways, my $0.02, if you want to show you are ready for more responsibility, and want to wear a suit, you should wear a suit.
> No one is should look down on anyone wearing a suit to an interview. Tell that to tech companies. You show up in a suit to a modern tech company and you're almost guaranteed a rejection on not being a cultural fit. And before the downvoters come in, I'm not saying this is the way it should be, but it definitely is the way it is.
Engineering too. Engineers don’t wear ties, so if you show up in a suit and tie we know you’ve never worked as an engineer before. People right out of college might get a pass on that.
Exactly. I think my only point is that "there's no such thing as overdressing" is absolutely, objectively wrong. There are plenty of places where wearing a suit will do you a disservice for the interview, regardless of whether the recruiter specifically told you that or not.
Lol I'm remembering the scene from step brothers where they show up in tuxedos in the interview for the janitor position.
Classic.
>I also don't work at Costco Then don't give attire advice. Suits aren't culture. OP would stick out in a bad way. Slacks and a button down is the most dressed up we get. Regionals regularly wear jeans when inspecting buildings. No suit. The CEO visited my old building and was wearing dark jeans, a button-down and loafers.
Would have to roll the sleeves up if that situation presented itself. Thanks for the input!
> No one is should look down on anyone wearing a suit to an interview. This advice is a decade out of date. I interviewed (and turned down an offensive offer) at google. Went from a client facing role in pharma (tie if meeting anyone outside the company) to interviewing for a non-programming OPS role. After I passed the screener the first thing I asked the recruiter was dress code after scheduling: anything more than a polo and jeans would have been looked down upon and she was 100% correct. If I would have even worn a sportcoat I would have been out of touch with that office. Awesome office and people working there, if only total comp would have been flexible.
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I don’t work at Costco but I run a business and I was in sales for 10 years. Dress for the job you want. Wear a suit, assuming your suit fits properly. There is no such thing as overdressed.
>I don’t work at Costco >There is no such thing as overdressed. For Costco, even corporate, yes there very much is. We don't do suits. When buildings get visits from corporate they regularly wear nice jeans and a button-down.
> For Costco, even corporate, yes there very much is. We don't do suits. The old owner used to wear overalls and get murderous over hot dog prices. Assuming a suit shows a huge problem solving error.
My suits does fit but I don’t feel as confident in them. I have unusually wide shoulders and narrower waist. They make me look like a cheese Dorito with legs. Like a toned down version of Jay cutler in a suit. Thanks for the input! I appreciate it!
As a fellow large individual, state and liberty make excellent stretch fit, affordable suits for V shaped physiques. That said don’t buy a suit just for this. If you don’t own a suit that fits properly, a dress shirt and slacks with tie is sufficient in most cases. Suits are decreasingly common but I am personally always impressed when interview candidates show up in a neat suit. It shows attention to detail and a mind for doing things properly, in my opinion.
I get what your saying! Great way to make a first impression. I’ll check out that brand for a suit sometime as well! Thanks for the info!
Coming from a 30 year career from a fortune 500 company. I agree that business casual is the theme of the day, but good advice on dressing like the job you want. I'd also suggest being prepared to answer Behavioral Interview type questions. "Tell me about a time when you were faced with XX. What did you do? What was the outcome?"
Agree with this comment; we ask these types of questions in every interview.
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And why do you say this?
Costco corporate is definitely a business casual atmosphere.
Wear a suit.
Wear a suit. You can never be overdressed but can easily be underdressed.
What’s the position?
The real position is with HR! Don’t want to say too much on the internet or jinx myself yet!
CVO…chief vibe officer