Employment

We’re an independent record and book store in Tacoma, and while books have become a big part of what we do, most of our current staff leans pretty heavily toward the record side of things. We’re ready to add someone who brings serious book knowledge, enthusiasm, and curiosity to the mix.

We’re not just looking for someone who likes books. We’re looking for a reader.

You read regularly and enthusiastically. You know what’s coming out, what people are talking about, which authors have new books on the way, and what you’re excited to read next. You enjoy talking about books and helping someone find exactly what they’re looking for—or something they didn’t know they were looking for.

Bookstore experience is great, but it isn’t necessarily what will make someone the right fit for this job. We’re much more interested in finding someone who is curious, quick to learn, resourceful, observant, and genuinely engaged in the world around them.

What the job looks like

This is a hands-on retail position in a busy independent store. On any given day, you might:

• Help customers find books and make recommendations
• Receive, price, stock, organize, and shelve books and sidelines
• Work the register and help customers throughout the store
• Maintain and create displays
• Research books, authors, titles, or customer requests
• Keep up with new releases and what’s happening in the book industry
• Answer phones and customer questions
• Help keep the book department organized, stocked, and inviting
• Jump in and help elsewhere in the store when something needs to be done

That last one is important. Although this position will have a strong focus on books, we don’t operate as separate little islands. Sometimes the register needs help. Sometimes a giant shipment arrives. Sometimes a coworker needs another set of hands. Everyone pitches in.

The person we’re hoping to find

You don’t need to be the loudest or most outgoing person in the room. In fact, we’re pretty fond of people who are comfortable just being themselves.

But you do need to be comfortable with people. You should be able to talk with customers, ask coworkers for help, offer help when someone else needs it, answer a phone, and handle the normal weirdness that comes with working with the public.

More importantly, we’re looking for someone who thinks.

You’re a self-starter who is comfortable identifying what needs attention and taking initiative. You pick things up quickly, retain what you’ve learned, and are willing to figure things out when you encounter something unfamiliar.

You’re comfortable juggling priorities and moving between tasks in a busy retail environment. You work efficiently while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail, and you understand when to solve a problem independently and when it makes more sense to ask for help.

You naturally look for ways to make things work better. Once you understand how and why we do something, you’re comfortable noticing inefficiencies, suggesting improvements, and asking, “Is there a better way to do this?” We value people who don’t just follow a system, but think about how that system could work better.

You’re good with computers and comfortable learning unfamiliar systems.

You’re adaptable, dependable, detail-oriented, and comfortable taking ownership of your work.

You also understand that alphabetizing is not a matter of personal interpretation.

Where this could go

We’re hoping to find someone who wants to take real ownership of the book side of our store.

Initially, that means learning our inventory, systems, customers, and day-to-day operations while receiving and stocking books, working the floor, and becoming a knowledgeable resource for customers and coworkers.

As you learn the store, there is room for this position to grow. We’d eventually like this person to learn how to evaluate and buy used books from customers and, for the right person, potentially become involved in buying new books for the store as well.

We’re looking for someone who is excited by that opportunity and wants to develop their knowledge and responsibilities over time.

Schedule & physical requirements

This is a full-time position, approximately 40 hours per week. Weekend availability is required.

Retail is especially busy during the holiday season, so availability throughout November and December, including weekends and many holidays, is expected. Time-off availability may be limited during our busiest weeks of the year.

Dependable and consistent availability is especially important on a small staff. Applicants should be available for the schedule they commit to when hired.

This is an active retail job. You’ll spend much of the day on your feet, walking throughout the store, bending, reaching, shelving merchandise, and receiving shipments. You must be comfortable regularly lifting and moving boxes of books and other merchandise.

What we offer

• Full-time employment
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Generous employee discount
• The opportunity to become an important part of a long-established independent Tacoma business
• Starting wage $25/hr

Interested?

Send us your resume along with a little bit about yourself.

And because this is a bookseller position, we’d also like to know:

What have you been reading lately? Tell us about a few books you’ve loved, hated, recommended, couldn’t put down, abandoned halfway through, or haven’t stopped thinking about.

No need to impress us with the “right” books. We just want to hear you talk about books.

Please email: bookseller@hivoltagerecords.com