MyNordstrom Career Growth: Preparing for Your Next Role at Nordstrom

Working in retail can expose you to much more than one position or department.

Over time, you may become interested in another area of the store, a leadership role, a different location, or responsibilities that require a completely different set of skills.

MyNordstrom and current Nordstrom workplace resources can be useful when exploring opportunities and preparing for the next step.

Start With the Role You Actually Want

“Moving up” is too broad to be a useful goal.

Think about what kind of work interests you.

You might want:

• More customer-facing responsibility
• Leadership experience
• Another department
• Operational responsibilities
• Visual merchandising experience
• Fulfillment experience
• A position at another location
• A different type of retail role

Having a direction makes development easier.

Read the Full Position Description

A title doesn’t tell you everything about a role.

Before becoming interested in an opportunity, review the actual responsibilities.

Look for:

• Required experience
• Preferred experience
• Schedule expectations
• Location
• Key responsibilities
• Required skills
• Physical requirements where applicable

Make sure you’re interested in the work itself, not just the title.

Compare the Role With Your Current Experience

Create two simple lists.

Experience I Already Have

Include responsibilities you regularly handle.

Experience I Still Need

Identify areas where you have little or no exposure.

This gives you a practical development plan.

Customer Experience Counts

Retail experience isn’t only about completing tasks.

Think about situations where you:

• Solved a difficult customer problem
• Built repeat business
• Handled competing priorities
• Helped during a busy period
• Supported another area
• Resolved an unexpected issue

These experiences can demonstrate skills that transfer to another role.

Keep Track of Specific Examples

It’s surprisingly difficult to remember good examples when an interview is already happening.

Keep a few notes throughout the year.

For example:

Situation: Busy weekend with unexpected staffing changes.

Action: Reorganized priorities and helped cover another area.

Result: Important customer commitments were completed.

Specific stories are easier to discuss than general statements like:

I’m good under pressure.

Learn From Other Departments

If you’re interested in another area, start understanding how it operates.

Pay attention to:

• Daily responsibilities
• Customer interactions
• Busy periods
• Common challenges
• Skills the role requires

Don’t assume another department’s work is simple because you only see part of it.

Build Skills Before the Opportunity Appears

You don’t have to wait for a position to become available before preparing.

Depending on your goals, useful development might include:

• Communication
• Product knowledge
• Organization
• Problem-solving
• Leadership
• Customer service
• Coaching
• Operational knowledge

Small improvements over several months can make a future transition much easier.

Ask for Useful Feedback

Instead of asking:

Am I doing well?

ask something more specific.

For example:

What skill should I improve if I want to take on more responsibility?

Specific questions tend to produce more useful answers.

Consider Lateral Moves

Career development doesn’t always mean immediately moving into management.

A move to another department or function can expand your experience.

You may gain:

• New product knowledge
• Different customer experience
• Operational skills
• Broader store knowledge
• New responsibilities

A lateral move can sometimes prepare you for a larger step later.

Think About Schedule Expectations

A new role may come with different scheduling needs.

Before pursuing an opportunity, consider whether it involves:

• Opening shifts
• Closing shifts
• Weekends
• Holidays
• Different availability
• Busier seasonal periods

Make sure the practical side of the role works for you too.

Update Your Experience While It’s Fresh

Don’t wait until you find an interesting opportunity to remember everything you’ve done during the previous two years.

Periodically record:

• New responsibilities
• Training completed
• Departments supported
• Projects
• Leadership experience
• Relevant accomplishments

Keeping this information current makes future preparation much easier.

Prepare for Internal Interviews

Being familiar with Nordstrom doesn’t mean an internal interview requires no preparation.

Be ready to explain:

• Why the role interests you
• What relevant experience you have
• How you handle customers
• How you solve problems
• How you manage priorities
• What you’ve learned in your current position

Use real examples whenever possible.

Don’t Speak Negatively About Your Current Role

Wanting something different doesn’t require criticizing where you currently work.

A better explanation focuses on growth.

For example:

I’ve enjoyed developing my customer experience, and I’d like to take on responsibilities that involve more coordination and leadership.

This explains where you’re going rather than complaining about where you’ve been.

Learn From an Opportunity You Don’t Get

Not every internal application will result in a move.

If appropriate feedback is available, use it.

Ask yourself:

• Was experience missing?
• Did another candidate have stronger examples?
• Is there a skill I can develop?
• Should I gain exposure to another area first?

One unsuccessful attempt can still provide a useful development plan.

Common Career Growth Mistakes

Focusing Only on Titles

The actual responsibilities aren’t considered.

Waiting for an Opening to Prepare

Skill development starts too late.

Ignoring Lateral Opportunities

Useful experience is overlooked.

Using Vague Interview Examples

Claims aren’t supported by real situations.

Forgetting Schedule Differences

The new role doesn’t fit your availability.

Treating Rejection as the End

Useful feedback isn’t applied.

Career Preparation Checklist

Before pursuing another Nordstrom role, review:

✅ Position responsibilities.

✅ Required and preferred experience.

✅ Your relevant skills.

✅ Areas you still need to develop.

✅ Specific examples from your current work.

✅ Schedule expectations.

✅ Location requirements.

✅ Current experience information.

✅ Questions you want to ask.

Build Experience Before You Need It

Career growth is easier when preparation happens gradually.

Pay attention to what other roles require.

Take opportunities to learn new responsibilities.

Keep track of meaningful examples from your work.

Ask for specific feedback.

And use MyNordstrom and current Nordstrom workplace resources to review opportunities when you’re ready for a change.

The goal isn’t simply to find another title.

It’s to build enough useful experience that the next role feels like a logical step forward.