I was contacted by 2 Ulta recruiters who set up a phone interview with one of managers. The manager wanted me to come in for an in-person interview and said the recruiters will be setting that up for me. It’s been 3 weeks since I have spoken to the manager and I have yet been able to get a solid interview date. Every time I contact the recruiter she gives me a new date or a new reason as to why she doesn’t have the interview ready. This has been the most unorganized and frustrating experience I have been through but I think it’s due to the incompetent recruiter I’ve had to deal with. My interest in Ulta has practically diminished. What a joke.

I contacted a director who posted the job on social media. She asked me basic questions via a short phone call (which position and why, why ULTA, biggest accomplishment, go over your resume.) She then connected me with a recruiter. This recruiter was very busy, so I had to keep contacting them to solidify an interview. A few weeks later, I finally got him on the phone and we had a conversational 20-minute phone interview. ULTA is looking for the right culture fit, so don't expect a super traditional interview format. Half the time we were just chatting about the company itself; he only asked me two or three questions about my resume and experience. The last half of the call was for me to ask questions. Have smart questions prepared, of course. Be articulate. Be ready to explain why you want ULTA, specifically the inventory analyst position. The recruiter liked me a lot, so I was able to skip second round phone interviews and instead flew out to Bolingbrook for final rounds with hiring managers. Usually, though, you'd speak with a round of hiring managers via phone before you go to corporate. The corporate interviews were very similar to the phone interview with recruiter. You sit in a room for two or three hours and the managers interview you one-on-one. I interviewed with a planner, three inventory managers and a director. Be yourself. Be confident, friendly and conversational. They are looking for a culture fit. Be prepared for questions about your resume, data analysis, how you handle change and ambiguity (lots of change happening at the company) and about your career aspirations with ULTA. Overall, it was a very positive experience. ULTA is growing fast, and not a lot of retailers can say that about themselves nowadays. ULTA has a very upbeat and down to earth team culture, but they also work hard to keep up with growth and demand. The only negative thing about the interview experience was that they seem understaffed and/or have a newer HR staff, so sometimes it can take awhile for HR to get back to you. My advice: keep hounding them. If you want this, be overly communicative. If they like you, they will make interviews happen.