How to Apply to Macy's

9 min read Last updated March 7, 2026 98 open positions
Blake Crosley
Blake Crosley Researched using publicly available information, hiring data, and ATS analysis.

Key Takeaways

  • Create your Oracle HCM candidate profile with a clean, single-column resume in .docx or simple PDF format before applying—then verify that the parser imported your data correctly by reviewing your profile after submission
  • Study the specific Macy's job posting and weave its exact terminology (e.g., 'omnichannel,' 'clienteling,' 'MAGIC selling,' 'visual merchandising') naturally into your resume's experience bullets
  • Quantify every achievement you can—Macy's hiring managers screen hundreds of applications and concrete numbers (sales goals exceeded, team size managed, shrink reduced) immediately differentiate you
  • Research which brand you're applying to (Macy's, Bloomingdale's, or Bluemercury) and tailor your resume and interview language to that brand's specific customer and market positioning
  • Prepare two to three STAR-format stories that demonstrate customer obsession, adaptability under pressure, and collaborative teamwork—these three themes appear consistently in Macy's interview questions
  • Apply early during seasonal hiring windows (typically August–October for holiday and March–April for summer), when Macy's significantly expands its hiring volume and turnaround times are fastest
  • After your interview, send a thank-you email within 24 hours that references a specific topic from your conversation—this small step reinforces your enthusiasm and professionalism

About Macy's

Macy's, Inc. is one of America's most iconic retail institutions, operating approximately 500 Macy's department stores alongside Bloomingdale's and the luxury beauty brand Bluemercury. Founded in 1858 and headquartered in New York City, Macy's has evolved from a single dry goods store into an omnichannel retail powerhouse with a workforce of roughly 94,000 employees spanning stores, distribution centers, digital operations, and corporate offices. The company occupies a distinctive cultural position in American life—its Thanksgiving Day Parade and Fourth of July Fireworks are watched by millions—and that sense of occasion permeates the employee experience. Macy's has invested heavily in its 'Bold New Chapter' strategy, which focuses on strengthening its store portfolio, accelerating digital growth, and enhancing the luxury segments through Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury. For job seekers, this means opportunities extend well beyond the sales floor: the company actively hires in merchandising and buying, supply chain and logistics, data science, e-commerce technology, marketing, finance, and human resources. Macy's culture emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion as core business priorities, and the company has earned recognition for workplace diversity initiatives across multiple industry rankings. Employees frequently cite the generous merchandise discount, exposure to the fashion and retail industry, and robust internal mobility as reasons they stay. Whether you're seeking a seasonal sales associate role or a corporate strategy position, Macy's offers a breadth of career paths within one of retail's most recognized brands.

Application Process

  1. 1
    Search and Filter on Macy's Oracle HCM Careers Portal

    Navigate to the Macy's careers site, which is hosted on Oracle HCM Cloud. Use the keyword search and filters for location, job category (e.g., Stores, Digital, Merchandising, Supply Chain), and employment type (full-time, part-time, seasonal). Job listings are identified by numeric job IDs, so if a recruiter or job board references a specific number, you can search for it directly on the portal.

  2. 2
    Create or Log Into Your Oracle HCM Candidate Profile

    You'll need to create an account on the Oracle HCM platform before applying. This profile stores your personal information, work history, and uploaded documents, allowing you to apply to multiple Macy's positions without re-entering data each time. Consider signing in with LinkedIn for faster profile population, but always review the imported data for accuracy before proceeding.

  3. 3
    Complete the Online Application and Upload Your Resume

    Each Macy's job listing has an 'Apply' button that walks you through structured fields—contact details, employment history, education, and availability. Upload a cleanly formatted resume that Oracle HCM can parse correctly (more on this below). For hourly store positions, the application is typically streamlined; for corporate and specialized roles, expect additional fields for skills, certifications, and salary expectations.

  4. 4
    Complete Any Required Assessments

    For many store-level and customer-facing roles, Macy's includes a situational judgment or personality assessment as part of the application flow. These assessments evaluate customer service orientation, teamwork, and reliability. Answer honestly and keep in mind Macy's emphasis on the customer experience—scenarios typically revolve around handling difficult shoppers, prioritizing tasks during peak traffic, and demonstrating initiative.

  5. 5
    Application Review and Recruiter Screening

    Once submitted, your application enters Macy's recruiting pipeline within Oracle HCM, where it's reviewed by recruiters and hiring managers. For high-volume store roles, this review can happen within days, especially during seasonal hiring pushes. Corporate roles may take one to three weeks. You can check your application status by logging back into your candidate portal at any time.

  6. 6
    Interview Rounds (Phone, Virtual, or In-Person)

    If your application advances, expect an initial phone or video screening with a recruiter, followed by one or more interviews with the hiring manager and potentially team members. Store positions often conduct interviews on-site at the specific location, sometimes as group or open-hiring events. Corporate and buying roles typically involve two to three rounds, including case-style or presentation components for senior positions.

  7. 7
    Offer, Background Check, and Onboarding

    Successful candidates receive a verbal or written offer, followed by a background check process. Macy's onboarding includes orientation covering brand standards, POS systems (for store roles), compliance training, and an introduction to the company's MAGIC selling approach. New hires in corporate roles typically receive structured onboarding schedules spanning their first several weeks.

Resume Tips for Macy's

critical

Use Standard Section Headers for Oracle HCM Parsing

Oracle HCM's resume parser expects conventional headers like 'Work Experience,' 'Education,' 'Skills,' and 'Certifications.' Avoid creative alternatives like 'My Journey' or 'Where I've Made an Impact'—these can cause the parser to miscategorize your content or skip entire sections. Stick to a traditional reverse-chronological format so the system accurately populates your candidate profile fields.

critical

Mirror Macy's Job Listing Language and Retail Terminology

Macy's job descriptions use specific retail and merchandising vocabulary—terms like 'omnichannel,' 'clienteling,' 'sell-through,' 'visual merchandising,' 'planogram,' 'shrink reduction,' and 'MAGIC selling.' Read the job posting carefully and naturally incorporate relevant terms into your experience bullets. This isn't about keyword stuffing; it's about demonstrating that you speak the language of retail operations and understand Macy's business model.

critical

Quantify Your Customer and Sales Impact

Retail hiring managers at Macy's care about measurable results. Instead of 'Provided excellent customer service,' write 'Achieved 115% of monthly sales goal by building a personal client book of 200+ repeat customers.' For non-sales roles, quantify impact differently: 'Reduced shipment processing time by 20%' or 'Managed visual displays across 12 departments, contributing to a 9% lift in floor traffic conversion.' Numbers make you memorable in a stack of applications.

recommended

Highlight Omnichannel and Digital Retail Experience

Macy's 'Bold New Chapter' strategy prioritizes digital integration, so experience with buy-online-pick-up-in-store (BOPIS), ship-from-store fulfillment, e-commerce platforms, or digital marketing is highly relevant—even for store roles. If you've used retail technologies like POS systems, inventory management software, CRM tools, or analytics dashboards, list them explicitly. This signals your readiness for Macy's increasingly tech-enabled retail environment.

recommended

Submit a .docx or PDF Without Complex Formatting

Oracle HCM parses .docx and .pdf files, but complex layouts—multi-column designs, text boxes, headers/footers with key information, embedded images, or unusual fonts—frequently break during parsing. Use a single-column layout with standard fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman. Avoid tables for your work history section, as the parser may read them out of order. Test by pasting your resume into a plain text editor; if it reads logically top-to-bottom, the parser should handle it well.

recommended

Tailor for the Specific Macy's Brand or Division

Macy's, Inc. encompasses Macy's stores, Bloomingdale's, and Bluemercury—each with a distinct brand identity and customer base. If you're applying to Bloomingdale's, emphasize luxury retail experience and high-touch clienteling. For Bluemercury, highlight beauty expertise and product knowledge. A generic resume sent to all three brands signals a lack of brand awareness that hiring managers notice quickly.

nice_to_have

Include Seasonal and High-Volume Retail Experience

Macy's stores experience significant traffic spikes during Black Friday, holiday season, and major sale events. If you've worked in fast-paced, high-volume environments—even outside retail—call it out. Phrases like 'managed checkout lanes during peak holiday volume of 500+ daily transactions' or 'coordinated staffing schedules for a team of 25 during seasonal surge' directly resonate with Macy's operational reality.

nice_to_have

Feature Community Involvement and DEI Contributions

Macy's publicly champions diversity, equity, and inclusion, and supports community engagement through initiatives like its Mission Every One platform. If you've led or participated in ERGs (employee resource groups), community service programs, diversity training, or mentorship initiatives, include a brief section for these. It demonstrates alignment with Macy's stated values and differentiates you beyond technical qualifications.

ATS System: Oracle HCM Cloud

Macy's uses Oracle HCM Cloud (Oracle Fusion Cloud Human Capital Management) to manage its entire candidate experience—from job discovery through application, assessment, and hiring. The system parses uploaded resumes into structured data fields, ranks candidates based on keyword and qualification matches, and tracks application status throughout the pipeline. Understanding how Oracle HCM processes your documents is essential because a well-qualified candidate with a poorly formatted resume may be deprioritized by the system before a human ever reviews it.

  • Use a single-column resume layout; Oracle HCM's parser reads top-to-bottom and multi-column layouts cause content to be read out of order or missed entirely
  • Stick to .docx or simple PDF formats—avoid scanned image PDFs, as Oracle HCM cannot extract text from images
  • Place key information (job titles, company names, dates) in the body of the document, not in headers, footers, or text boxes, which Oracle HCM may skip during parsing
  • Incorporate exact keywords from the Macy's job description naturally into your experience bullets—Oracle HCM uses keyword matching to surface relevant candidates to recruiters
  • Review your parsed profile after applying by logging into the Oracle HCM candidate portal; if data was imported incorrectly, you can manually edit your profile fields to ensure accuracy
  • Avoid using special characters, icons, or symbols (like stars or checkmarks) for formatting—these often render as garbled text or blank spaces in Oracle HCM
  • Use standard date formats (e.g., 'January 2022 – Present' or '01/2022 – Present') so the system correctly calculates your tenure at each position

Complete Oracle HCM Cloud Resume Guide →

Interview Culture

Macy's interview process reflects the company's dual identity as both a massive retail operation and a brand-driven organization with deep customer experience values.

For store-level positions—sales associates, operations, visual merchandising—interviews are often conducted on-site by the store manager or an assistant manager, and tend to be conversational and situational. Expect questions like 'Tell me about a time you turned around a frustrated customer' or 'How would you prioritize tasks when the floor is busy and the stockroom needs attention?' Macy's trains its teams in the MAGIC selling method (Meet and make a connection, Ask questions, Give options, Inspire to buy, Celebrate the purchase), so demonstrating awareness of this framework—or a similar consultative selling approach—can set you apart. For corporate roles in merchandising, buying, planning, marketing, digital, or finance, the process typically involves two to three rounds. An initial recruiter phone screen assesses cultural fit and basic qualifications, followed by one or two interviews with the hiring manager and cross-functional stakeholders. Senior and specialized roles may include a case study, presentation, or analytical exercise—particularly in buying, planning, and data analytics, where you might be asked to evaluate assortment data, forecast demand, or build a promotional strategy. Across all levels, Macy's interviewers consistently evaluate for customer-centricity, adaptability, collaboration, and a genuine enthusiasm for retail. The company's culture values people who take ownership, embrace diverse perspectives, and can thrive in a fast-paced environment where priorities shift with seasons and consumer trends. Prepare concrete examples from your experience that demonstrate these qualities. Dress appropriately for the brand—business casual for store interviews and polished professional for corporate settings. Following up with a thank-you email within 24 hours is considered standard practice and is well-received by Macy's hiring teams. Many applicants report that the overall interview atmosphere is welcoming and that interviewers are genuinely interested in learning about candidates as people, not just checking boxes.

What Macy's Looks For

  • Customer-first mindset: Macy's wants people who instinctively prioritize the shopper's experience, whether interacting directly or working behind the scenes to improve operations
  • Adaptability in a fast-paced retail environment: the ability to shift between tasks, handle seasonal volume spikes, and respond to changing floor needs is essential at every level
  • Collaboration across functions: Macy's roles rarely operate in silos—store teams work with visual, operations, and management simultaneously, while corporate roles require cross-departmental coordination
  • Brand awareness and fashion sensibility: demonstrating knowledge of Macy's merchandise categories, key brands, and current style trends signals genuine interest in the business
  • Data-driven decision-making: particularly for buying, planning, and digital roles, Macy's values candidates who can translate analytics into actionable merchandising or marketing strategies
  • Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion: Macy's has built DEI into its core strategy, and candidates who champion inclusive practices and diverse perspectives align strongly with company values
  • Ownership and accountability: Macy's culture rewards people who take initiative, follow through on commitments, and proactively solve problems without waiting for direction
  • Digital and omnichannel fluency: with the company's investment in e-commerce, BOPIS, and personalized marketing, comfort with technology and digital retail concepts is increasingly valued across all roles

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it typically take to hear back after applying to Macy's?
Response times vary significantly by role type and hiring season. For hourly store positions, especially during seasonal hiring pushes (holiday, back-to-school), many applicants report hearing back within a few days to two weeks. Corporate and specialized roles tend to have longer timelines—typically two to four weeks for an initial response. You can monitor your application status at any time by logging into the Oracle HCM candidate portal. If you haven't heard back after three weeks for a store role or four weeks for a corporate role, a polite follow-up email to the recruiter listed on the posting is appropriate.
Does Macy's require a cover letter with applications?
The Oracle HCM application portal for Macy's does not always require a cover letter, but many postings include an option to upload one. For hourly and seasonal store positions, a cover letter is generally not expected and won't significantly impact your candidacy. For corporate roles—particularly in buying, merchandising, marketing, and leadership—a tailored cover letter that explains your specific interest in Macy's and how your experience aligns with their strategy can strengthen your application. If you write one, keep it concise (under one page) and reference something specific about Macy's, such as their Bold New Chapter strategy or a particular brand initiative.
What format should my resume be in when applying through Macy's careers site?
Submit your resume as a .docx file or a simple, text-based PDF. Oracle HCM, which powers Macy's applicant tracking, parses these formats most reliably. Avoid scanned image PDFs, which the system cannot read, and steer clear of elaborate designs with multiple columns, text boxes, graphics, or non-standard fonts. The system reads top-to-bottom in a single column, so any information placed in side columns or graphical elements may be missed entirely. After uploading, log back into your profile to confirm that your work history, education, and skills were parsed correctly.
Can I apply to multiple positions at Macy's at the same time?
Yes, the Oracle HCM portal allows you to apply to multiple Macy's positions using the same candidate profile. However, apply strategically rather than broadly—submitting to dozens of unrelated roles can signal a lack of focus. Recruiters can see your full application history within the system. A strong approach is to target two to four roles that genuinely match your skills and experience, and tailor your resume slightly for each one. If you're open to different store locations, you can typically apply to the same role at multiple locations without concern.
What should I expect during a Macy's store interview?
Store-level interviews at Macy's are typically one-on-one with the store manager or an assistant manager, conducted on-site at the store location. The conversation is usually 20 to 40 minutes and focuses on situational and behavioral questions—how you handle customer complaints, how you manage competing priorities on a busy sales floor, and what excellent customer service looks like to you. Some locations conduct group interview events during seasonal hiring. Dress in business casual that reflects the Macy's aesthetic. Showing familiarity with the MAGIC selling approach and demonstrating genuine enthusiasm for the retail environment will work in your favor.
Does Macy's offer remote or hybrid work options?
Macy's has adopted hybrid work arrangements for many corporate positions, particularly at its offices in New York City and other corporate locations. These roles typically involve a combination of in-office and remote days, though the specific schedule varies by team and function. Store, distribution center, and supply chain roles are by nature on-site. When reviewing job postings on the Oracle HCM portal, check the location field and any notes in the job description about work arrangement—Macy's generally specifies when a role is eligible for hybrid or remote work.
Do I need prior retail experience to get hired at Macy's?
For entry-level and seasonal store positions, prior retail experience is helpful but not always required. Macy's frequently hires candidates with transferable skills from food service, hospitality, customer support, or other service-oriented roles. The key is demonstrating strong customer interaction skills, reliability, and a willingness to learn. For corporate roles in buying, planning, or merchandising, relevant internship or professional experience is typically expected. Macy's also runs structured internship and early career programs that serve as pipelines for candidates without extensive experience—these are worth exploring if you're early in your career.
How can I optimize my application to get past Macy's ATS?
Focus on three things: formatting, keywords, and accuracy. Use a clean, single-column resume layout with standard section headers that Oracle HCM can parse reliably. Incorporate specific keywords and phrases from the job posting—Oracle HCM matches candidate profiles against job requirements, so if the listing mentions 'visual merchandising,' 'loss prevention,' or 'inventory management,' those exact phrases should appear in your resume if they reflect your actual experience. Finally, after submitting, log into your candidate portal and review how the system parsed your information. If your job titles, dates, or skills were imported incorrectly, edit them manually so recruiters see an accurate representation of your background.
What employee benefits does Macy's typically offer?
Macy's is known for offering a competitive benefits package that varies by employment status. Full-time employees commonly receive health insurance (medical, dental, vision), a 401(k) retirement plan with company match, paid time off, and life insurance. One of the most frequently cited perks across employee reviews is the merchandise discount, which applies across Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Bluemercury. Additional benefits may include tuition assistance, employee assistance programs, and access to wellness resources. Part-time and seasonal employees typically have access to a more limited benefits package, with the merchandise discount being the most universally available perk. Specific details are typically shared during the offer stage.

Sample Open Positions

Check Your Resume Before Applying → View 98 open positions at Macy's

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Sources

  1. Macy's, Inc. Careers Portal — Macy's, Inc.
  2. Macy's, Inc. — A Bold New Chapter Strategy Overview — Macy's, Inc.
  3. Macy's Company Reviews and Interview Insights — Glassdoor
  4. Oracle HCM Cloud — Candidate Experience Documentation — Oracle Corporation