You can apply to Walmart entirely online through the company’s careers website at careers.walmart.com. The process takes most people 30 to 60 minutes from start to finish, including a required assessment, and you can do it from your phone or computer. Here’s what to expect at each step.
What You Need Before You Start
Have a few things ready before you begin so you don’t have to pause mid-application. You’ll need your personal contact information, work history (including dates and job titles for previous employers), and your availability, meaning the days and hours you’re able to work. You don’t need to upload a resume for most hourly positions, but having one handy can speed up the work history section.
You must be at least 16 years old to apply for entry-level roles like cashier or stocker. Positions that involve operating heavy machinery, working in the pharmacy, or using certain equipment require you to be at least 18. State labor laws may set additional restrictions for younger workers.
Step-by-Step Application Process
Go to careers.walmart.com and search for open positions. You can filter by job type (hourly store associate, distribution center, corporate) and by location using your zip code. Walmart’s site will show you which roles are actively hiring at stores near you.
Once you find a role, click “Apply” and either sign in to an existing account or create one. You’ll enter basic information: name, address, phone number, email, and whether you’re legally authorized to work in the United States. The application then asks for your employment history and education. For most hourly store roles, a high school diploma or equivalent is preferred but not always required.
You’ll also select your scheduling preferences. Be as flexible as possible here. Walmart schedules shifts across early mornings, evenings, and weekends, and candidates with open availability tend to move through the process faster. If you have hard constraints like school hours or a second job, list them accurately so you don’t end up with a schedule you can’t keep.
The Retail Associate Assessment
Right after submitting your application, Walmart asks you to complete the Retail Associate Assessment. This is not optional. Your application won’t move forward without it. Most people finish it in 20 to 60 minutes, and it has five sections.
- Work with Customers and Associates: Situational judgment questions where you choose how to handle customer complaints, coworker conflicts, and store scenarios. The best answers balance helpfulness with following company policy. Stay calm, solution-oriented, and consistent.
- Handle Customer Transactions: A timed cash-handling exercise that tests your speed and accuracy with basic math, like making change.
- Verifying Product Information: Attention-to-detail questions where you compare product labels, prices, or descriptions to spot errors.
- Tell Us Your Story: Behavioral questions about your past work experience and habits. This section checks whether your answers paint a consistent picture of someone who is reliable, motivated, and committed.
- Describe Your Approach: A personality assessment measuring your work style. Similar questions appear in slightly different forms to check for consistency.
Walmart scores each section using internal bands ranging from Poor to Excellent. A low score in any single section can knock you out of consideration, even if your other sections are strong. The most common reason candidates score poorly isn’t choosing the “wrong” answers. It’s being inconsistent. The assessment deliberately asks similar questions multiple ways, and contradictions lower your score. Pick a clear profile (dependable, team-oriented, customer-focused) and stick with it throughout.
What Happens After You Apply
Once your application and assessment are submitted, your status updates in your careers.walmart.com account. You’ll see one of a few statuses: application received, under review, or no longer under consideration. If a store manager is interested, you’ll typically get a phone call or email to schedule an interview. For hourly positions, this is usually a single in-person interview at the store, often with a manager or assistant manager.
Timing varies. Some applicants hear back within a few days, especially if the store has urgent openings. Others wait a week or two. If your status hasn’t changed after two weeks, you can call the store directly and ask to speak with someone in personnel. Be polite and brief: let them know you applied online and want to confirm they received your application.
If you’re offered a job, Walmart runs a background check before your start date. You’ll also need to complete onboarding paperwork, including a Form I-9 (which verifies your identity and work authorization), so bring a valid ID and any required documents to your first orientation session.
Applying for Multiple Positions
You can apply to more than one Walmart location or role at the same time. Your account saves your information, so subsequent applications go faster. If one store passes on you, another nearby store may still be hiring for the same role. Your assessment score carries over for a period of time, so you typically won’t need to retake it for each new application.
Keep your availability and contact information updated in your profile. If your phone number changes or you become available for different shifts, log back in and make the edits. Managers pull from the applicant pool regularly, and outdated information can mean a missed call.
Tips That Actually Help
Apply to stores that are actively hiring rather than submitting to every location. Roles marked “urgently hiring” or recently posted are more likely to result in a callback. Walmart also ramps up hiring before busy seasons, including back-to-school (late summer) and the holiday period (October through December).
On the assessment, resist the urge to guess what Walmart “wants to hear” on each individual question. Instead, commit to a consistent approach across all five sections. If you describe yourself as someone who takes initiative in one answer, don’t choose the passive option three questions later. Consistency matters more than any single response.
If you don’t get selected, you can reapply after 60 days. Use that time to consider whether your availability was too limited or whether your assessment answers may have been inconsistent, and adjust on your next attempt.