Nordstrom hires from within, you'll generally need to start in sales unless you are going to work at the corporate office. The online portion of the application is a series of questions to see if you're a possible candidate. Get enough answers wrong and you'll 'light up red' at which point they can't proceed. The in-person interview was personable and casual although held in an intimidating room. As a hiring manager I interviewed many prospects and it was generally a series of questions but nothing was set in stone. All answers had to be filled out on a piece of paper and rated for legal reasons. Largely, it comes down to the impression you make.