I applied to a job at a tech retail store and how should I ask someone working there out for a coffee so I can learn how the job is like?

Question

I freshly moved to a new city in Eastern Turkey with my family after living my life in the İzmir and passed my CV to a tech retail store which I end up passing by everyday since it's opposite to the supermarket in the mall and I would like to work there.

I thought it might be a good idea to ask someone working there what the job is like and what tips I could learn. There is a guy there that looks like me somewhat with thin build, ponytail, early 20s late 10s bit nerdy and fast-ish voice probably from İzmir like me (Which is the comparatively more modern part of Turkey) as well. He works as a salesman and I spent a quite while planning how to talk to him.

I was told it would be a good idea straight up walk to him and ask "Hi, what is it like to work here? I am thinking about applying here" so I can gauge his response and then continue on if he is open

My first plan was walking to him and asking if X headphones in my notepad page could be found here while passing that note in my notepad under the guise of things to buy list -in order not to be interrogating-demanding /"It's ok you don't have to answer me right now"-

Hello I recently came to this city from İzmir. I am currently looking for a job. I know English and I am interested in technology which I have knowledge on.

I would like to order you a coffee/meal and talk about business if it wouldn't be a inconvenience

NUMBER -A name that sounds similar to my real name

This way I both could make him avoid the fear of his boss eavesdropping on him and talking in a relaxed environment and as a "sidecash" of getting tech shop salesmanship tips while also getting introduced to this city since all my friends and most of my family members are still in İzmir.

For further clarification in case it might seem like it. I am not looking for a date or anything like that. I am just looking for a way to learn tips about a job I applied for and I would like to quickly make a contact that I could teach me about the job as a "guide" and someone that could introduce me to the city.

Answer 1

There is an 80% chance that just asking them outright is fine.

"Hey, I just moved into town and I would be interested in working here. Would you be willing to chat about your experience here. I'm happy to buy lunch or coffee, if you want to. If not, that's perfectly fine too."

There is also a small chance that it backfires. It could be perceived as "snooping" as "trying to steal my job" as "cultural insensitive" "going behind the boss" or a few other things. So some extra consideration is certainly useful.

Here are some recommendation.

1. Do as much research upfront as you can. Check out their website, find out how they hire (where do they post openings), look at employee reviews (like Glassdoor) (if available) etc.
2. See if you can find the person on LinkedIn or an equivalent professional networking site. This is the most common standard for making a professional connection and I don't think anyone would mind.
3. Don't be pushy: Be prepared to receive "no" as an answer and make it easy for the person to say "no" . Thank them anyway.
4. Consider going the "normal" way instead. Ask if they are hiring and if you could talk to the manager about this. If that goes well, you can ask the manager if you could talk to some people in the store about how to be successful here. Most managers (but not all) will happily agree to this. If they are not, that's a red flag to keep an eye on.