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@muleboy
Alas yes it is true. I worked at Evans part time for 3 years during college and then on my gap year i wanted to work full time for 6 months but Evans couldnt offer anything so i went to halfords. I think the interview lasted about 10 mins and they were really happy that i had been at Evans (shock horror!)
The other employees were shockingly bad at sales and mechanics. Replacing a bb had most people scratching their heads and no one would ever grease even the most basic parts like pedal threads or seat posts.
I left after 2 weeks because I was lumbered with too much work and got a lot of grief from ass hole customers that complained when they got punctures after 2 months and realized that they couldn't put a bike together themselves after being told that its not a simple thing to do without experience.
I'm sure each store is different and the store i was at must have been particularly bad. If you're going to a bike hut store then it should be better though.
As for tips with the interview, i would just stress that you're already an engineer and that you know how to apply your knowledge to bikes. definitely bang on about being a very confident home mechanic. Grease everything properly (using the right grease!) dont be afraid to recommend that they add certain tools to the workshop that are necessary.
No bike mechanic knows everything no matter how good they are (apart from maybe sheldon! r.i.p!!) there are countless details involved in bike mechanics that you pick up along the way. It's definitely a learning curve!
You can make a change!