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Apple Recruitment Seminar
- Thread starter lurcovq
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I'm going to one in half an hour here in SF. I'll let you know what it's like when I get home.
i got invited to that one today too but it was filled up so they added additional days and put me on friday. goodluck and thanks ahead of time
Okay, so we gathered in a room, then they came and had us move to another room, they played Phoenix for entrance music as we came in the room. Then they talked, we watched a video about what the Apple store is all about. Then they broke us up into pairs and we had to talk to eachother and introduce our partners to the group. Then we broke into groups of four and did role playing, they gave us a card with a fake person and bio that we needed to help, so we pretty much just acted like we worked at the Apple store and helped them out. Then there was a Q&A for a bit, we filled out a sheet and answered some questions on the back. They told us that some of us would get a call within 12 hours to invite back to a second seminar/interview this weekend. There were about 20 applicants there. It was pretty fun, actually. Don't be nervous, it's not a big deal, not that harrowing.
Okay, so we gathered in a room, then they came and had us move to another room, they played Phoenix for entrance music as we came in the room. Then they talked, we watched a video about what the Apple store is all about. Then they broke us up into pairs and we had to talk to eachother and introduce our partners to the group. Then we broke into groups of four and did role playing, they gave us a card with a fake person and bio that we needed to help, so we pretty much just acted like we worked at the Apple store and helped them out. Then there was a Q&A for a bit, we filled out a sheet and answered some questions on the back. They told us that some of us would get a call within 12 hours to invite back to a second seminar/interview this weekend. There were about 20 applicants there. It was pretty fun, actually. Don't be nervous, it's not a big deal, not that harrowing.
I see, I'm excited. Thanks so much! I hope u get an invite back. I will let u know how mine goes.
Pretty much exactly what I expected...
I was there as well. It was very informal. The General did a good job of describing the days events. Very interactive. If you are not a people person or get get uncomfortable in social situations then Apple Retail is probably not the job for you. There are about 20 tech related questions that you will need to answer, so if you are not familiar with Apple and their products, it will do you some good to brush up on Apples products. I thought the role playing was fun. I was not surprised to hear that Apple receives 45,000 applications each month for employment. I feel Apple is a solid company and it sounds like you could have a good career with them if you put forth the effort...
I was there as well. It was very informal. The General did a good job of describing the days events. Very interactive. If you are not a people person or get get uncomfortable in social situations then Apple Retail is probably not the job for you. There are about 20 tech related questions that you will need to answer, so if you are not familiar with Apple and their products, it will do you some good to brush up on Apples products. I thought the role playing was fun. I was not surprised to hear that Apple receives 45,000 applications each month for employment. I feel Apple is a solid company and it sounds like you could have a good career with them if you put forth the effort...
I just got a call from them! Going back on Saturday! I'm stoked.
I was there as well. It was very informal. The General did a good job of describing the days events. Very interactive. If you are not a people person or get get uncomfortable in social situations then Apple Retail is probably not the job for you. There are about 20 tech related questions that you will need to answer, so if you are not familiar with Apple and their products, it will do you some good to brush up on Apples products. I thought the role playing was fun. I was not surprised to hear that Apple receives 45,000 applications each month for employment. I feel Apple is a solid company and it sounds like you could have a good career with them if you put forth the effort...
Small world!
WoW!
Just got the call!
On to interview # 2!
I'm bummed as I didn't get a call back. Can I try again next month, or are they still evaluating the other applicants from that seminar?
I just got a call from them! Going back on Saturday! I'm stoked.
Small world!
Hey guys! Got the second call! I'd like to hear how it went for you.
didnt get it
May 6 - seminar - passed
May 13 - phone interview - passed
May 17 - store interview - failed.
Cant believe how hard it is to get this job.
May 6 - seminar - passed
May 13 - phone interview - passed
May 17 - store interview - failed.
Cant believe how hard it is to get this job.
Details on second interview?
Third interview?
Fourth interview?
They really weren't a big deal, they just ask us questions about stuff. It seems like they're really mostly worried about finding people with good personalities and less worried about qualifications or experience.
Be sure to let us know how you like working for Apple retail. One thing I don't see in this thread are comments once people have been hired. It seems like they disappear after they get the job.
Be sure to let us know how you like working for Apple retail. One thing I don't see in this thread are comments once people have been hired. It seems like they disappear after they get the job.
As a former Specialist and then Genius I'm happy to try to answer any questions people have. You won't find many comments from people who've been hired - one of the first things you're told is you mustn't post on blogs and rumour sites. You're told they have people working at Cupertino who look through sites like this looking for employees commenting about anything, and if they find you, you're out. Most people don't take the risk. Not to mention the NDA you sign (which I should probably check to see if it applies indefinitely )
My personal experience at Apple Retail was mostly very positive to begin with. The first few months are definitely fantastic, but I found my enjoyment of the job waned soon after when the reality set in. I don't want to be too down on it, there are lots of exciting young'uns on here who've just been hired and I don't want to knock the job too much.
Be sure to let us know how you like working for Apple retail. One thing I don't see in this thread are comments once people have been hired. It seems like they disappear after they get the job.
I hope I don't disappear!
How long was the transition from Specialist to Genius?
Which position did you enjoy more?
What do you mean by "I found my enjoyment of the job waned soon after when the reality set in."
Did you work in the UK?
What did you enjoy most about Apple Retail?
Sorry for all the questions, i'm just curious. I appreciate your input.
Sorry for all the questions, i'm just curious. I appreciate your input.
No problem at all
I got on to the Grow Your Own (GYO) Genius programme whilst I was a Specialist. GYO training is quite good but you can end up in this kind of limbo for a long time. You tend to find the managers are very bad at allocating enough time for your training - they'll just say it's really busy on the floor and get you to sell. I actually quit Apple (for various reasons) whilst I was still a Specialist, having spent 5 months as a GYO. A few months later they were advertising for a Genius job and I was tempted by it, so I applied and got the job. Whilst I was there, very few Specialists moved to become Geniuses (some did become Creatives though). It probably depends on the store though and how technical the Specialists are - the first step in applying is always completing a technical test and you need to get above a certain score.
Really hard question. I found the Genius job much more demanding and varied - it was actually quite challenging, which I liked. However, all your customer interactions are limited to (stressful) 10/15 minute appointments. I missed being able to spend an unlimited amount of time with a customer and not feel rushed at all (as you can when you're a Specialist).
It started off being great fun and I loved the job, but after a while I felt squeezed by management (both in-store and from higher above) to do more and more with less. Appointments at the bar got shorter, time to spend repairing computers went down and I think there was a general feeling of being overworked, underpaid and undervalued. The good employees (I would like to include myself) wanted to give customers the best possible experience, but a lot of the time it felt like management were making decisions which weren't in the best interests of individual customers. The quality of the store managers will have a massive effect on your enjoyment of the job, and whilst most stores have a couple of good ones, they nearly always have some terrible ones.
Yup, I had the chance to work in a few different stores (including Regent Street which was crazy).
Product launches and store openings are awesome - the buzz is like nothing else. That and you'll meet a lot of like-minded people - some stores have a great sense of community amongst their employees.
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I really appreciate your detailed feedback.