Granted, I got the rejection letter, but Apple is hard to get into. I will just have to get a bit more experience and then apply again or go right smack for corporate. I love Apple, and I am passionate about their products. I guess I wasn’t a right fit for their retail (no harm no foul!)

I am going to my first “interview” (hiring event) on Monday. Would be great if you could shed some more light on the process. After reading this blog, i kind of understand that its all about the personality and not technical (fortunately i have some technical know how but mainly windows based, do have an iPhone though but thats it)

I look forward to hearing from you shortly

Thanks

J

I had the third interview today with the manager of the store. It was pretty casual. We walked out of the store and found a bench in the mall to sit and chat. I don’t know if I did so well at this interview tho. I felt like he wasn’t nearly as charismatic as the others I had met throughout the process. I know he was busy and stressed due to the fact that it was his first week managing this store and he said he was doing a ton of interviewing.

After the interview I went back into the store to play with a few of the newer products and one of the other guys that was at my previous interview came up to me and asked me how it went. I just told him that I was hopeful but I felt that his manager was looking for someone more qualified. I said I think he liked me as a person but was holding out for someone better. I told him that I tried to chat with the manager about some of my electronic passions and he told me that he didn’t have much knowledge about electronics or how the products in his store worked. He said joking “I can turn them on!” The hiring member I was chatting with told me that it was a team decision and that he was only a member of that team. Another member of the hiring team joined the conversation and asked me the same question “how did it go!?”. at this poing I was wishing I hadn’t gone back into the store… It just felt wired having this conversation with them. I told the new member of the conversation that I just felt like there manager was harder to have an engaging conversation with. He seemed like a nice man just not as “bubbly” as the others. I chalked that up to his hectic first week. They said not to worry and that it wasn’t his job to be “bubbly”.

Anyways if I don’t get the job I will be applying again. I really think Apple is a great fit for me. I love the products and the people. I enjoy working as a member of a team and it would be nice to work somewhere I love to be anyway.

Any feed back would be great!

Good luck to all those in the hiring process now and in the future. This site was very helpful and well put together.

Thank you
And good luck to anyone else out there

I showed up for the interview 10 minutes early and stood in line with about 50 other obvious Apple advocates..we filled out forms and got a sticker name tag

We all walked into a hotel conference room, while the Apple reps (dressed in jeans/blue Apple store tees) were clapping and cheering us in..?? not sure what they hype was about

We took a seat and there was a girl probably 19-21 years old springy and cheerful – showing us videos and trying to pick the group for reactions, answers etc.. while the main management stood in the back of the room with clip boards and (iPads) docking notes on each person who spoke out…

It was more of a personality schemed game for them and nothing else…

We broke out into small groups with a manager and played a game passing around an iPad…answering questions like “explain when you had to tell someone bad news.. or when did you do more than expected”..

After the groups and picking for reactions from individuals we all sat back down for a Q/A .. the entire time there will be about 2 managers docking every single thing from each person who seems appealing to their criteria..

That was it!

They told the group to listen for our phones to ring or check or emails the same day…

I gave it everything I had… I dressed casual-cool and provided solid answers/personality traits, including a strong resume… I personally thought everything went perfect…I was for sure I’d get that call..

Later that evening, I received an email of regret…saying they have decided to move forward with other candidates.. Bummer man! I replied and asked them why and making sure they didn’t get me mixed up with another person that had the same name… Still no reply..

I never talked with a manager 1-1 — I don’t understand how they hire people the way they do…based on a little bit of time in a large group of other people…???

I noticed out of the 6 reps sharing their work history at Apple Store none had been there more than 2 years..
I then realized it’s just another Glorified Mall job for 18-23 year old mainly…like Buckle, PacSun, etc..

I would advise you to give it your best but do not try to over impress. There was a couple of dudes there trying to arrogantly impress the reps/group — they were getting annoyed behind there fake smiles…

Best wishes!

For those of you preparing to interview with an Apple Store hiring event, please give it your best but do not expect anything in return.

The interview process for me was as follows:

1.) Email of congrats on possibly working with Apple Store
2.) Scheduled and confirmed 1 of the 2 available interview events
3.) Showed up a few minutes early; stood in a line with about 50 others; got a name tag and a form to fill out
4.) The Apple Store reps (dressed in apple tees and jeans) had pop music playing and were all cheering and clapping as 50+ of us walked in a conference room and took a seat (???)
5.) A springy, over-driven 19-22 year old girl was trying to get us to smile and clap, etc — she began the intro, videos etc
6.) After the video/intros she asked us open questions, while the main store managers stood in the back taking notes of each person who dared to give feedback, answers etc.
7.) They then broke into small groups and had a manager over each group passing around an iPad with a question game.. not really a game but stuff like “think of a time when you had to do above and beyond” or “explain when you had to share bad news with a person”… we had to act fast and reply to our group..while the store person took notes on us
8.) After the group breakout, we all went back to our seats and had a little Q&A … then they told the whole group to standby our phones and email (the same day) they would contact us about the next step..
9.) That was it!

I dressed in cool-contemporary business casual (as suggested), brought my resume (which is more than qualified to work at a retail computer store). I interacted and gave 100% during the entire event. I thought everything went perfect. I was for sure my phone would ring and I could move forward.. however about 7PM the same day, I received an email expressing thanks for my time etc but we have decided to move forward…?? I was totally confused and replied asking for more details etc — they have not replied and probably will not reply.

It is odd how they go through the process of hiring people. I don’t understand how they can reject a person that fits the Apple criteria and has full ability to fulfill their needs, when they don’t even interview you one-on-one… it makes no sense!

Give it your best but do not hold your breath. Go through the process lightly and casual. Please do not try to over impress them.. There was a few guys at the event that arrogantly kept trying to impress the reps and people…however I noticed the Apple people were getting annoyed behind their fake smiles..

I noticed that out of the 8 reps present at the event, only 2 of them had been at the store more than 2 years. That tells me that it’s just a glorified MALL job..that’s it! I love Apple products but the store is just a revolving retailer, where 18-25 year old employees come and go every month…

Good luck!

Many Thanks!