New York City Apple Store Interview Process
Allow me to walk you through my Apple interview process.. but first let me start off by saying: Apple looked like a really cool place to work. A company that expounds the greatness of its culture, the pretty decent benefits and perks offered, and a not-too-shabby hourly wage: Those were the reasons that first attracted me to the Apple careers site. But I soon found that although Apple dangles these tantalizing carrots in the faces of its prospective employees, the company does not practice what it preaches.
I didn’t sign a nondisclosure, so suck it Apple :P. This tell-all may make Apple fanboys bash this exposé as a flame. This article, however, presents the reality – and I hope it will be an informative one for those going for the job – of my Apple interview experience. I’m going to tell you everything I said and did, that got me all the way through to the final third interview at Apple Corporate. I’ll try to give some tips based on my experiences. Hopefully, this insight will help some of you to actually snag the job. And besides the “suck it, Apple” comment above, I promise to be objective in my narrative. So here goes.
The Intrigue
So I decided to try my luck with Apple. As a 22 year-old college junior with a very strong resume (including both corporate and retail experience), I figured I was qualified to work Apple retail. So I hit the Apple jobs site, created a profile, wrote up a cover letter, and submitted my resume and references. Part of the application is a multiple choice survey featuring such gems as:
Why do you want to work at Apple? (check-able responses included ‘I like helping people,’ ‘I love Apple products,’ ‘I just want a job,’ etc). I answered ‘I like helping people’ and made it clear in my cover letter that I have limited Apple gear experience, but strong interpersonal skills.
The survey totaled roughly five questions, and answers targeted key words meant to filter out undesired applicants. Apple presents a very strong customer relations/service demeanor. The answers you select for this survey pretty much tell Apple if you’re a fit for the company. So place an emphasis on your people skills. I checked that I would be interested in all of the Retail positions. This did not work against me. All in all, I spent an hour and a half on the application process and was pretty satisfied with the job I’d done.
First Contact
About four days later, I received an email from Apple Retail, telling me there would be a 2 day hiring event at the end of the week. The email asked me to RSVP my top three choices for a date and time. It stated that I’d get confirmation the same day. I politely RSVP-d with my preferences. In reality, my heart was pounding. I’d done my research on the hiring process through our good friend Google (I’m sure those of you reading this have done the same). I’d read that it may take months to get any feedback or response from anyone event remotely connected to Apple. Not wanting to mess this up, I sent two confirmation emails, one as a reply, and one as a separate subject. I made sure to note I had flexibility, being a student on summer break.
Around noon the next day I received an automated email with my date and time. An hour later I received a second email from a person at Apple Retail. It gave me a second date and time, saying the slot I’d been accepted to earlier was filled. I replied by posting the first automated response to verify if it was still applicable. I wouldn’t mind the time change, but I didn’t want to be lost in the shuffle. (A nightmare scenario being me signed up for 2 events and having it held against me that I missed one.) The same person replied back to apologize. Apple Retail had made a mistake with the second email. The first email was the right time. I was too excited to have been invited to a hiring event to raise an eyebrow at the miscommunication. Maybe I should have taken more note of that. Either way, I was ecstatic and counted the days to the event that week.
The Hiring Event
I was signed up for a noon event. It took place at a hotel. I arrived 15 minutes early, as per the instructions in the email. Around me, a small group of fellow applicants stood around looking lost. Through an open doorway, I saw Apple employees holding a small meeting.
In the front of the entryway, two Apple girls sat at what I figured was the sign-in station. I introduced myself and was told sign-in would begin at noon.
My strategy was to smile at all times and make eye contact with any employee who passed. I had read online to “ABS – Always Be Smiling” at the event. Good advice! The Apple employees were in a constant state of joy. It was a funny juxtaposition to the very nervous applicants who glanced about and clenched their hands.
Finally, the girls checked us in and gave us Apple nametags. Some applicants were pushing to get in the door, which to me seemed a big no-no. I waited patiently to let the zealots in and noted they were all pushing to grab seats in the back of the room. I knew from reading online that Apple was looking for people who would stand out. Sitting in the back of the room is definitively counter-intuitive to this. More advice: Don’t sit in the back.
I wanted to make an impression right away, as the Apple employees were eyeballing us.
“No brave souls for the front?” I asked, and confidently sat down there. My behavior elicited laughs from the other applicants and the employees alike. I felt I’d hit a good stride and was happy. The next thing I did was make friends with the people who sat next to me.
The Apple employees introduced themselves. **Important: Acknowledge the Apple employees. Repeat “Good afternoon” or whatever greeting they use. Nobody said anything at first and the leader grew annoyed. He repeated himself until we answered and then gave us a satisfied “Thank you. Finally.”
On each seat in the room lay a clipboard, single sheet of paper, and pen. The front of this sheet explained availability and positions. Full time – five days a week, 8 hours per shift. Part time – 4 days a week, 8 hours per shift, weekend availability required.
On the back of the sheet was a 20 question “quiz” which tested Apple product knowledge. My heart skipped a beat. I’m an Apple newb. Luckily, I’d made friends with people who ended up being product wizards, and we worked on it together. So, next piece of advice: Make friends!
I made sure to remember the most WTF question of the quiz: What features of Snow Leopard are beneficial for persons with disabilities?
Another question I remember was: What does multi-touch technology mean to you?
There were other questions, some on Apple TV, the Time Capsule, and just the software features and hardware in general. There were a number of questions on the OS features.
19 questions were fill-in-the-blanks. The 20th was multiple choice. The multiple choice question asked, “which application doesn’t belong in iLife?” They gave us 25 minutes for the entire quiz.
Next, we introduced ourselves. I advise you to go first, if nobody else wants to. Set the pace. Say something that makes people laugh. That’s what I did.
Following the introductions, we watched a video about Apple and were quizzed on it. The video consisted of footage of employees from around the world cheering, mixed in with fast facts like: how many people use their tutoring services, how many stores they’ve opened, etc. I made sure to speak often. I raised my hand 75% of the time. I believe this is key if you want to move forward. Some advice on the hiring event? Try to remember the video. Contribute to the coversation, but do so positively.
For the last segment of the event, we were split into groups of four. They chose our groups randomly, with 4 members in each. We were given an imaginary client with a pretend occupation, hobbies, and reasons for coming into the store. The point of the exercise was to work together to make a presentation pitching products to this client. I had a pretty strong group, and was able to contribute my organization skills to get the group together. I made sure everyone had a speaking part to contribute, and did a four-part outline: Intro, Hardware, Software, Services. We all spoke clearly and knowledgably about our part.
An executive observed each group and gave feedback. Our exec seemed pretty happy with all of us, commenting on how he liked our team cohesiveness.
I believe it’s important to give everyone in your group the opportunity to shine. This way, whether they do so or not is up to them, and you won’t look like a pushy know-it-all.
After everyone presented, the executives asked us what differed from this exercise in comparison to actually being in the store, which I thought was a pretty obvious question. I made sure to pitch an answer (“the environment”). A behavioral tip I can give you: listen respectfully and look interested when everyone speaks. Some applicants failed to do this.
A quick Q&A followed the event. Try to have a question or two ready, so you keep looking interested even at the end. The end of the Q&A marked the end of the event. I made sure to say goodbye to all the employees and remember their names. As I left, a couple of the executives actually stopped to shake my hand and say I did a great job. I was pretty confident that I’d be invited back for a second interview.
The best tip I can give you regarding the hiring event is to KEEP YOUR NERVES AT THE DOOR. Apple wants exuberant, cheerful, kind-natured people with a smart head on their shoulders. And I’m sorry, but there are such things as dumb questions at events like these. Someone asked about discounts. It’s not smart to ask about discounts if you don’t even have the job. It gives the impression you don’t really care about the Apple brand and what it stands for, which won’t get you invited back for the second round.
The Call Back
I’ll make this section brief. Two days later I received a call from the retail division of corporate inviting me in for a second interview with a store manager the following morning. I think I said “thank you!” about 3 or 4 times. I worked the usual telephone manners: “I’m looking forward to it, thank you again and have a nice rest of your day.” I was definitely excited and nervous for the next day to come.
Interview 2
I’m not going to get into where the corporate office was, or what it looked like. It was definitely a nice place, but that’s not what this blog is about. I’m hoping it will become a good reference tool, not a gossip site.
I was still riding the high of doing well at the hiring event. From it I felt I could grasp what type of people Apple was looking for.
I met with the store’s Operational Manager, a genuinely cool guy. He had my sheet from the hiring event and went through the availability and what working at the store was like. He told me (and this is roughly paraphrased, but true to the content):
Though it’s a long shift, it does go by fast because there is always something to do. Cashier is the hardest position, because it requires the most client interaction and tons of training. Cashiers actually end up telling the Specialists what to do. Specialists do the bulk of the grunt work on the floor and there are sales quotas. The back of house maintains the stock room to very precise conditions and can tell you where everything is; if the product isn’t available, they can tell you when it will be. Family Room Specialist is a new position, and people skills are key. Creative is all about teaching and reaching out. Genius is the highest paid but has the most in-depth technical training, and there’s a lot of it.
He also discussed the different shifts and the people on his particular shifts, and how they were a unique, talented, high energy group. He said most of Apple’s hired applicants ended up being students, artists, writers, actors. It just worked out that way. Apple looked more for the personality. He stressed technical knowledge isn’t as important because that can be taught. But Apple won’t waste its time teaching people skills.
Anyway, we vibed well. He even told me about his roommates. He asked me what I was currently doing with my life, why I wanted to work at Apple, and what makes a great customer service experience, in my opinion. I said a great customer service experience is when the client leaves satisfied and knowing you actually cared. At the end of the very casual half hour interview, he told me he thought I would do well as a cashier. He recommended me for the third interview, which would take place the next day in front of a panel. This was the first time I remember feeling nervous. I guess it showed, because he was nice enough to give me some pointers: “Be yourself, smile and make eye contact with all of them and you’ll be fine. I can definitely see you with us.”
The Second Call
I was surprised to get a second call later that same day from Apple Retail. It was from the same person I’d been speaking to throughout the process. She wanted to know if we could push up the interview. I of course obliged. She seemed extremely relieved and thanked me for my flexibility. I let her know it wasn’t a problem, thanked her, and wished her a good day. So now I had a morning interview instead of an afternoon one. I had read that the panel interview was the most difficult. I vowed to get a good night’s sleep and make sure I was ready to go.
Interview 3
I headed back to corporate for the third interview. Immediately, I felt a different vibe in the office. It seemed much more hectic. Think: quietly bustling. When I sat down to await my interview, there were other people already waiting. I hadn’t encountered this before. It worked to rattle my nerves just a teeny bit more.
I waited a half hour to be seen. I’ll let you know right now that this interview was not fun. Don’t expect it to be. I believe now that the third interview is contrived to be difficult on purpose. I believe that Apple is testing for reactions to unpleasant situations, as we all know that not every day in retail is a good one. But since they purposely made it difficult, it’s only fair for me now to be as detailed as possible.
A short, mousey-looking brunette (sorry brunettes, you’re not all short or mousey-looking, but this one was) introduced herself and walked me into a glass-encased conference room. Inside the conference room sat two other male executives.
Does anyone watch the Office? One looked like Andy from the Office. Andy calls himself “Nard Dog” on the show, so this guy I will nickname Nard Dog. The other executive was an uber-tanned “papi” type, white haired, with a white dress shirt unbuttoned so I could see all his chest hair. So, I’ll call him Papi.
So here are the three personality types with which I was confronted.
Nard Dog – never laughed; eyeballed me hardcore, complete with head tilting; grilled me on my answers; asked all the hard questions, and generally came off as very abrasive.
Papi – just stared; confused me with his chest hair vibe; he was in the middle – not very mean but not very encouraging; asked me more personal questions
Mouse – the buffer (how stereotypical); she exhibited very little personality; didn’t asked me many questions; she had a perpetually encouraging smile and nodded so much I wondered how much her chiropractor charged.
I came prepared with five copies of my resume and handed them out. I waited a few tense minutes as they didn’t say anything and looked them over.
Nard Dog: Is that a Mead folder you’re carrying?
Me: Yes.
Nard Dog: Wow, I was just thinking about designing a carry case for the Ipad that looked like a trapper keeper.
He went on to describe it, and I got the feeling he was trying to get some feedback from me on it. Now, I’m not a designer. Nowhere on my resume does it say design experience. I am not artistically talented. So I shot off some ideas about how you could insert pockets on the inside to carry things like pens.
My first mistake, I believe. Apple doesn’t want to hear that people still use writing instruments.
Nard Dog: “So let’s start with the obvious. Why Apple?”
This is like the fourth time I’ve answered this question. I stared at him point blank and I said, “The people. I want to be part of a cool culture that values its employees. I feel I can contribute positively. I want to be around people who share my interest in other people. I am, after all, a sociology major, so I enjoy seeing what makes others tick. “
Nard Dog raised an eyebrow : “You say the people. So what about the people. Staples has people. Why not apply for a job at Staples?”
Like I said, abrasive. I was taken aback by his attitude. I elaborated further on my question by saying Staples’s customer service never made me feel like they care about people. Apple cares.
Then Papi took over. He asked what I was doing now, and he asked me questions off my resume. “I see you were a sales coordinator. Tell me about a time you helped your team achieve their goals” Then he asked, “What was your favorite boss and your least favorite boss and why”
I don’t think they liked my answers to these two questions. I don’t know why. Just my gut. I said that my favorite boss was this young COO I worked for, easy to talk to but a brilliantly businessman. I said the worst boss I had was in a retail position. This boss didn’t know how to manage people properly and there were a lot of mishaps in the store (e.g., in a multi-person staffed store I had my wallet and phone stolen from behind the counter while I was outside accepting deliveries). I don’t think they liked the part about not managing people properly. Guess it wasn’t their ideal answer.
Now, I was an HR manager for a while. I both hired and fired. I know the little end interview cues. So I knew I didn’t get the job when after a half hour, Mouse uses this line: “Okay well, we will be getting back to people early next week.” Then she stood up. So I stood up and gracefully shook hands with everyone in the room. I made eye contact and thanked them each individually. Then I thanked them collectively for their time. Mouse showed me to the door.
Now, I wear my heart on my sleeve. I can’t help it, I’m a Pisces. As we were walking out, I told her, “I’m not sure I did too well on this one. I think I talked too much.”
Mouse: No!! Don’t be silly. We want to hear from you. You’re supposed to talk, this is an interview.
Me: But I think I over-spoke.
Mouse: *smiles again, shakes head*
I thanked her again and shook her hand. As I walked away, I remember shaking my own head. My gut was telling me the job wasn’t mine. I have to tell you, I was genuinely hurt. After 3 interviews of hearing how great Apple’s culture is, and how cool the people were, I felt like the kid who didn’t get picked for the sports team!
The Apple Store Rejection Letter
I’m pretty sure that if they wanted me for the job, they would have told me right there at the end of the third interview. I didn’t hear anything in the beginning of the week. My gut had been right. In the middle of the week I received an automated email. Pasted below is the actual text of the email. It was kind of harsh.
Thank you for your interest in opportunities with Apple Retail. As you can imagine we received a large number of qualified applicants for this role. At this time we have chosen to move forward with other candidates that meet the needs of today. I want to personally thank you for your interest and for investing the time to speak with us about this opportunity.
Thank you again for your time and interest in Apple. We wish you the best in your future endeavors.
Sincerely,
Apple Retail Staffing
I think this is the point wherein I’m supposed to rant. I’ll keep it short.
I believe the third interview was too subjective. I performed strongly throughout the process, and I even more strongly believe that I lost the job because of a few answers that these random executives didn’t like. The work and time I put into this ended up to be a waste. And for all the dedication I showed, I received a generic, automated, kind of mean email. I would have at least appreciated an email from a person, I mean, I went on 3 interviews. Remember that carrot I spoke of in the beginning which Apple dangles? Well, when I say they didn’t practice what they preach, I mean that in my specific situation, they did not acknowledge the time I put into this process. Apple Care? Hah. More like Apple Didn’t Care. So maybe you can say I’m bitter over the lost time. I won’t complain about the money I lost commuting, but there’s obviously that too. I mean, I went on 3 interviews! For a cashier position. And I still don’t understand why I didn’t get the job. So, my point being: the third interview was way too subjective. Too behavioral. I felt afterwards like a lab rat in a failed experiment.
I’m over it though. I made lemons out of lemonade, I embraced the cloud’s silver lining: I used the experience to write a blog, after all.
What pointers can I give you for the third interview? Breathe. Don’t rush. Don’t let nervous excitement take over. Stop and think. I wish I could give more, but the nature of the third interview left me at a dearth. I thought I did well. They didn’t.
I truly hope that reading about my experience helps you feel more prepared for what you’re about to get into, and that in turn, this confidence helps you to snag that job! That being said, Good luck!!
is someone can tell me the hiring process in dubai, abu dhabi UAE?
what position are you applying? i received my invitation for 3rd interview.
Hi!
Could u brief about the interview process in dubai! I too have got a call.
Hi , Friends from UAE who got invitation for apple hiring event? could you brief me about the hiring event process,and also tell me what kind of questions are asked? I have got a invite, your inputs will definitely help me.
Thanks a lot!
i am from india , i applied for the specialist role in uae apple store
can i get the job in uae store from india please help me
Thanks for the blog! You’ve got excellent writing skills. In my opinion, you should be channeling your energy into literary work!
~Peace
I got rejected on my first interview. Not sure why, but since I don’t give up easy, I just reapplied for the same position. I wonder what they’ll think of that?
Honestly I do agree with the reason for not getting the job came down due to your answers in the third interview.
Even though you were being honest and informative trying to answer the questions (What’s your favorite boss and the not favorite one), mentioning that previous boss didn’t know how to manage correctly probably gave them a negative image of your personality in judgement of others. Just my opinion as there could be others reasons. Definitely not the answer as you said they were expecting. I’ve learned is not right to provide negative comments or reasons for not liking a previous job or manager. No matter how much you hated that previous job or boss.
I remember when i did an apple interview in London, the first thing they did was ask everyone in the room to “clap for apple” – the whole room erupted in manic applause and cheering. At this point I looked around the room and thought… what next? a human sacrifice? In any case, I turned the job down because something else came up but can i just say.. what a bunch of losers.
Hi Guys,
I would also be attending the hiring event tomorrow i.e. 5th Nov. I am looking for a part-time retails/Sales job. I am a techie, finishing my Master in Computing. Thank you so much for loading your experiences here, i appreciate it. Actually, i was a bit curious about what is the hiring event all about, but now its clear.
Still any suggestions/advice for me, from you guys?
Cheers…
Hayat
Hey guys, kind of way later than the rest but I’ve applied at apple once.–This is kind of the full detail of my experience.
First time applying online i got an email back about a week or two later inviting me to the hiring event i RSVP’ed and then got confirmation email and a day later a reminder email for it. The hiring event was at a hotel and what happened is that I walked in and checked in with a woman who gave me a name tag and told me to just wait and it would begin in a few minutes. I talked with a few other applicants and tried to be friendly and smile. The event started (it was early in the morning so im guessing we were the first group of the day) there was about 25-30 of us and they talked to us for a few minutes just chitchatting as a group and then they made us group up with another person and talk to them and find out about them and we ended up having to introduce the other to the whole group. They then introduced themselves and talked about the apple store and why its a great place to work there and why its a great environment blah blah. They then showed us a video about apple stores all over the world (im guessing to really get our enthusiasm going and get us pumped up) which it worked for me. They then got us into groups of about 5 and we spread out and had one apple worker in each group and he pulled out a beech ball with questions written on it and we tossed it to each other about 3 times and whatever question came up and faced us was the question we answered and these questions were basically like “Describe a time you were faced with a challenge that others couldn’t accomplish but you did”, “describe a time you were dealing with a difficult customer and how did you do”, “describe a time that you were faced with an impossible task and how did you try to accomplish it” blah blah. I answered with a few stories from working at previous jobs. They then talked to us a few more and then said we were done and i went up and shook hands with every employee i could and basically thanked them for the opportunity and what not.
I was called back for a second interview about 2 hours or so after the hiring event and this was more like a normal job interview than the hiring event. I waited while another person from the hiring event was being interviewed (this is a few days later after the hiring event btw). and when he was done i was interviewed by a store manager and another manager (can’t remember what the other manager was) and they asked questions basically why do you want to work at apple, why apple, what do you like about apple, why would you be a good asset to apple, blah blah and i gave the best answer i could and talked about being passionate and enthusiastic and being a people person. They then had me go to another room and talk to like the designers of the apple store (basically just another two managers with fancy apple titles). and they asked very similar questions from the prior part of the interview. i thought it went okay (not great but not horrible). after leaving about a day or so later i received the infamous “we’re moving forward with other applicants blah blah”
Im pretty sure i didn’t get it cause i was too nervous. My nervousness was probably visible and i said “um uh” a lot which obviously looking back (this was about two years ago) is bad and just an obvious no no. and i just didn’t give good answers–its one of those things where your brain is saying say this say this but you say something other because you’re nervous.
two years later i receive a random email from apple telling me ive been invited to a hiring event. I didn’t apply again after the first time because i didn’t think id end up getting it anyways so this definitely tells me that they do keep you on file. Basically the same thing. email for RSVP, then email for confirmation of the RSVP and then a reminder email. Today I went to the hiring event and it was a group of about maybe 20. but there were two other hiring events before mine today so there were obviously more people. But the hiring event went the same way as my first. You walk in meet the apple workers meet the person next to you and introduce them. and then they make you watch a video and then split into small groups with apple workers coming to your group and asking you questions. The only different thing is that this time they actually asked a few tech questions for example “What is the fusion drive” “what is icloud- if a customer asked you what icloud was how would you respond” “if a PC user came up and asked you why they should pay $500 more for a mac over a PC what would you say?” <- those were the exact questions i was asked. and you gotta do research before about apple and the products cause they also ask questions about their products and history (i.e when was apple established, when did the iPod come out, when did the iPad come out) and basically you fill out a sheet that asked for my name email, phone number availability and what positions i was interested in. The hiring event was today about 7 hours ago and no call back or email yet so im gonna wait a few more days.
Basically if you read my comment and every other comment above you will know exactly what to expect
the furthest ive gotten is the second interview and i myself screwed that up by being nervous and not prepared.
To be prepared i can honestly say just do a bit of research- they will show you a few products on a power point like ipods, iphones, iPads, macs, mac tower, mac mini and asked you if you know what they are. just do a bit of research ( no more than like 3 minutes on each just know their name and basic function) and know a little bit about the company just basic stuff.
the biggest advice i can give that i didn't take is be calm and relaxed. I know this because i saw some of the people in my groups at the hiring event working at the apple store. They were calm, relaxed and gave good relaxed and good exampled answers to their questions.
Smile a lot, be friendly DON'T BE SHY!!!! be enthusiastic and care about what they say.
If i don't get it this time i wont apply again just purely because even though it is apple which is great its just not worth wasting my summer and school time trying to chase a job when i could work another and use my time on other activities.
Good Luck to All!!!
I am so glad you all took the time to post your experiences! I am in a smaller midwestern city and attended a Hiring event the Sunday before last (I was invited about a month after submitting my resume). I was able to refer a graphic design friend of mine and we showed up to the event with about 18 others. Just like the previous descriptions it was fun, interactive and laid back – I actually wore flip flops with my outfit because so many of the female employees do this daily! Also like other comments, I noticed that those who tried too hard or went on and on reciting every Steve Jobs fact they had memorized seemed to be annoying to the Apple employees. I played it super cool, but made sure that everything that I said was memorable and strong. It really helps to do some Apple research, but don’t stress out or overwork yourself, it really comes down to the vibe you give off. I must say honestly I really liked EVERY employee there except for one weird technical guy (But he didn’t really seem to relate to anyone else either). By the end of the event I felt like I had positively stood out but not by being too outspoken, just RELAX and be yourself!! My friend however was just way too nervous and he really tried to participate, but when he did it was kind of forced and awkward and nobody was impressed with anything he said. Needless to say I got a call for a second interview 3 days after the event and he received the email of doom… I am very excited about the next interview and I will post results. Blogs like these really helped me at the hiring event so even if I don’t get hired, I can maybe help the next person on their journey!
So how did the process go after all?
I just got done with my 3rd interview Friday. My experience with the hiring process has lasted ~20 days. I applied three times online over the course of 2 years, and received an email invitation for Apples hiring event. My resume isn’t fantastic, its mostly grunt work (customer service rep positions) but I have had an exclusive job similar to Apple in the past which helped the most IMO.
The seminar: (specialist position)
just like the OP, the event was held at a hotel and when you checked in you received an apple name tag.
They had me fill out a small survey including availability & location preferences on an ipad while you waited for your groups turn for the seminar. They showed us a video pretty much explaining Apples work culture in a global perspective, and made sure we knew that the most important component in Apples success was “the people”.
Afterwards they asked what our own interpretation of the video was, and also asked us some ice breakers before we were broken off into groups of 2 for a 2v2 interview.
2v2 (seminar):
this part of the seminar was really laid back, and seemed more like a conversation than other “shotgun” interview styles. They asked me “If you had a superpower what would it be?”, “Name a time where you succeeded in taking the extra step helping someone”, and other similar questions that seemed to “analyze” your personality / behavior. The seminar lasted about an hour, and the whole events purpose was to screen out people who didn’t stand out. Surprisingly after the initial interview I received a call back within one hour. They wanted me to attend an in-store experience the following week.
In-store experience: (ISE)
The ISE caught me off guard. The manager pretty much explained to me that he got to know me fairly well during the hiring event and wanted me to just walk around the store talking to employees, finding out what they do and etc. The ISE was very “unregulated” and I felt like the manager was trying to see how well I handled being in a new environment. Also the store was very busy, and they had me dress casually so I blended in with the customers. ~45 minutes later he came up to me and said that I was good to go and would be contacted within a couple days. I was kind of confused at that point, but it made sense. Earlier I had asked one of the employees I had met who the senior members were in the store, and decided to speak with them. I found out later that the senior members were actually other managers and I figured the ISE was built so that eventually I would run into them. Again after ~2-3 days I received a phone call asking me to return to the store to talk to the head recruiting manager and have a 1v1.
Interview 3: This time the head manager had me walk out of the store for a more personal interview. It did feel more like a traditional interview in the sense that he wanted to see how well I could handle myself when put under pressure. He did ask some difficult questions fairly quickly back to back so I couldn’t poise myself all the time. Of all the interviews I have ever done (mostly retail) it was the most difficult one. He was very laid back, but VERY GOOD at his job. He was definitely controlling the pace, while making me nervous. I thought about that rejection letter, especially after all the time I had invested so far for a basic retail position, and felt quite nervous. I may have felt a little more comfortable if we were both in suits hahaha. He shook my hand and said I would be contacted within 72 hours. Here I am on Sunday hoping that some news gets to me before Monday.
Overall, I think you should try to be genuine, stress the importance of going that extra step to help someone, and show that you’re an ambitious person with the ability to adapt and learn. GOOD LUCK everyone! I hope this helped
I was reading an old blog and I was wondering if you got the job with Apple.
So, I must say, I was lucky enough to get a job for Apple. I guess it did feel to good to be true. I was just fired after being late too many times in a row. I suppose I had it coming. I really loved working for Apple and wish I still had my job. Instead, I am putting together my resume and trying to understand why they couldn’t direct me to Concern-EAP or some sort of help. I did ask for help and expressed nothing but dedication and passion while I was at work. The last “point” was the day before Friday the 13th, can you imagine? Friday sucked either way…
If anyone has an idea of what I can do or where I can work that will offer such a cool culture like Apple, please let me know!
I applied to Apple thinking they might need some seasonal help this past year. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that a recruiter contacted me and set up an interview. This first interview went well. It was supposed to be a group interview w/2 other candidates but neither showed up so it was just me and the recruiter. The recruiter was very nice and said I was, from her perspective, the type of person that would be great for Apple. Soon after this meeting, she contacted me w/an invite to an Apple hiring event at a store near me that was for 3 different stores in the area(I live in Northern Virginia which is densely populated w/several Apple stores nearby). I showed up and there was a crowd of 30-40 ppl standing outside the store. While we waited, a few hyper friendly, gung ho employees came out and tried to get us riled up(Lots of “WOO-HOOs!”, “YEAHS!”, “ALRIGHTS!”). It had a very high school pep-rally feel to it and I was already a little uncomfortable. An employee asked us “what is the most embarrassing song on your i-pod?”. After about 15 minutes of this kind of stuff, they opened the doors, motioned for us to come in, and they all started cheering and clapping at us. Very nice, but we didn’t do anything but show up for the interview… a little strange to be given such a display. After filling out a simple information sheet and putting on a name tag, they introduced themselves and said what they did. They were so fired up and animated that they reminded me of Disney characters without the costumes. Then they had each person talk to the person next to them and introduce them by saying their name, an interesting story about them, and why they would be good for Apple. After a short film about how amazing Apple is, role playing(customer vs. employee) began w/employee playing customer and candidate playing employee. After this everybody sat back down and they took final questions. This is where I said the wrong thing. I asked if there were set schedules or if they varied from week to week. They seemed to be kind of pissed that I asked this and a few of them talked about, in what i perceived as somewhat condescending tones compared to earlier, that “its retail and retail needs to be flexible”, and that all should know this already(btw, I’ve worked retail jobs w/set schedules before and also those w/out. which is why i asked). Then they said to leave the papers that we filled out earlier where we were sitting w/name tags pasted to the back and they would contact us by the end of the week. This was where I messed up again by taking my paper over to where I had been siting most of the night(I sat somewhere else after the “role playing”) and got yelled at(yes, yelled at) by an Apple employee to take my paper back to the last seat I was sitting at. After this I said goodbye and shook hands w/some of them and waited the next few days for a reply which came as a rejection email. In all honesty, I was relieved, especially now after reading, on this blog, about how much longer, and stressful, the interview process is. I love Apple products and have been using them instead of PCs for a decade now and have nothing but good to say. I have had fine experiences in the stores too and will continue to enjoy stopping into them and browsing around. All in all, I know the right job is waiting for me out there but, working at Apple retail is not a good fit for me, and, as they recognized, I am not a good fit for them. Best wishes to all in search of employment at Apple. Hopefully this experience will be of help regarding what to expect at a hiring event. My advice, when not sure how to act @ an Apple hiring event, think Barney the Dinosaur, and get into character! Cheers…
I applied at the Apple store twice; first time I was invited to the hiring event, the second time I came in the store and applied. Each time I got to a second interview and got the same exact e-mail response you mentioned a few days later. Even though I felt that I really displayed my people skills and my proficiency with Apple products, it didn’t seem to help. I applied again, but if I get another interview, I’m not going to get my hopes up.
Would be sharing my experience tomorrow after the ISt interview at Sydney store….. 🙂
Hey Abbas,
Just wondering how your interview went? I have my first interview for the Perth store on Monday and I’m wondering if the Australian interview process is any different to the different country experiences that I have read under the comments of this blog.
Thanks 🙂
I give up on Apple. I have applied more than 20 times in different countries and different roles and never got a single reply, ever. I am great with people and have experience working as an Apple field engineer for large corporate companies across the UK. I work directly with the end user to solve their problem. I am a man of vision and have a can do attitude towards work and tackle problems methodically and quickly. I would say that all my clients preferred to have me attend their site to solve their Apple problems. My skills and experience with Apple span 10 years and I can repair and service the entire Apple range including iPods, iPhones, portables, desktops, monitors, peripherals, xraid, OSX Server, Networking, Open Directory, Active directory, Logic Pro (which I can teach to professional level), Creative suite, Ableton Live, Propellerheads Reason, Traktor Pro, Microsoft Office. I can repair logic boards to component level and design websites and have recorded and produced an entire album using only a G5 with plug ins, in short I am THE Apple guy!
What makes this somewhat irritating is that the last time I visited an Apple store I was ignored the entire time I was in there and I had £2000 in cash in my pocket to buy a new Mac and not one sales assistant (and there were many) ever approached me. I ended up leaving and buying from John Lewis who offer 2 years warranty as standard anyway, so much better. Plus every Apple store I have been in in my city has had awful staff! It seems the criteria is a blank empty expression with wacky haircuts and tattoos and zero knowledge about the products they are selling, devoid of any customer skills who never smile and yet with all my knowledge and skills in both customer service and sales I have never had a look in for any position I ever applied for. I could sell an iMac to a blind person (no insult intended)! And yet Apple have failed to see my growing potential as a key asset to Apple corporation in any of my job applications.
I now have since moved on (as I suggest you do) and am a proud owner of my own business, an Apple service company that charges half of what Apple charge and I offer twice the quality of service in twice the speed and I use genuine Apple parts with a smile and genuine customer service. I also make a point of buying and selling used Apple computers to upgrade and sell on at very reasonable costs. Which Apple probably hate as I am preventing customers from buying new equipment from their stores. I think their products are totally over priced so I offer an alternative to this and am recycling machines that are often 7 years old that look like new and perform just as well as new machines at a fraction of the cost of a new one. I don’t know why I bother, for ten years I have been telling people of the wonders of Apple. When everyone was dissing Apple in favour of the PC and I have been selling their products in one way or another for all this time and not only do I not get thanks for this but not even an offer of a job as a cashier! Well done Apple, good job! Besides, an ex colleague of mine told me after he left Apple saying ‘they have unrealistic and highly stressful targets with little care for you as an employee or a person’. (He now owns his own business as well). Yours sincerely, Tristan.
I applied and got the e-mail saying to come in for the recruiting seminar. It was a little nerve wracking but you know I didn’t mind. After we did the self introduction, we were shown the video of the company. Following that, we broke off into groups of 6 and were asked questions. I was expecting to do a scenario thing, but that was it.
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!)
Yeaaaupp… tommorow goes down with my first interview. I suppose it’s a group setting?
So I went to my first seminar about two weeks ago. It didn’t go so well… I got an email that said that they were looking into other applicants. I Replied to the email and basically told them all the reasons I thought I would make a great fit in the company and how passionate and determined I was to get a job with Apple. A girl from the hiring team called me and offered me a second interview. I was stoked to say the least. The second interview went wonderful! They said they loved me and were really excited to tell me I would be going to a third interview. I visited the store that I would be working in if I were to get the job the day before my third interview and a few of the folks that interviewed me previously approached me to say hi and see how I was doing. I was able to meet the lead for inventory specialist. He was awesome. I think he was hoping I had a little more experience with inventory but he was very encouraging. They were all excited for me and my third interview.
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.
I have my first interview tomorrow….. I’m really excited for it but I know ill be a bit nervous when it comes down to it you just gotta think F it and have fun you have nothing to loose only to gain and experience!! ……I feel very confident thank you all for your help and suggestions, I juts know its going to help….
Thank you
And good luck to anyone else out there
It was a good experience learning more about the Apple Store. However, please do not get your hopes up to high.. There will be about 100+ people in one day passing through their personality scheme.
Just a few days ago, I received a congrats email about being an interview event.. I thought it was really cool…I love Apple products and the store, so working there PT would be extra special for me…
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!
I just completed the whole interview event with Apple Store. I have strong credentials and desired to join the team and have fun with Apple. However, after the interview, I got an email of denial in buttery words.
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!
This has been very helpful. You get the sense that Apple is interested in Type-A personalities that know how to connect and relate to the customer. When you put the whole formula together, they care more about the customer service because the product speaks for itself. I have an invite to the hiring event on Sunday and I am scared shitless. I’ve interviewed at companies like CBS and ABC. I am more terrified for this hiring event then the other two combined. My friend who works for Apple told me to be myself (outgoing, approachable, and competent) and I’ll get the job. Reading this blog is interesting because everyone seems to come out confident and comfortable, when more than half of the posts on this blog demonstrate how none of that matter. I’ll keep everyone posted on this blog where I am at, but the only thing it seems I have to do (this is coming from someone with minimal Apple knowledge and the want to help people love these products) is be creative and helpful.
You’re all way to focused on working for Apple rather than building a career and future for yourself. I can’t sync my iPhone with MS Outlook on my laptop (contacts, calendar) without connecting a cord and logging into iTunes. Seems pretty lame. Apple has good products but certainly doesn’t deserve the worship they receive. Steve Jobs actually claimed in court papers he was sterile to try and get out of being a Father to his first daughter…and he agreed to let a guy interview him 40 times in the last year to write a book about him so his kids would know who he was and what he did. They got lucky and had a nice product run but nothing lasts forever.
Wow Jack. What a negative guy you are. Working for apple would be a career builder, because once in, very few leave on their own accord. That you bought an iPhone shows you liked the product, and that the worst thing you have to do is plug in your phone to sync seems rather minor. Yes, Steve was flawed as a person, but who isn’t. You’ve proved that just by your comment. Got to wonder what you were doing looking through this site as you obviously weren’t going to try for a job there.
I have an interview tomorrow. After reading all this, I’m less confident but I’m still going to try no matter what. I remember I went for an interview for Dillard’s and almost didn’t make it to the interview, because I thought I would never get the job. I did anyways and lo and behold I was hired and fast too. Don’t give up. You never know, you could be just what they’re looking for.
Hi,
I have my first group interview on sunday. I will post my Apple adventure after. Wish me luck!
I’ve got my first Apple Hiring Event in Manchester, England tomorrow, the email doesn’t even tell me what to wear or what it’s about, very lil information really for a job interview if you ask me. I went for an interview with Best Buy yesterday and it was really quite fun, rounded into a group of 9 we had to discuss the priorities of a list of 13 events and focused o customer service, following this was an interview which I think I did very well in 🙂
Honestly, I just saw this now, and this was after my second interview and you were DEAD ON with the process, I am in Toronto Ontario & I just read my rejection letter.
I agree with you when you said you thought you did well, but they did not.
I felt like I gave a good interview, and I was real and honest but i guess sometimes honesty just isnt good enough.
I wish I read this blog before my second interview, but I am glad that this blog is up and I hope for all future canidates to find this before they go to their interview!
You are a saint for posting this, for I know personally myself, I really wanted this job because it looked fun and exciting not only for its benefits but I guess I gotta move on.
Thank you. Your a good person for sharing your experience.
I am a college student and together with 3 other friends we applied for various retail position in our local store(s), there are four of them in my city. We all have different background and experiences and hope that it would be nice if we could work together. So I applied via their website, few weeks later we all got invitation to the hiring event at a high-end hotel conf. room. We registered in the same time slot as well. We told each other that we can’t let the apple staff know we are friends so 2 of us sat on the same table the other two on another table themselves. The hiring event was pretty much what other posters described – room of 20ish people, group in each table. There were 5 Apple staff and some of them look really friendly and ONE particular lady was all dressed up and she told us she’s the HR manager. Here was a brief description of the event –
First, after the introduction of the staffs, the host paired u up with another member in your table. U (both u and your partner) have 5 minutes to ask for his/her info + why Apple + fun fact. 5 minutes for sure not gonna be enough for both of you, you have pretty much 2 mins to answer and 2 mins to give them your answer. Remember it was 5 minutes for both of you. Some poster said it is very important to choose who to sit with, it is somewhat true.. but in the end it won’t matter. I’ll explain later. Tips: be the one who ask the question first, quickly get the answer and quickly give the yours. After 5 minutes up, you are asked to introduce your partner. Try to be the first one to raise your hand but DON’T go crazy like highschool kids. When you introduce your partner, just speak calm, clear and you don’t have to impress them with fancy vocabs.
Then the host showed us a video. In the video we were shown some sales figures, # of stores in the World and how excited people were doing business with Apple. After the video, the host asked us a lot of question. He picked about 3 or 4 people who raised their hands to answer the question. Don’t worry, if you don’t get pick, wait for another question. Tips: Answer the question correctly, suck up Apple product won’t work. They are looking for people who is smart, polite and can make quick decision.
Next is group activity – you are presented a customer service scenario and your group needed to present the solution. You have roughly 5 minutes to figure it out. In the mean time those Apple staff worked around w/ iPad and evaluate each of you. Tips: I have no idea, but try to take part in the presentation, you don’t want ONE guy take all the spot light and make sure you listen to other members too. Once again, keep your speech short, and give other chances to shine too.
Then we watched another video and followed by another Q&A section. Just remember they are looking for answer that nail the point, nothing over the top. Saying Apple’s customer service is great doesn’t tell them anything. Saying Apple RESPECT their customers will do the job. Key word, look for the key word.
The final activity is FAQ section. Make sure you asked some intelligent question ie no “how much I get paid” or “how much discount I get”.
After that, we filled out a form of our info and availability and you are good to go.
I can tell you that.. you don’t need to prepare for this event. All you need is LUCK. That’s all.. if they like you, they will let u thru, doesn’t matter what your background, experience is.. Coz they don’t ask nor check. They don’t like people show off too much (ie over the top answer, suck up too much or waive your hand like a kid wants ice cream), they don’t like people too shy or not speak at all. So it is hard to choose the balance point. Remember that they have over 100 candidates to choose from to fill like 5 or 6 positions. All you need is LUCK.. that’s all. Of course, dress properly, smile a lot and show them you are good at interacting with people and hope that they like you. Other than that.. that’s nothing much you can do. Your performance during the event is somewhat necessary but not sufficient enough for them to put you to 2nd round.
After 2 days, all three of my friends and I got the rejected letter. We all did really well and our background and experience are clearly good enough for any retail position. One of us is an artist, experienced Mac user, the other works at best buy for many years as geek squad, another of my friend has tons of technical experiences including repairing laptop for Dell. I have the weakest resume out of all 4 but I still think I did pretty good.
At the end of the day, the Apple employees are some what cocky, coz they think they are the “1% out of a million people applied and got the job”. So, good luck everyone and just stay calm, be yourself and hope for the best. Apple is a great company to work for, but it is not the end of the world if you dun get the job.
I really appreciate you taking the time to post this insightful blog. I am due to attend the Hiring Event tomorrow afternoon. Needless to say, I am shitting myself but hopefully all will go well. I have been to these kinds of things before, usually doing rather well. That third interview sounds absolutely terrible. I really hope I dont have the same experience, but nonetheless, thank you very much!! x
My first and Second interviews went so well, but when the third came, it went terribly wrong from the start. i was too nervous to speak, stand or smile. when it came to my turn to speak about myself, my life journeys and why i wanted to work for apple, i froze and didnt say much at all, i cant actually remember what i said. but it was bad and im so embarassed and upset with myself for ruining the chance. i feel that the third interview was like the first one, but more on the spot and so subjective. i dont like how they did it, or how they emailed me when i knew i didnt get it. now the thing is, to make lemons. i dont know how i can get over it. its been two weeks and i am still so depressed. I got the same email. Damn.
i went for my second interview at the apple store today and although i would like to think it went well, i answered all their questions intelligently, i didn’t get to fill a form for background check. i know its only been a few hours but i am soooo anxious to find out if i succeeded or not. does any one know why i wasn’t asked for background check info at the end of my second interview?
Just got an invite to the first part. Didn’t realise there was going to be three parts. Probably won’t go now. It is, after all, only a job in a store.
True! It’s just a glorified mall job. During my interview, I noticed out of the 8 reps present, only about 2 had been there more than 2 years.
Went to a hiring event last week with 19 other people. Thought I did a great job at standing out. They said they would contact us within a week to let us know what the decision us. Based on the fact that everyone I’ve read stories from has gotten a response within two days for a second interview and I’ve been waiting five days to almost six days. Should I assume on Tuesday I’m getting the rejection letter???
Just like in Theo’s case I too went to the hiring event, about 5 people in my group, they told us that we will hear back by the end of the next week. Its already been 7 days and nothing?? Wonder what this could mean??
Went for first interview and was pretty nervous. Had three appointment times to pick from. Probably thirty applicants in my group, mostly young people – many students. I assume there were probably about 100 applicants total for the day for one store. Of my group, most stayed quiet. Some piped up often. All the Apple team members were cordial, I would not call them friendly (bad actors), but deadly serious about their recruiting mission. Not one of them smiled, one could describe all as forced smiles. One looked like she could scare off wild animals in the woods. From all, I sensed a superiority vibe. I participated and felt pretty good about my “performance” as I am not a naturally outgoing person. But at the end of the day, it’s not whether you’re a born sales person, how many Apple products you have, how long you’ve been using their products, or how much you know. All of those qualities you would think would give you an edge… Not! Some knowledge of Apple products would be helpful, but not necessary. Being a macfanboy/girl won’t help – if you are one, keep it to yourself. If they didn’t make a connection with you on first contact, it’s downhill the rest of the way. If you’re the type who instantly makes friends, you’ll do very well. Yes, absolutely, it’s biased and subjective. They want natural exuberance and a helpful attitude. You show off those attributes in the following two exercises. 1) We are paired off with the person sitting next to us. You interview them, listen to their story, and then introduce them to the room, and he or she does the same for you. And so it goes around the table. Note: sitting next to the wrong person can make or break you, as each Apple team person scrutinizes each of us with zeal and a clip board. 2) We are separated into groups and enact a customer-specialist role play. Again, everybody is monitored closely for participation and performance. After we said our good-bye’s, I left feeling excited and confident. But it was not to be… “SUBJ: Thank you for your interest in Apple Retail: Thank you for your interest in opportunities with Apple Retail. As you can imagine we received a large number of qualified applicants for this role. At this time we have chosen to move forward with other candidates that meet the needs of today. I want to personally thank you for your interest and for investing the time to speak with us about this opportunity. Thank you again for your time and interest in Apple. We wish you the best in your future endeavors. Sincerely, Apple” A rather terse form-email slamming the door in your (my) face. 🙁 Made me feel like two cents waiting for change… or switching to the darkside. My suggestions to you, if you get this far in the Apple interview postings of which there are too many… DON’T read anymore of these sites looking for answers. I think they actually could be harmful. Just be yourself, be warm and friendly, be quick to smile, don’t look desperate, and don’t show off. You don’t get a second chance in this process; However I have read how one fellow tried three different times and finally got the job. Practice makes perfect? You can try again, but I won’t. My mistake? I tried TOO hard. As much as I love Apple, I can’t pretend to be warm and smiley. Heck, Steve Jobs wouldn’t get the job either. Apple products are cool tools, but I am not, and I won’t stop promoting Apple on the outside. Good luck in your own Apple effort.
This is the best advice I have read here so far. I hope my FaceTime interview goes well… :-/
So I’m still going through my hiring process.
First interview: It was a recruitment event. There were about 30 people there, we sat down and filled out a form with questions as to how old you are, what products you have etc etc. Than we got a lesson about apple from the marketing recruiter there. After that she put on a video and started asking the whole room questions about apple and what they saw in the video etc etc. After this we were split up into groups and we had to come up with a solution for the proposed problem. Ours was ” This guy needs a family computer and he’s an investment banker with antique cars and tennis as his hobbies, what computer should he buy and tell us why” so we had to come up with three questions to get the feel or what the guy wanted and what we thought he would like. We were doing that and the apple staff was walking around to see how and who was participating…after that was over we had to present it as a group, in which we did. So after this was over there was a closing speech and what we should expect in the coming days, and that was that. — I recommend that you be very outgoing, but not to outgoing that makes you look very creepy. Have a good sense of humor and try to answer as many questions as you can or at least raise your hand to make it look like you’re participating. In the group part I suggest that you know some stuff about apple, make sure you try and take control of the group BUT give everyone else a voice and listen to their feed back. I actually sat and spoke to the market recruiter that was there, she was very nice, so we talked for a bit and we laughed, than we all had to leave. Before leaving I shook a few of the apple employees hands and they all knew me by name, so that was definitely a very good sign.
Two days after the first interview I received the call for an interview with the assistant store leader and the store owner.
Second interview: I walked in and spoke to one of the specialists telling him that I was there for an interview. I was 20 minutes early so I told him no rush, that I’m early. I than walked around and spoke to two more employees about how they like their job, etc…after that the manager came over and took me to the back room, and the interview started. I don’t remember the exactl questions asked but I know they asked questions like “Why do you want to work at apple”, “Which of these jobs is your least favorite and why” — in this one make sure you DO NOT bad mouth previous jobs, I said “Honestly none, all of them have their ups and downs, but you just have to work through them and stay focused” …after their questions were done I was asked if I had any questions and I asked “Why do you like working here” and “What has changed about you since working at Apple — than I gave an example of what I meant” …I didn’t ask any retail questions like pay, hours, etc, because I don’t really care about that stuff, Apple pays good, and they have good benefits. After this was done the assistant leader left to go help someone and I just said my final thoughts to the store owner as to why I’m a good candidate and how I differ from everyone else, which worked like a charm, his face light up with what I said, it was amazing. He thanked me and walked me out and said I’d be getting either a call or an email about the last and final interview.
I just got the call today for the final interview with the marketing leader of the four stores about a week after my second interview. I was shocked that they called me back since the owner said that the latest I’d get a call would be monday and today is wednesday. So this upcoming monday is my final interview with the marketing leader for all four stores, and I’m hoping this will go good so I can get a job offer. The lady on the phone told me that the final interview is for a part time specialist, so at least I know what its for. Has anyone gone through the final interview? How did it go?
I hope this helped some of you, oh and I forgot to add, for the recruitment event you have to dress “business casual” in which I wore a blue button up, dress pants, and nice dress shoes, not shiny, but not dull. For the second interview I was told to dress casual, so I wore jeans and a white teeshirt designer teeshirt.
Thanks for reading, and wish me luck on my final interview. I hope it goes well! 😀
Let us know how it goes!
Andrew, how did the final interview go? Any additional insight you can provide?
I have a 3rd interview tomorrow.
Thanks in advance for any additional info. you can or might be willing to share.
hey andrew,
I just wanted to know how your 3rd interview went.
Just had my second interview, which I thought went well.
After it was over, I was told I would be receiving a call/email
from them to see if I would move on.
Thanks
My husband had his first and second interview today. After the second interview they told the last 3 people (including my husband) that they will email them hope this isn’t bad news. There was nothing mentioned about a third interview. He feels it went really well. Any pointers will there be a third interview or was the second interview the last one? This is for a new store that will be opening up here were I live.
I read your story, And I just go hired !!! I think you went to hard on it …always smiling..telling who your worst boss was., that staples doesn’t care and all that stuff..You went too hard on it.. Apple employees all have this ” i don’t give a fck” personality..some of them have tones of tattoos, piercings..they’re real down to earth..you seems all prepared..but hey ! thanks 🙂
I wish apple would take notes of your profile… like seriously, if you got to the stage 3 interview, the next time you apply and there is an opening they should just let you in or not… I’ve been invited to 4 hiring seminars… I’ve tried every stupid suggestion from peeps, and none of them have gotten me a second interview. First time I didn’t have much energy or wisdom of products. Second, I smiled, answered all the questions, even gave the answers that were liked by the staff the first interview, I took control of my group without being too controlling, let others have feedback. The third interview, I went for funny man, that wasn’t overly funny, but showed that I had a lot of energy, participated 75% of the time. And the fourth, I balanced all four together… now you would think after the fourth time, Id give up… and well I have. They are just going to keep getting me back in there, to send a “we had many great people… blah blah blah, apply again” how about you’ve seen me four times, either just outright give me a one on one interview by store managers to be hired, or send me an email telling me to stop wasting my time. Cause i’ve been 4 different people with 4 different staffs. The 2nd and 3rd interview, peeps had no energy and there was no apple ass kissers and I still didn’t get a second interview… I’m not saying I want a job. But I’ve wasted a lot of gas money, and parking passes for parking at the events, and I’d just perfer if they were going to give me a shot, they look at what they want beforehand, cause I was shocked peeps from my 2nd and 3rd attempt got call backs cause the room was a joke.
Now I love apple, and the point above makes me seem like I hate them. I don’t hate them, I just wish their hiring process was better, or if they could stop wasting my time sending me emails to events that no matter what I do I’m not going to get hired for…
You’re right on target with this. I just finished my 3rd interview and they do ask the same questions as they did in the 2nd interview. Thankfully they told me at the end of this interview that I will be moving on to meet with another manager that will make #4 hahaha. This process is quite extensive ;D hahaha.
Did you get the job? This just happened to me
HEY..anyonce from Canada *montreal*..is it the same..?
Thank you for posting this blog. I have #2 tomorrow. It seems that you did a lot a great things in the process and would be an asset to Apple or another company. I am sure you will do well. You are articulate and broad thinking. The information/story you posted will aid in my process and I hope to do quite well. It seems in everything they say and do, at the stores and during the interview event, that they are all about the customer experience. Caught that from the very begining, way before I walked in the door. As this is exactly the same goal-set I have, and have lived in the workplace over the years, this should be a good fit.
You question at the end that you are not sure why you did not get accepted. Yet just before, in your story, you mention that you fealt you did a couple of wrong things. Perhaps it was those. Or perhaps, like at my event, there are hundreds of candidates, many who are very qualified. It may have just been the wrong day for you. Or perhaps not as right a fit as you saw it. Or some real kick**s candidates before you gobbled up all the positions. Who knows. But like I stated earlier, you seem like a cool level-headed person and I expect you will do well in life.
Best of luck to you and your future and thanks again for sharing!
-Rich
Thank you my friend!
This is truly an informative insight into the recruitment procedure.
Hi, just wanted to thank you for writing this. Its very helpful and very well written. Im having my first interview “event thing” soon and I was wondering for a girl does anyone know what to wear? I have no idea ! thanks alot
In case anyone reading this is from the UK, Apple interviews are not the same.
I recently went to a hiring event, and we had to sit through an hour of footage about how ammmmmaaazzzziiiing working in Apple retail is.
Then we had to come up with an idea about what we’d put in a store of we organised it.
Considering it was run by a team of Creatives, they may well have wanted us to do their job for them :L
Hey, I’m from the UK and I have the hiring event tomorrow morning… just wondering if you could provide any more insight as to what I can expect? If you wouldn’t mind helping me out just drop me an email.
Many Thanks!
Hey Jess
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
Thanks for taking the time to do this it was really helpful!
This was a wonderful and informative read. I just received the email for the first interview and this helped so much. Thanks!
Wow! This is very insightful. The Career Seminar isn’t until the Sunday after next, but I will definitely use this to my advantage. Thanks!
Hey i applied for both retail and genius and on the career site i had those positions listed under “my jobs”. But 3 days later i check and they weren’t there any more. Is this an indicator that it was automatically rejected or what does it mean?
Very good tips! Just wondering, what did you wear to the first interview?
be yourself, casual wear.
BUSINESS casual wear, not casual wear. A guy showed up at my hiring event in poor-fitting faded khaki colored pants, sneakers that must have seen 100 miles on them easily, and a black faded t-shirt. He had a super scraggly beard. He was NOT properly dressed. Neither was the guy in a full suit and shiny dress shoes. You wear a button down or a polo as a guy, with slacks and business casual shoes (not suit shoes, not sneakers). A jacket is fine if it is NOT a suit jacket and is not buttoned, NO TIES, no jeans, no sneakers.
There were four women at my hiring event (including me). I wore slacks and a nice blouse with low heels. One of the creative candidates wore nice purple capris with a fitted purple striped button down, tucked in, a belt and flats. One of the others (who I’m not sure what position she was there for, she never spoke or if she did it was only when directly questioned) wore a floral dress that hit right above the knee and a navy blazer with low square heels. The last one wore black slacks, and a pink, white, and black blouse with black heels, also low and square.
Please note: the interviewers may not be in any sort of business attire, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be. All of the Apple folk were in jeans, t-shirts, flip flops, Birkenstocks… that’s them. They said “business casual” dress, you go “business casual.”
And remember: If things go well, you may need up to three outfits.
I’m not sure how you guys’ interview process went but mine went like:
Applied on a Friday night.
Got a call on Sunday and my first phone interview.
Monday had my first in-person interview that lasted about 10 minutes. I was asked to have a background check done the following day.
Wednesday I had my second in-person (third overall) interview and it last 10 minutes.
And then that Friday I had my FORTH interview with the District manager and 2 other applicants.
I am still waiting to hear their response, but I think they are very thorough in who they hire.
Thank you so much fo your long blog, that was very helpful. I am so sorry that they didn’t hire you but i think the third interview was really too objective. Anyway, I guess everyone had similar situation like you, no matter in career or in love. Cheer up, at least you became the great advicer to us and you gained a very good experience.
Thanks for this blog !
I won t go to the hiring event!
It s not for me !!
I just got back from my 3rd interview while noticing this blog. I’m told I should hear from them within following 4 days for their decision. My store is in South Florida. What I wanted to say, is that this blog is perfect and very well written. If anyone is just starting this process, this explains exactly what happens, and should be very helpful.
Hey Thomas, I just has my third interview today and they told me they would call or send me an email in a few days and I guess let me know the outcome. Did they do the same with you? What ended up happening with you? Thanks
Thanks for the insights, I know that third interview feeling. I went through the first part of the interviewing process however haven’t received a phone call for the second even though I made sure I stood out among others. Of course I’m only 18 years old without a high school diploma until May. However I will get this job, it’s a goal I’ve set and I’m going to do whatever it takes to get it.
I applied. Resume, cover letter, and all just an hour ago. But now I’m rather frightened. I haven’t even gotten a call back and I’m already nervous. Are all Apple interviews like this? do different stores and districts have different hiring regulations?
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t get the job. However, I do have a suggestion. If you ever get asked the “who was the worst boss you ever had” question again, you should always say none and instead say something good about one. This question is designed to see if you would bad-mouth an ex-boss. That might really be the reason you didn’t get hired.
Hope this helps!
that’s very true You’re not there to judge people whether the manager is cool or not you’re there to bring money into the company follow rules keep customers satisfied and work in a team
No offense, but you sound like a know it all. Apple doesn’t care if your are educated, or if you fake smile all the time and raise your hand to all the questions. They wan’t real people, with a real personality. Personality cannot be taught and you just didn’t have it. I work at Apple in NY and the only things on my resume was my High School Diploma and my 3 years as a Shift Manager at Starbucks and I got hired.
Sophie
You’ve given me a tonne of confidence to apply now! Thanks a lot.
Same! The focus on actual personality versus the mechanical business interview attitude is what’s important.
I hear you, this same thing happend to me here at Houston this few weeks applying for Apple Genius I did my research and was completely confident that this was going to turn out right. I stand out on the first interview process with 30 people I was extrovert on the group thing we did out of 5 people from my group only I was knowledgeable on what I was saying or doing at an Apple interview. The apple guy who conducted the group ask right away “What kind of animal would you be and why?” Every one answer wrong, everyone in my group wanted to be a bird with no clue on why they took that answer, on the other hand I stand out and let him know that I would be a Beaver no one had a clue on why I choose that. I explained Beavers are hard working and do there job in teams. You could see the guy from apple and the people in the group amazed to the answer I gave flat out and why I did. That took me to the 2nd interview process 4 applicants which 3 where chubby and not well dress. I take in consideration appearance a lot I went well business casual looked sharped even took the liberty on having a hair cut without needing one. I came in to the room with the other applicant and I was even courteous to let my opponent answer the question they asked first ” Which was the time you did something right in a company and people acknowledge it” This guy comes up with some weirdo story about how he kept toilets in a restaurant clean, I mean who would say something like that in a interview, while this guy was telling his story I was actively listening to him and looking at the guys from apple since I know they were evaluating me for my behavior by the time it was my turn I had already come up with a good story from my previous employer I asked them if it was ok if I had a story from there competition which was Dell, I told him how I was recognized for excellence in customer experience and technical skills and how I manage to over come expectations from my employer. They glance at my answer and reply with smiles you could see that I made good points and they felt what I said was right and exactly what they wanted to hear.
Then we moved to another group of apple guys that were more technical they had a few questions then again I granted my opponent the 1st answer he reply with his background in restaurants and tried to fix his answers as he stated them.
I answered accordingly although the question was not technical I thrive to move my answer technical work related and background experience. Once again you could see from the apple guys smiles and felt that the answer they were looking for.
They didn’t ask further on 2nd interview was rather quick the recruiter advised us that we would here from here later next week I waited patiently and received the same generic letter and with a survey to respond to. Which I didn’t the fact that this whole time they made me loose my time and gas obviously you never know what to expect from these people.
Sophie you had it right, I recently had such n interview and it was more or less dead on as described. They really don’t seem to care about your knowledge or applefanboy status. This guy Robert seemed to sound like a know it all big shot who got shot down after the interview and then slams the company for not hiring them. Apple or any company doesn’t owe applicants anything if they didn’t get the job. You may personally have the view that you deserved the job and probably rightfully so, but it’s their decision bottom line.
I applied and had a second interview but it didn’t work out, I am still grateful for the chance to work with a different company with a different approach to their hiring process and seems to be truly people oriented.
This was a very helpful read. I have my second interview tomorrow. I will be following your advice. Thank you!
This is a great blog. Simply hearing one’s experiences can help out tremendously. Thank you for sharing. I have my third interview tomorrow.
Hey Kato,
How did your final interview go and what did it consist of?
I have my final interview on Tuesday and I’ve been hearing mixed experiences with people who’ve been to the final interview. Any insight would help and I’ll greatly appreciate it!
Thank you!
If you are in a US Cellular area – you should apply for a job within the Dynamic Organization. I am not sure where you are located but US Cellular has a culture that is so amazing and will knock your socks off above and beyond that of Apple. US Cellular is actually hiring a HUGE amount of people right now and after 6 mos with the company, regardless of what role you enter in through, you can self nominate for leadership or any other position within the enterprise! 🙂
Had my first interview monday, Got my second interview on thursday thanks for taking the time to write your blog it was very helpful
I just had a stressful experience at my local Apple Store over the weekend. I’ve been on plenty of interview processes that resembled this one. The one that comes to mind was one with Amazon.com. Felt great talking with the folks I’d actually be working with. The last set of interviews with random executives with whom I’d never interact with on the job went miserably. It was definitely a kick to the gut.
I am generally impressed by Apple Store employees. You sound like you would’ve been a great asset to them. I hope you’ve since found other fulfilling positions.
I read all 5 pages and was eager to read more! Thanks for your insight and feelings because we care. 🙂
I stumbled upon this blog, while searching about the Apple interview process. I have my first interview tomorrow, so I’m trying to do as much research as possible about the process. Your five page insight helped me out a lot, calming my nerves, and preparing me for tomorrow.
Thank you.
This whole thing is dead on. I was just hired yesterday after the 3rd interview. Tough luck man.
I have been invited at a seminar tommorrow but i am pretty nervous, my last interview with Verizon didnt go so well. But with God on my side, who dare be against me. Wish me Luck and this was very helpful.
Thanks first interview tomorrow we shall see…