Apple Interview Questions & Reviews in Boston, MA Area
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Updated Apr 7, 2012 – Interview questions and reviews posted anonymously by interview candidates.
Ratings are reflective of location and job title.
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Difficulty Rating [?] Based on 10 ratings 
“Average” Interview
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Interview Experience [?] Based on 10 ratings
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Mac Specialist (Apple Store) at Apple
Posted Apr 7, 2012
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2.0
Easy Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Nov 2010 in Boston, MA (took a day)
Large group interview of about 15 people. The interviewer asked generic interview questions and responses were voluntary. The focus of the questions was on how Apple is perceived and "what it means to you".
Interview Questions
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Group/Panel Interview.
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Helpful Interview?
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Specialist at Apple
Posted Nov 16, 2011
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Oct 2011 in Boston, MA (took 2 days)
I got an email saying that I was invited to their recruiting session, so I went. When I first got there, we had to fill out a questionaire about what positions we wanted and bunch of tech questions like, "what is the diff btw RAM and a hard drive?" or "what is spotlight?" or "What is part of iLife?" They were just basic questions that any mac user could probably answer. Then we were taken into this room where all the recruiters talked for a bit, about the company and everything. He also said that he was hiring a "personality," so we better be memorable if we wanted to come back. Like all the other posts, PARTICIPATE. It really helps, even if its just one word. It shows that you care. After that we were split up into group interviews with a current manager. An iPod touch was passed around and we had to answer all the questions on it to the group. That was basically it for the first day. They told us that we'd be notified if we made it to the next round. That afternoon I got an email asking for a background check and phone call asking me to go back the next day.
The interview was in the same place as the day before, except this time it was just the head recruiter and a manager, plus another guy and me. They asked more personal questions about us, and why we want to work for Apple, and everything. The last thing we had to do was pretend as if they were customers. They would "come in" and we would create the "Apple experience." I got an email later in the day saying they would continue with other applicants.
I mean, if you feel like you did well, you probably did. If you feel convinced that you fit what they're looking for, then you prob made it.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I got the interview through a Recruiter and the interview consisted of a Group/Panel Interview, a Personality Test and a Background Check.
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Mac Specialist (Apple Store) at Apple
Posted Feb 27, 2011
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Neutral Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Jan 2011 in Boston, MA (took 2 weeks)
FIrst they e-mail you to meet with them for a group interview with human resources staff. The group interview is very lax, as long as you describe your experiences with apple products and brag about their products you should be called to their 2nd round of interviews (which is what point I reached). In the beginning they tell you that getting a job at apple is as hard as getting into standford...this is true.
After I was called to the store to interview with the managers, and they asked me a series of questions (why apple etc) however I was upset that one of the managers was not making direct eye contact with me, and i could tell he was not taking me seriously cause i didnt meet their style of a person i think. overall not too too difficult, depends on your luck.
Interview Questions
Other Details
The interview consisted of a Group/Panel Interview.
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Specialist at Apple
Posted Oct 13, 2010 — 1 of 1 people found this helpful
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4.0
Difficult Interview
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Overall Negative Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Oct 2010 in Boston, MA (took a day)
Got invited to an hiring seminar for four stores (Chestnut, Cambridge, Burlington, Natick). This was my sixth first-phase interview if you include the four stores. With my experience I've learned that every store interview is slightly different and that every manager(s) are looking for specific answers so if you nailed a question for one manager the other manager probably wants a more specific answer.
For example during my first interview I've noted on how apple has designed their stores to be very inviting, employees opening the doors and that there are more than just one product to demo. The manager was very pleased with my answer but at another seminar the manager noted that everyone who answered overlooked that people come to the Apple store to just try the latest product which I thought was an obvious answer.
During the third and final task we were to split into four groups and talk about experiences we had by pulling out situations from a bowl I and almost everyone didn't fully understand that they want folks to act out these situations with each other. The next day I got the dreaded generic e-mail
" Thank you for your interest in working at the Apple Retail Store. 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 our current needs. I want to personally thank you for your interest and for investing the time to speak with us about this opportunity."
I must say after performing like a monkey and listening to Apple propaganda an being turned down again has made me jaded and no longer teeming with enthusiasm for job prospects with Apple Retail. Also this is a great entry position for college students like myself but it's a dead end job like all retail jobs.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Group/Panel Interview, a Presentation, a Skills Test and a Personality Test.
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Specialist at Apple
Posted Oct 1, 2010
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Neutral Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Oct 2010 in Cambridge, MA (took 2 months)
First there was a group interview. I'm not a very extroverted person, didn't have a funny story to tell, and I didn't answer any of the questions. But when we broke out into smaller groups I think I made an impression on one of the managers who was watching from afar. I wasn't sure I would get a call back for a second interview, but I did about a week later. I met with a manager from the Cambridge store to which I was applying. He was really nice, we chatted a bit about life, and got to the questions - Why do you want to work for Apple? When you previously worked in retail, did you ever have to deal with an unhappy customer? How did you deal with them? Tell me how you would sell one of our products. What programs are you familiar with? What makes iPhoto so special? Tell me how you would differ from other employees, how you would stand out in my store. After the interview, I asked him how he got started with Apple and what his experience was like. At the end, he gave me a sheet of paper with instructions on it and told me the next step before the next interview would be a video. That's right - a video. Using iMovie. Answering the question "Why would you be a great addition to the Apple team?" I had 36 hours to email it in. So I wrote a song. I played guitar and sang, and had two of my friends play percussion. It was actually a whole lot of fun. I got another call about a week and a half later from another manager at the Cambridge store who wanted to set me up with my (his words) "hopefully final interview". Hopefully? C'mon. I sang you guys an awesome song. Just hire me already! He had already filled positions for interviews that day, told me he would call me back the following day. I didn't hear from him again for about another week. By this time I already had other interviews lined up and I lost a lot of enthusiasm for this position. But I scheduled my final interview anyway - it wasn't for another week. I had already come this far, I might as well see if they offer me the position. Meanwhile, I received an email from an Apple recruiter to fill out the online form for a background check. Wasn't worried about that at all. I also received an email from a manager from a New Hampshire store inviting me to their hiring seminar. That was kind of annoying. Isn't there some kind of record that I'm already in the midst of that process in MA? Anyway, my final interview is this afternoon. I'm meeting with the marketing manager. We'll see how it goes.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview, a Group/Panel Interview and a Background Check.
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Helpful Interview?
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Retail at Apple
Posted Sep 1, 2010
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Jul 2010 in Boston, MA (took a day)
Apparently Apple has several rounds of interviews. At the beginning, before the store manager showed up, one of my fellow candidates mentioned that he'd heard Apple has a lower acceptance rate than Stanford. Eek! Pretty similar experience to what others have mentioned, overall. Didn't make it to the next round, but I was invited to another hiring seminar for another local store, which I'm actually about to go to.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I got the interview through an Employee Referral and the interview consisted of a Group/Panel Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Specialist at Apple
Posted Aug 7, 2010
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Received and Accepted Offer
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Interviewed Jan 2008 in Peabody, MA (took 2 weeks)
My interview consisted of two rounds, one with an assistant manager, a second with a store manager. They each asked a series of questions, some technical, some about my personality and problem-solving skills. They asked me to sell them a product to test my selling skills. I heard back within two weeks and was presented with an offer which I accepted.
Interview Questions
Negotiation Details
I was not able to negotiate
Other Details
The interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview and a Background Check.
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Creative (Apple Store) at Apple
Posted May 17, 2010 — 0 of 1 people found this helpful
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed May 2010 in Boston, MA (took a day)
This panel was composed of the hiring manager and another part time specialist. There were about 9 of us total in the group, and we watched a video about apple and then asked what we thought about it. Then we had to come up with a short skit apple related.
Interview Questions
Other Details
The interview consisted of a Group/Panel Interview, a Presentation and a Background Check.
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Mac Specialist (Apple Store) at Apple
Posted Sep 18, 2009 — 6 of 6 people found this helpful
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Received and Accepted Offer
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Interviewed Sep 2009 in Boston, MA (took 3 weeks)
My experience is not very different from many of the other retail job experiences that are noted on glassdoor.com. I applied online several months ago and randomly received an email inviting me to a recruiting seminar on a pre-determined date. The recruiting seminar included a total of 11 other attendees and 3 Apple Store employees (1 Manager, 1 Assistant Manager, and 1 Full-Time Specialist).
A Keynote presentation was shown with cuts of various Apple commercials focusing on different products throughout the years (including the infamous 1984 Super Bowl commercial). *Side note - the commercial they showed had the woman running with an iPod, which was digitally added to the original commericial several years ago, and when one of the candidates asked if that was an iPod the lady was wearing, the Store Manager actually said Apple had actually developed the iPod back in 1984 and were that "forward thinking"...
The commercials, products background, retail information (history, sales, goals, etc.) in the Keynote was obviously structured to facilitate discussion and give candidates an opportunity to show their personality. (The Specialist seemed to be taking note of the comments people were making cause he'd scribble something on the papers spread out in front of him which had the names they called out in the beginning to associate names with faces).
There was also a "surprise" activity which included working in groups of 3-4 with the task of walking through greeting a possible customer at an Apple Store and selling an apple product (iPod, iPhone, and Mac). While the group had 5-10 minutes to collaborate on a plan/strategy and to develop talking points for the products, only one person was allowed to present to the larger group, but the Manager did specifically ask which team member should be credited for the specific talking/selling points.
The very last activity included a 3-4 page questionnaire that included questions about availability, desired compensation, indicating which Apple Store positions you are interested in...but 90% of it was basic questions about Apple products. Here is a sample of some of the questions I remember:
- Name three features of _______ (iPhone, newest Mac OS, Pro Software - Final Cut, Logic, etc.)
- What is the difference between RAM and a Hard Drive?
- What Apple products do you own?
- What applications are included on iLife and iWork?
- What Apple products can you use to backup your system?
- What does an AirPort do?
- If a customer wanted to set up a home media center with Apple products, what are some products you'd advise them to use?
I personally don't think I did much to stand out in the presentation/discussion part of the group interview. I did make a few comments and asked a couple questions (What's your favorite customer experience at the Apple Store? What is it like to be an Apple employee outside of work? - they seemed to emphasize how important the customer was and how great it is to be an Apple employee) but I left thinking I didn't do enough to stand out. I did, however, feel really confident about the questionnaire and while the product knowledge doesn't preclude your candidacy for a Concierge position, it was acknowledged in my next interview (one-on-one with another Store Manager - about 1.5 weeks after the group interview) that my product knowledge on the questionnaire was impressive and appropriate for a Specialist position.
Hope this is helpful...best of luck!
Interview Questions
Negotiation Details
Offer was extended with no negotiation on compensation. The only point of negotiation that seemed open was part-time versus full-time status.
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview, a Group/Panel Interview, a Presentation and a Background Check.
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Helpful Interview?
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Mac Specialist (Apple Store) at Apple
Posted Mar 28, 2009
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1.0
Very Easy Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Received and Accepted Offer
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Interviewed Aug 2007 in Boston, MA (took a day)
I applied online and was contacted by their Hiring Manager. They invited me in for a group interview. The group interview was very low stress, but you could tell they were judging you not on your product knowledge, but on your people skills. After the review was complete, we were told to expect a phone call if we were chosen. About a week later, I received a phone call saying they would like to make me an offer, which was definitely above average for the market. I accepted the offer and still work there today!
Interview Questions
Negotiation Details
They wanted my availability to be greater than it was, so I offered to resign from an on-campus position to work more hours at Apple, they gave me a $2/hr raise and (unofficially) guaranteed me 35 hrs a week.
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Group/Panel Interview.
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