waiting for my apple interview!

[secretanchitman]

at the michigan ave store in downtown chicago, waiting for my interview in about an hour (didnt realize how fast i had walked). hopefully i get it - i definitely want to show/tell people the RIGHT info, not this half-assed info im hearing. "the 2.4ghz c2d in the 13" mbp is just as fast as the 15" 2.4ghz i5". "yeah theres no difference between the 320m and the 330m. they just made it one model lower thats all."'

wow, i just helped this couple buy the 13" mbp instead of the 17". stupid specialist talked them into getting a loaded 17" mbp because the 13" was "too small" for excel spreadsheets.

wish me luck! will report back after im done.

PS: the 15" mbp with core i7 and anti-glare screen is absolutely awesome.

 

[PCTC2]

Apple doesn't exactly draw in the smartest people to work at the stores. And they're SALESPEOPLE, not computer technicians, so they work to sell the product. If they sell more, the better.

There are some smart Mac users, but a lot of them work for companies with Apple GSX support contracts so there's a lot of people that don't know better when buying. Especially since both the 320M and 330M have 48 SPs. "Oh, it's a custom graphics processor for Apple what?"

Anyways, good luck. It's kinda cool working for Apple, especially if you get to know anyone with ties to Corporate. They end up pulling the best of the best from retail to work at Corporate (a lot of people in California though).

I have the 17" MacBook Pro with Core i5 and 8GB of RAM and a 27" iMac Core i5 with 8GB of RAM. They're fun. Though I do want an iPad just for fun.

 

[Nothinman]

i definitely want to show/tell people the RIGHT info, not this half-assed info im hearing.

So you want to cost Apple money? =)

 

[TheStu]

So you want to cost Apple money? =)

Ba-zinga?

 

[rdp6]

wow, i just helped this couple buy the 13" mbp instead of the 17". stupid specialist talked them into getting a loaded 17" mbp because the 13" was "too small" for excel spreadsheets.

wish me luck! will report back after im done.

There is no doubt that there is no substitute for more screen real estate. If the excel work was exclusively done at a disk then definitely an external monitor would be appropriate. But if it is excel on the road a lot then a larger display is indispensable. If their vision is good than a high-res 15" may be appropriate. If not then a 17" is the way to go.

I'm certain that Apple has a code of ethics for employees. You are to be commended for helping a customer make a decision they won't regret. But don't forget that you will be (hopefully) hired to make the company more profitable.

Hope your interview went well for both you and the company.

 

[LtPage1]

I worked retail at an Apple store several times over the last few years, for a total of more than a year. It was constantly drilled into us that our job was to sell the right computer for the customer. Never once was I, or did I overhear it happening to anyone else, encouraged to oversell. Exactly the opposite. No commission, and no one ever paid any attention to how much I was selling. If the customer was happy, I had done my job.

Just to set a few of you in here straight.

 

[secretanchitman]

thanks all! it went well. i hope i get it!

rdp6 - it was just sad to see that employee push the 17" mbp when all the couple wanted to do is excel. "its not fast enough and you wont be able to see much." ill give him that you wont see much, but not being fast enough? i draw the line there.

nothinman/the-stu - lolol

ltpage1 - thanks for that insight. i definitely can see it with a quite a number of the employees there.

 

[Kmax82]

Well, if they were truly hardcore spreadsheet users, then they should be considering all the power they can get, because they'll need to use Windows for any macro support.

Heh.. all kidding aside, I agree with rdp6. If they were on the go a lot, then they might need the 17" display. And I'm sorry, but the Core i5 is a much better processor than the Core2Duo.

 

[PCTC2]

I worked retail at an Apple store several times over the last few years, for a total of more than a year. It was constantly drilled into us that our job was to sell the right computer for the customer. Never once was I, or did I overhear it happening to anyone else, encouraged to oversell. Exactly the opposite. No commission, and no one ever paid any attention to how much I was selling. If the customer was happy, I had done my job.

Just to set a few of you in here straight.

I'm not saying anything about Apple. I've just known a lot of people that have worked in the Apple retail store. They've been hit and miss with it. Some have been great computer sales and computer tech people, and others have been idiots, even some of the "Geniuses". It's just part of the spectrum.

There was a guy down at the San Diego Fashion Valley Apple Store that used to replace the logic board, hard drive, AND RAM for all serious problems. He never not fixed a customers computers, but I'm sure he cost Apple a pretty penny. And he worked there for a while.

 

[secretanchitman]

they just emailed me about doing a background check with them...i guess im inching closer to it? or maybe this is all standard procedure?

 

[AnyMal]

What do they pay newhires? How long would you have to wait for benefits to kick in? Are schedules flexible?

 

[secretanchitman]

What do they pay newhires? How long would you have to wait for benefits to kick in? Are schedules flexible?

they had me fill out my availability when i went for the second interview. the manager told me that they are pretty flexible with hours. i didnt ask about the benefits personally, but i read online that you get a one time per year discount of 25% off and three 15-17% discounts for "friends and family". i have no idea what the pay new hires, but i would imagine its a little bit more than minimum wage.

 

[AnyMal]

they had me fill out my availability when i went for the second interview. the manager told me that they are pretty flexible with hours. i didnt ask about the benefits personally, but i read online that you get a one time per year discount of 25% off and three 15-17% discounts for "friends and family". i have no idea what the pay new hires, but i would imagine its a little bit more than minimum wage.

By "benefits" I meant health insurance etc.. lulz! A discount is nice too, don't get me wrong.

 

[SKORPI0]

So did Apple accepted you for a job offer? :sneaky:

 

[gorcorps]

By "benefits" I meant health insurance etc.. lulz! A discount is nice too, don't get me wrong.

Can't think of any retail jobs that give the part time sales staff health insurance...

 

[Kadarin]

So did Apple accepted you for a job offer? :sneaky:

 

[secretanchitman]

lol they called and emailed me today for a third interview this saturday with the team leader. this is what either makes it or breaks it for me...heres to hoping i get it!

 

[pcgeek11]

It's hard to understand why you are so hyped about a job that might pay a little bit more than minimum wage and you have no idea what the benefits will be.

???????????

 

[secretanchitman]

It's hard to understand why you are so hyped about a job that might pay a little bit more than minimum wage and you have no idea what the benefits will be.

???????????

im excited because i get to work for a company that i admire a lot. its a job and it will help me make a little bit extra cash. i didnt ask them about the benefits because i dont want to seem like that is all i am there for. i already know what the benefits are of working as part-time and full-time, because a friend of mine works at the apple store, and has told me all about it.

 

[Kadarin]

lol they called and emailed me today for a third interview this saturday with the team leader. this is what either makes it or breaks it for me...heres to hoping i get it!

Good luck!

 

[accguy9009]

secretanchitman, I hope you get the position. I think Apple would benefit greatly having you as a team member. Good luck with your interview. Remember to tell the team leader how much you love mobileme, it is a very important metric to Apple.

 

[accguy9009]

Can't think of any retail jobs that give the part time sales staff health insurance...

Starbucks??

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_47/b3909098.htm

 

[accguy9009]

duplicate post

 

[secretanchitman]

secretanchitman, I hope you get the position. I think Apple would benefit greatly having you as a team member. Good luck with your interview. Remember to tell the team leader how much you love mobileme, it is a very important metric to Apple.

thank you! will keep that in mind. i just got to the apple store and unsurprisingly, its packed, even though the store just opened like 30 minutes ago. now i have to kill an hour before my interview at 11:30am

 

[ViRGE]

So how did it go?