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!