Difficult Interview – Overall Positive Experience – Yes, and I accepted – Thu, 13 Nov 2014
Interviewed Nov 2014 in Waco, TX(took 30 days)
To begin, I applied online for the AppleCare At Home Advisor position and was contacted 6 days later by an Apple recruiter. She was exceptionally kind and sent me a short questionnaire asking me to respond with my name, phone number, university, GPA, unofficial transcript, and current class schedule. Two or three hours after responding I was called by the same recruiter, and we briefly discussed and confirmed the information I had emailed to her. I got the sense that this brief 5 minute call was just to make sure I was a normal person who could answer a phone and answer questions easily. At the end of the call she told me that I would be getting an email shortly with information regarding the next step. The next day I received that email which contained a link to schedule an interview time and a link to attend a virtual event that prepares you for the job and the interview. I was not able to attend the virtual event before my interview, but I signed up and attended it 5 or 6 days after.
Prior to the interview, I looked up everything about the interview, reviews, benefits, and inside information on GlassDoor. This helped me going into the interview know what they were looking for.
Now, about the interview itself. I set up my desk, plugged my MacBook into ethernet, and made sure there wasn't ambient noise in the background of FaceTime. I suggest setting up a FaceTime interview to demonstrate your use and love for Apple products immediately. If you have Skype on you computer but FaceTime on your phone, just Skype them then. Use whatever you have on your computer. The email said to be ready ~15 minutes prior to the interview time. The interview FaceTime video called me right on time. Here is the layout of what we discussed:
1) The Basics:
Can you work these hours? Will you be able to start training at this time? Will you have this internet connection and ergonomic chair? Will you have a quiet atmosphere with a closed door? Do you know what this job is about?
2) Personal Questions:
HOW DO YOU MANAGE YOUR TIME WITH ALL YOUR ACTIVITIES (IMPORTANT)? What is a specific time you had a commitment conflict and how did you handle that? How do you react when people are angry with Apple's products and you? How do you deal with stress? What challenges do you foresee working from home?
3) Role-Play Scenarios / Technical Questions:
My computer is plugged in but won't turn on, what do I do? I dropped my iPad and the screen broke, and I am angry with Apple's product. Why is my iPhone battery dying so fast?
Don't feel pressured to answer right away - you can take a moment to think.
For the time-management questions, think of specific times you had to balance commitments and what you did ahead of time. They want to see that you are resourceful and hard-working in those situations.
For the role-play, just empathize with the customer (like everyone else on GlassDoor is saying) and try to communicate to them that you will try to help them and you are on their side.
For the technical questions, just try the best you can thinking of what you can do to help them. Simple things like "try pressing and holding the hold button on the top of your phone" or "turn of you location services and background refresh to save battery" help show that you have some knowledge of Apple's products. However, they don't really expect you to know that much.
My interviewer was a nice guy, probably 29 years-old, and he was very understanding and easy-going. He communicated well with me and was not harsh or rude whatsoever. Even though I felt as if I was sort of stumbling through the interview, I still got the job.
Just be yourself and even if you feel awkward, and it will be ok! They have met with plenty of awkward people, and you are probably critiquing yourself more than they are even critiquing you.
Interview Questions
When is a specific time that you had to balance commitments?
View Answers (1)
Other Details
The interview consisted of a Phone Interview, 1:1 Interview and a Background Check