Hi everyone,
I just signed up here so I could add my info to the mix. I've been following this thread for a while now and most of the info seems pretty accurate. I'll just share my timeline first, since it sounds like the process hasn't been exactly the same for all of us.
I received an email from my university on February 6th, indicating that Apple was recruiting students for the at-home advisor position. I'm an online student, far away from campus, so normally I don't get to partake in campus recruiting. The fact that Apple was reaching beyond the campus, for a job that obviously requires no physical connection to a campus, was appealing to me.
Some time within the next day or two, I followed the link in the email and created a profile on the Apple jobs site. During that process I was asked for some basic information and I also uploaded a resume.
A few days after that initial application, I received an email with a link to a questionnaire that contained some basic computer questions and other info. I don't recall all of the specifics, but those have been discussed here anyway. My point is that this was my second point of contact with Apple and it came rather quickly.
On February 14th (last Thursday), I received another email from Apple, asking me to choose a time for an interview on the following Monday. I could select Facetime or Skype or, alternatively, arrange a phone interview. I chose Skype and provided them with my username. The website also told me to be on the lookout for an email with a link to an official application. I thought I had already filled out an official application, but I had not.
On Friday (2/15) I got the following email:
"Prior to the next step in your interview process, we would like you to complete our official Apple Application for Employment. This is separate from you creating an online profile and applying to the At-Home Advisor position, which you have already done.
To get started, visit Apple - Jobs at Apple and sign in using your Apple ID. Next, complete your employment application by clicking My Application. Some information will be populated from your profile for your convenience.
Thanks again for your interest in a career at Apple.
Regards,
Apple Worldwide Recruiting"
So that was last Friday, just over a week after I sent the initial application. I responded quickly and filled out the second application as directed.
My Skype interview was this Monday. My laptop with the built-in webcam crashed on Sunday night, of course, so I had to buy a webcam for my other computer, but otherwise the interview went off without any trouble. I've never gone to a job interview without wearing a suit before, but since I was at home I decided on a simple shirt and tie. The manager doing the interview asked me to take off the tie before we started.
Some of my questions were similar to the ones described here (RAM/ROM, email won't work, etc.) while most of them really just seemed like the guy was trying to get to know me. In the little role playing thing, my mind immediately went to the "customer's" personal situation rather than his computer, so I was concerned that I had screwed up. Before we even got to the computer, the scenario was over and we went back to the regular interview. For this reason I thought I had botched it, but many of the posts in this thread seem to suggest otherwise.
Earlier today I got the email from HireRight, asking for personal details and to authorize the background check. This may derail me, since I do have a misdemeanor impaired driving conviction on my record, but the application only asked about felonies, so I don't know. I know my former employers will speak highly of me and my personal references are solid.
I was told that training would begin in late May or early June, but this is because I'm a full-time student and they don't start training for us until the Spring term is over.
I just thought I'd add this to the discussion since my total timeline has been quite a bit shorter than a lot of people have mentioned. I also only had one interview.
Side notes, for what they're worth:
No Apple or Mac experience, but quite a lot of PC experience
No prior employment that would relate directly to this job, aside from ten years as a restaurant manager (customer service, problem solving, etc.)
No plans to travel during summer or winter break, which I think is a pretty big deal for them
So anyhow, yeah, that's where I stand. It sounds like the background check is the final hurdle. Should be okay, but as the Zen master said... we'll see.