Any help is incredibly appreciated. I've searched the forums for a while, and I have not found anything "concrete" regarding the topic of a Genius exam... 
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How to prepare for a Genius exam @ an Apple retail store?
- Thread starter steamed.hams
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I know next to nothing about Terminal, or Automator...I don't really know what the logic board does, nor am I familiar with different ways to troubleshoot from the boot screen. I've looked around glassdoor.com and tons of other sites that reflect what the genius exam is about, and rarely do I get the questions right...
I'd suggest taking some Apple training or finding another career that's more suitable to your talents.
Yeah, this. Sorry OP, but if you don't really understand what a logic board does (it's the brain of the computer, by the way, everything is connected to everything else through it) then I honestly doubt Apple would be very interested in wanting to hire you. No offense, it's just more the truth.
You can become the standard type of employee. If they think you can handle more technical knowledge, they'll provide you Genius training materials.
The reason you probably can't find a lot of information on the Genius exams is that they're probably covered under some sort of NDA. If knowledge of the exam particulars was readily available, people could just study for the test.
In any case, it doesn't sound like you're qualified anyways.
In any case, it doesn't sound like you're qualified anyways.
Well I've got a Masters in Chemistry, so I'm not a complete dumbass! I've been looking in my field for over 4 months, and I have had no luck.
Regarding Apple training, I've got a copy of Apple Training Series: Mac OS X Support Essentials v10.6: A Guide to Supporting and Troubleshooting Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard....but getting through 700 pages in a few days might be tricky...
Honestly getting throug a 700 page book is the least of your problems in terms of passing the exam and getting a job as a Genius.
I'm not even trying to be overly negative or condescending, it's just the reality. It'd be like if I wanted to be a research physical chemist and went into an interview having "read" McQuarrie cover to cover.
If you have seriously never done any sort of hardware or software troubleshooting before, you will not pass the exam.
If you have seriously never done any sort of hardware or software troubleshooting before, you will not pass the exam.
Well I've got 4 years of hardware/software tech support experience under my belt....unfortunately none of that experience is with Macs!
I sincerely hope you didn't think I was calling you dumb. I understand the job market is bad, but also consider this is nothing more than a computer retail job. Since you have 4 years of non-Mac experience, how about looking for a job in the PC world. I worked for a small business PC shop and it was the best time of my life (until the owner closed up shop).
belvdr - I didn't think that you were calling me dumb. I was just trying to state that I'm not some young kid who's trying to snatch a Genius job to impress his friends.
Not really an option for me, because my experience was with a pretty unique set of lab equipment. Although it had a Windows core, it's pretty specialized, and my experience can't really be translated to working on PCs in any way.
Regardless, thank you for the reply.
You will want to become much more familiar with Apple hardware. I'm not just talking about Macs, but iPods and iPhones as well. Take some time to dedicate yourself to learning the ins and outs of these things.
Why do you think you'd have more success with Macs then ? Look, no one is being overly harsh here, but the plain truth is you're not cut out for this.
You're not doing either yourself or Apple a favor by trying to "sneak in" to a Genius position. What will you do if you get the job the first time you run into something more complicated than unchecking a check box in iTunes ?
That's exactly why I started this thread - I was just curious to what the genius exam is like.
Easy there, champ. I'm not trying to sneak into anything. I've had two recent interviews with Apple and I've got another one coming up soon. Last time, the GAPple manager shot some (very) easy troubleshooting questions at me, so he thought that I would be great for a "technical" position because I got them all right. But that manager also admitted that he hadn't even used OS X when he signed up for the job, so what does he know?!
Must be a pretty bad job market there if a person with Masters degree in Chemistry can't get a job.. You probably already looked into it and maybe you don't want to go into it but how about looking for a job with that degree and getting paid at least 3 times as much. Maybe look for jobs in other places that you can move into..
Been looking for something in my field for many months now
I've had several interviews, but nothing promising yet. Research positions are grant-based and states are reallocating funds to more "immediate" needs....
Terminal, eh, Automator, meh. What's a logic board? Red flag.
I would apply for the sales rep position if there is one. And any other job you can find until you find something you can use your degree for.
Yes, you are being overly harsh. There's a better way to state your opinion. You're not doing anyone any favors with this type of demeaning talk.
You research and learn. There is not one person in existence knows everything, including you. Everyone starts at the bottom.
The OP asked a serious question and it deserves assistance not a smackdown.
I am not being overly harsh, but I never said I wasn't harsh. My comment was also for other people here which while some have been harsh, they were not overly harsh.
Exactly, the bottom, not the Genius position. We agree, I'm glad.
Look, I work with Unix systems all day. If someone wanted to game the interview process and get in while not knowing Unix at all, thinking he could "research and learn", he'd be crying before the end of his 1st week. I knew Unix before I got a job doing Unix. And I'm make darn sure this phony would get his just desserts indeed. He'd be wasting both my own time (having to do his share of the work while he "researches and learn" and having to do my own on top) and the company's time.
This is how this stuff works. These are not apprenticeships where the candidate is there to learn the ropes, it's a paying job with a certain expectation of competence, hence the test.
Great, you're a Unix admin. Your job has little to do with what a Genius does, so I'm not sure why you bring that up. Retail positions are not usually filled by people who already know the subject at hand very well, if at all. How did you learn Unix? Buy a SuperDome and a SAN to learn? You likely learned it on the job.
I got a role as an Oracle DBA once and had never even seen SQL*Plus. I got hired because my background is broad and I'm very capable of picking things up quickly. We also had an Oracle consultant, certified no less, that did more damage than good. Experience does not always equate to being able to do the job well.
You think every Genius position is filled by someone who already knows Mac systems in and out? You have to be kidding.
The Genius position is the bottom tech support position for Apple. When you walk in with an issue, the sales reps may try some basic testing, but most technical issues go to the Genius position. I would hedge my bets that Apple pushes a Genius through training once hired.
OP, if you're making it through the interviews, keep going. Apple is the only one who can determine if you'll fulfill the requirements for the job.
You're right; training is a lengthy, extensive process for a Genius:
- 1 week to familiarize yourself with some preliminary material.
- 2 straight weeks of 9 hr/day classes.
- 1-2 weeks of training at your local store.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, belvdr. I'll take whatever role they give me, if they do decide to move ahead.