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MacFan · Apr 6, 2004, 10:53 PM

Hey all,

Got a call today from someone at Apple for a Mac Genius position in the Phoenix area and will be having my telephone interview Wednesday around noon.

Is anyone familiar with the technical questions that they may ask, what I should brush up on or any other good advice?

Much appreciated

thePurpleGiant · Apr 6, 2004, 10:58 PM

Brush up on everything you can. Thats all you can really do isn't it?

Ω · Apr 6, 2004, 11:51 PM

A good general rule for any interview is be positive.

If they ask you a technical question that you can't answer, don't make something up. Tell them what you do know, where you can go for answers, but stress the positive points that you are involved in a team, and the customer is the most important person involved.

Being prepared is another good thing. We all know a bit about the company, but don't be afraid to ask them questions as well (don't ask them when the G5 PB is coming out though!). Ask questions about the new Pro-Care service they are expanding into, and how this will change job definitions/roles etc. Show an active interest.

A person who is capable and keen is typically better than the genius with poor social skills.

Good luck.

killer_735 · Apr 7, 2004, 12:04 AM

The other nerds will be looking for you to demonstrate to them that you are, in fact, as nerdy or nerdier than them. I would recommend you take every measure to eastablish yourself, from the moment you walk in the door, as the biggest nerd by far they they have ever or might ever hope to encounter. I would suggest some powder to lighten your skin...can't be pasty enough. Also black hair dye will further increase the effect, and if you're feeling daring and have some solder wire around, consider fabricating yourself some fake braces. Check out the feasibility of a fat suit. If you get hired you can slowly phase yourself back into the 'real' you, but be prepared for several weeks of wearing the disguise to make their reality work.

Nerds are inherently distrusting, so the best idea is to start off with a pissing contest. I suggest you make up an operating system that doesn't exist, doesn't use a mouse or keyboard and perhaps is written entirely in Japanese, or ever better, a dead language like sanskrit. It should be open source, and uncompiled, but not human readable. Claim that you are not only proficient in the language, you got an award from the original programmer, and run the language in a quadrouple boot system with os x, 9, and YDL.

Nerds tend to criticize people who show favoritism such as police officers and republicans (and rightly so) but are also lonely. Scope out the interviewer. Is he/she a Lithium-popping D&D player, a bearded child of Leary hanging out in their mother's basement with homemade MAME cabinets and grateful dead posters? Perhaps they're a metro take on the nerd, the "I spend eight hours in front of the computer every day and am a virgin, but it's okay, because my ipod is really cool" type. Whatever type they are, show them that you're interested in what they do for fun and weave your lies with promises of potential after work drinks at Applebees' and invitations to parties filled with single asian girls.

I thing that ough to about cover it.

Cubeoid · Apr 7, 2004, 12:13 AM

A genius asking for advice? Uhhhh? You may want to re-consider.

tooki · Apr 7, 2004, 12:35 AM

Biggest tip I could give you, if you actually still want the job by the time you finish reading: emphasize how you will enforce store policy, even when it'll inconvenience or screw over the customer. They're not interested in people whose #1 priority is to help the hapless consumer.

tooki

Cubeoid · Apr 7, 2004, 01:26 AM

Originally posted by tooki:
Biggest tip I could give you, if you actually still want the job by the time you finish reading: emphasize how you will enforce store policy, even when it'll inconvenience or screw over the customer. They're not interested in people whose #1 priority is to help the hapless consumer.

tooki

cos we gots to make moneyyyyyyyy!

d4nth3m4n · Apr 7, 2004, 01:57 AM

Originally posted by killer_735:
The other nerds will be looking for you to demonstrate to them that you are, in fact, as nerdy or nerdier than them. I would recommend you take every measure to eastablish yourself, from the moment you walk in the door, as the biggest nerd by far they they have ever or might ever hope to encounter. I would suggest some powder to lighten your skin...can't be pasty enough. Also black hair dye will further increase the effect, and if you're feeling daring and have some solder wire around, consider fabricating yourself some fake braces. Check out the feasibility of a fat suit. If you get hired you can slowly phase yourself back into the 'real' you, but be prepared for several weeks of wearing the disguise to make their reality work.

Nerds are inherently distrusting, so the best idea is to start off with a pissing contest. I suggest you make up an operating system that doesn't exist, doesn't use a mouse or keyboard and perhaps is written entirely in Japanese, or ever better, a dead language like sanskrit. It should be open source, and uncompiled, but not human readable. Claim that you are not only proficient in the language, you got an award from the original programmer, and run the language in a quadrouple boot system with os x, 9, and YDL.

Nerds tend to criticize people who show favoritism such as police officers and republicans (and rightly so) but are also lonely. Scope out the interviewer. Is he/she a Lithium-popping D&D player, a bearded child of Leary hanging out in their mother's basement with homemade MAME cabinets and grateful dead posters? Perhaps they're a metro take on the nerd, the "I spend eight hours in front of the computer every day and am a virgin, but it's okay, because my ipod is really cool" type. Whatever type they are, show them that you're interested in what they do for fun and weave your lies with promises of potential after work drinks at Applebees' and invitations to parties filled with single asian girls.

I thing that ough to about cover it.

ithaca winter getting to you as well?

sit in the hardware forums a while, get to know the issues with hardware. know about the white spots on the AlBooks. things like that. bone up on what the mani differences between jag and panther are. essentially- know the apple lineup.

i have a feeling that that is paramount. oh, and be willing to know that you still have more to learn. as with anything technological, there is such a rapid evolution of everything that all you can have (and all an employer can look for) is the knowledge of where to look and who to talk to about the latest issues.

good luck! you probably know more than the majority of the boneheaded "geniuses" already.

moonmonkey · Apr 7, 2004, 03:28 AM

Originally posted by MacFan:
Hey all,

Got a call today from someone at Apple for a Mac Genius position in the Phoenix area and will be having my telephone interview Wednesday around noon.

Is anyone familiar with the technical questions that they may ask, what I should brush up on or any other good advice?

Much appreciated

Follow up the phone call with an email, basicly let them know that you would be willing to be employed by them. Also remember to summerise what was discussed. That way they will remember you.

Mastrap · Apr 7, 2004, 03:47 AM

Do the telephone interview standing up.

It makes a huge difference to your voice, I can guarantee you that you'll come over better and more confident.

jld · Apr 7, 2004, 04:13 AM

Be sure to report back with how the interview went and what kinds of things they asked!

Eriamjh · Apr 7, 2004, 07:04 AM

Smile when you talk.

mitchell_pgh · Apr 7, 2004, 07:31 AM

Remember, they can teach you how to be a better technician, but they can't teach you how to be a nice and understanding person.

Be positive, be understanding, but if you see them pushing you in a roll play, remember, you are the Genius.

brainloop · 01:56 PM

So how did things go ?

I passed the first interview and technical test in London. It was easy enough...

now I have to go back for a final interview with the Apple HR Project Manager - Retail and General Manager Apple London.

Apparently there where over 100 interviews in May !

This is the last step !

wdlove · May 31, 2004, 11:32 AM

I hope that you will be successful. Will be anxious to hear the results.

No one can know everything. The important thing is that you know where to look up the information.

euchomai · May 31, 2004, 12:04 PM

-Are you very arrogant? If not, make sure you try to be.
-Do you wear those "cool" army issue glasses? If not, make sure to pick some up for the face to face interview.
-Have you actually washed your hair lately? If so, please stop right now, you need to look just a tad greasy.

Just try to look like those people that really don't care about anything (like janeane garofalo), I think you'll have a great shot. (at least in the stores I've been to)

mitchell_pgh · May 31, 2004, 01:33 PM

Originally posted by euchomai:
-Are you very arrogant? If not, make sure you try to be.
-Do you wear those "cool" army issue glasses? If not, make sure to pick some up for the face to face interview.
-Have you actually washed your hair lately? If so, please stop right now, you need to look just a tad greasy.

Just try to look like those people that really don't care about anything (like janeane garofalo), I think you'll have a great shot. (at least in the stores I've been to)

While I would disagree, I've found it to be rather true. I would also add "If you aren't at least 20+ lbs overweight, start eating.

fireside · May 31, 2004, 02:05 PM

StrongGlad · May 31, 2004, 02:19 PM

Originally posted by MacFan:
Hey all,

Got a call today from someone at Apple for a Mac Genius position in the Phoenix area and will be having my telephone interview Wednesday around noon.

Is anyone familiar with the technical questions that they may ask, what I should brush up on or any other good advice?

Much appreciated

Know how to reset Open Firmware, study the commands so you can parrot them back.

Know how to turn off simple finder in OS9.

Know the difference between root, admin, and standard user in OSX.

Know the basic troubleshooting steps like booting to cd, dumping pref files, creating a test user etc.

Forget about being arrogant or uber nerdy.

Maybe you will be so after you get the job, but if you bring that crap to the interview you will be done.

brainloop · 08:44 AM

Are Mac Geniuses really that bad ?