Want a job at an Apple store? Read this

If you filled out an application at Apple's web site for a store position and sent it to a general mailbox, you will probably never hear anything back, other than a form letter. Instead, you should go to monster.com, or dice.com and search on Apple as a company. Those sites actually have email addresses of real people at HR at Apple, unlike the Apple jobs site. There are a number of stores recruiting now, so daily checks are advised. Also, the store openings seem to change at a moment's notice, mitigated by construction, local laws, mall space, etc.

I believe resumés submitted through Apple's general jobs mailbox are tossed in a mailbox no one reads, because I know of 3 people who applied to store jobs who never heard a thing. Those same 3 people applied again off one of the jobs sites, to a specific email address and were replied to within a week. Even if you do get a call and are told you will be called back, in some cases people had to actually call Apple and chase down their applications because the HR person didn't get back to them in the time specified.

Also, be careful of the subject you put in your message. If you want to apply to more than one store opening or more than one position, either send multiple emails, or choose your words carefully. Mail seems to be filed automatically by subject.

There is a rumor that Apple is seeding every store with one Mac Genius who is already working in the support area for Apple in Austin or Sacramento. This implies that there will be jobs open in Apple's support area in those two cities; although no ads have been seen yet.

If you apply, and don't hear anything - call in a week to ten days - and keep calling them until you get to the person you sent your resume to. The staff handling Mac Genius applications is different than the staff handling Apple store sales jobs, which is again, different from those handling the in-store CompUSA Apple reps.

Store manager applicants must have extensive retail backgrounds, and they don't seem to care if you know what a Mac is (or so the rumors go).

Apple Genius jobs are hardware tech positions with high customer interaction, so be prepared to be a very social techie. The Mac Genius interview and training process seems to be:

• Phone call ("I got your resume; tell me a little more")
• Phone call (by appointment) - answer 15 technical questions and why you want to work for Apple.
• Phone call (by appointment) or in person interview in your state
• Phone interview with Mac Genius program manager
• Interview with store manager for store you applied to
• If you don't make the Genius job, they may offer you another interview with the HR person for the sales jobs.
• If you do get a job, basic training seems to be 2 weeks for both sales and Genius positions. But the Geniuses are also sent to Cupertino for a 2-week training (which means 4 weeks total training for Genius jobs.)
• Geniuses must also pass the hardware AppleCare Tech Exam.