Another Hiring Story

In May 2007 I received some feedback from a person who applied for a job at an Apple store. The person said, and the story confirms, that the application and interviewing process was flawed. Nevertheless, the person said the experience didn't turn them against Apple, but simply demonstrates that there are differences in the way hiring is performed, depending upon the people who are involved.

About two months back I applied at the Apple Store using their on-line application service. I wanted to have a job secure before I went on summer break, or just after. So about two weeks later I decided to give them a call, at the urging of family and so on.

I get transfered to their hiring manager who sets up an interview for me later that week, a Thursday. So I drive the hour and a fifteen minutes it takes me to go from my dorm to the mall, my house is only 15 minutes away. I meet with two guys who work at the store who ask me the standard interview questions and so on. I nail all of them, they even tell me that I did a great job. Tell me at the end of it that I will receive a call soon.

More then a week later, a Sunday, I get a call from the hiring manager. Wants to set up a second interview with me. Only time to do it is the next Sunday. So I wait around for a week and head back down to the store. This time I interview with Ryan, head of the Mac Specialists for the store. Interview goes good again. Said, now this is the important part, that I would get a call within a week, probably sooner. Awesome I thought, I will know damn soon. Well, a week goes by and no call. So I call the store to speak to Ryan...he is on vacation, OK. So I ask to talk to the hiring manager and I get, "Sir the hiring manager will call you back about your job". Well then.

Another week goes by, I call the store on Saturday. Ryan is still on vacation and I still can't talk to the hiring manager. Damn it, well when will Ryan be back? Tuesday was the answer. So I try to call on Tuesday and it just rings through. Ugh.

On Wednesday I try again. I get through! And Ryan is there! Yay! The time is 1:30pm.

Me: Hello Ryan this is *****. You interviewed me more than two weeks ago and said I would get a call within a week, I never got one.

Ryan: *Confused* No call? Well my hiring manager is out to lunch, I'll touch base with her and call you back.

Me: OK

And 5 p.m. rolls around, wow that was a long lunch break, I get a call. It is the hiring manager wanting me to come down. Apparently I "got lost in the shuffle" and "fell through the cracks". So I go down to the store, 20 minute drive from home. I wait around for the hiring manager to be ready (did I mention for the previous two interviews I waited around for at least 10 minutes each?). Finally she is ready to talk to me. An interview ensues using a display Mac that is on lock-down so you can't do too much so when I try to show her what she is asking, for it won't do half of it. Twenty minutes later it is over. She says she will e-mail me the background check stuff that night and get talk to the other two guys who interviewed me.

I wait around all night, no e-mail arrives. So today, still no e-mail. Finally 5 p.m. and I get an e-mail. YAY! ...wait...wtf:

Michael,

First of all, let me personally thank you for your interest in Apple Retail and for your participation in our interview process for the King Of Prussia Apple Retail Store. It was truly our pleasure to meet you.

At this time we have chosen to move ahead with candidates who better meet the business needs today.

Thank you again for your time and interest in Apple. We wish you the best in your future endeavors.

Best regards,

Emily Osborn

Great so I didn't get the job. And she sends me a FUCKING TEMPLATE E-MAIL! After dicking me around for two months I get a freaking template e-mail. Ugh.

Now, I am by no means saying that Apple is at fault, or that all Apple retail stores are like this one. I also do not feel that they owed me a job. I just want to point out that they should treat their applicants a little better. Because, remember that most applicants are also customers.

Yes, I may not have been exactly what they were looking for, obviously because I didn't get the job. I'm not mad because they didn't hire me. I'm mad because of the way that I was treated during the whole process and the time that it took, time that could have been spent looking harder at other job prospects.