I applied online. The process took 2 months. I interviewed at Apple (Madison, WI)
Interview
First, there was a hiring event, with generic "what-if" and "how did you..." questions. The next day was a panel interview with the market leader and other store leaders from the rest of the market, followed by a direct interview with the store leader for the store I'd be working with.
Following that, I had three additional interviews with the remaining members of the leadership team, which included a tech screen, to make certain that I had at least a modicum of understanding of basic computer concepts. I did "ok."
After hiring, I was informed that I was the first person in 4 or 5 years to be directly hired into this position at this store, so while it would be hypocritical of me to say, "Don't bother attempting to be hired directly into the Genius position," I will say that it doesn't happen often and had not occurred in the two years that I was with the company.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
It's been quite some time, so I can't recall specific questions, but I'll say that it is incredibly important to have experience with situations where you've needed to manage your time, work in difficult scenarios, overcome adversity with team members, and prepare answers for ways in which you handled those scenarios.
I applied through a recruiter. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Apple (Toronto, ON) in Oct 2010
Interview
Hiring seminar. Dozens of potential candidates in a room playing team building games while hiring staff watch your responses. Stand out, show passion to get noticed.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Stock written test to access your knowledge. Basic hardware and software. Ports, peripherals and compatability