There are quite a few legitimate companies that give you the freedom to work from home, and while a lot of these companies you may never have heard of, there are some bigger names occasionally hiring people who want to work from home, such as Apple.
Most of Apple’s popular at-home jobs are customer service based, either via phone, email or chat, with the position commonly referred to as an Apple At Home Advisor. There are other Apple at-home jobs available as well, but they are nowhere near as popular as the Advisor position. This is the most common position that doesn’t require a ton of experience. If you want to work from home with Apple, this is one to consider.
Seeing this is a job often coveted by those who want to work from home, I figured I would create a simple guide talking all about what the job entails as well as how you can apply. Basically, everything you need to know.
If you want to work at home with a legitimate company dealing with customer service inquiries, either full- or part-time, then this could be a job to consider. Just let it be known that it can take some time to get hired as the process is quite lengthy.
Follow along as I talk about the job description, the pay, reviews, how you can apply and much more.
Working as an Apple At Home Advisor
Almost all Apple hardware comes with a limited warranty that comes with telephone technical support provided by the AppleCare department. This department, as you can imagine, was designed to help resolve any tech issues and/or questions you may be having with your Apple product, such as the iPhone, iPod, iPad, Mac, Apple TV and/or Apple Watch. Even after the limited warranty expires, many buyers buy an AppleCare+ policy to extend their coverage.
This is where this position comes in.
Most of these call center jobs are home-based, again, referred to as Apple At Home Advisors, and this position is usually the first point of contact, where you would basically be responsible for troubleshooting and/or assessing the issue for a customer in regards to any of the Apple devices mentioned prior. In most cases, you will deal with customers over the phone, but there are chat- and email-only jobs available as well.
Qualifications
As with a lot of jobs, you do need to have some qualifications in order to qualify for the job, one being “passionate about technology and experienced in computers.” Loving to help people is a plus as well.
Aside from having a passion for technology and experience in computers, you should also have at least two years of customer service experience, whether it’s in-person or over the phone. Apple doesn’t specify it has to be in the tech sector, so if you worked a grocery store customer service desk, it should be viewed as having the appropriate experience.
While you don’t need to be an Apple junkie, it does help to know Apple products. Apple just notes that the perfect candidate can work independently, love helping people, have good multitasking skills and enjoy troubleshooting. If you’re shaking your head yes to all of these, then you could be one considered for the job.
Job Details: What Does an At Home Advisor Do?
The Apple At Home Advisor is strictly a customer service-oriented job. You will be responsible for troubleshooting, providing customer service and technical support for all active Apple products, including both software and hardware.
Don’t worry about learning the products in-depth as Apple will run you through a very rigorous multi-week training program. You can read more about it via this TechCrunch piece.
Depending on the position accepted, you will either work with customers over the phone, via chat or even email. This will be stated in the job description when you apply.
Am I an Independent Contractor?
A lot of the at-home jobs I mention often allow you to work as you please since you’re an independent contractor. By definition, an independent contractor must be able to work as he or she chooses and basically have no employee/employer relationship.
This isn’t the case with Apple, however, as you will be viewed as an employee.
To some, this is great since you will receive benefits, paid time off and a slew of other perks, while others may view this as a downfall, especially if you’re looking to work when you please.
In the end, all employees are employed directly by Apple, either full- or part-time.
When Would I Work?
According to Apple, you should be expected to work during Apple support hours, with shifts vary based on business needs. As I write this, the hours are 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Central time.
During the summer months, for instance, it’s said to be slow, but when a new iPhone or Christmas rolls around, the phone lines are swamped. At this time, Apple does allow you to bid on overtime.
All in all, be prepared to work additional time during peak business hours as well as during holidays. You should also be expected to work on major holidays as well, something Apple wants you to keep in mind.
All advisors will receive a holiday coverage schedule, so you will know ahead of time as to what’s expected of you.
How Much Does an Apple At Home Advisor Make?
While the official Apple job description doesn’t state what you can make, you can easily find out what others are making via a quick search online.
According to Glassdoor.com, the average base pay is $18 per hour, with ranges from $11 to $25 per hour. Many Apple employees report starting at about $11 to $15+ per hour, but I found it really does depend on your region. You won’t get rich doing the job, but there is room for advancement which could greatly increase this rate.
What you get paid, as with any job, will depend on your experience and how long you’ve been on the job.
Home Office Requirements
As you’re working from home, Apple does ask that you work in a quiet, private environment that’s distraction-free while working. This should be a room with a door separated from the rest of your home.
This room, according to the FAQ, should be fitted with a desk, ergonomic chair, and a hardwired, not wireless, internet connection from a reliable provider that maintains a consistent speed of at least 10 Mbps for downloads and 3 Mbps for uploads while connected to the Apple VPN.
The great thing is that you don’t need to worry about your computer as Apple will provide you with an iMac and headset that can be exclusively used for your work. Apple will also reimburse you for your internet service, all of which will be discussed during the recruitment process, but it’s said to be about $35 or so~ This is very rare in the work-from-home workforce as most companies require you to have the equipment. This isn’t the case with Apple.
They will test your speeds and setup during the mock interview process, so it’s so important that you have a hardwired connection and quiet workplace to ensure you’re a candidate for the job.
The Apple Work From Home Hiring Process
Apple isn’t always hiring At Home Advisors, so it will be up to you to apply as quickly as possible when they open the flood gates. These job postings don’t last long when they are posted. If you want to look for a job right now, you can view the official job board here, but again, don’t be surprised if you can’t find anything.
This is why I highly recommend you set up a Google alert to let you know when they are hiring because Apple gets a ton of applicant when they post a job. A lot of bloggers will let you know when Apple is hiring via blog posts, the main reason I recommend Google Alerts to let you know. Just try to apply within 24-48 hours. There’s a reason these jobs don’t stay up long.
As for the hiring process, here’s what it looks like, according to an anonymous source who was able to snag a job.
- apply for the job
- takes about a month to get back to you via email with more information needed if selected
- another month to set up an interview
- the first interview is about a week later from setting up
- the second interview is a few days later if you made it that far
- you will hear back about 10-14 days after the second interview to move on with a background check and job offer contingent upon the background check coming back clean
- job starts 30-60 days after the background check clears
This isn’t always the case, but it should at least let you know what to expect in the case Apple wants to hire you. Your results will vary, but if you were to get hired, you probably won’t start for at least four to six months from start to finish. It’s quite a long time, but many who have applied will tell you not to worry as this is commonplace.
Tips to Know
Be patient. As indicated in the timeline above, it can take months before you even get the job. Don’t expect a response minutes after applying as it won’t happen.
You don’t need to be techy. You don’t need to know every detail about Apple products. While it helps, Apple is looking more at the customer interaction qualities you have, so make you don’t forget to put on a smiling face if you make it to the interview.
Study questions for the interview. I said you don’t need to know every detail, but you should know at least some basic computer questions. I highly recommend you check out this forum thread to see some of the questions they may ask you. This Glassdoor.com section can help out as well. It’s best to know the answer to most of these to increase your chances at getting the gig.
How to Apply
I already mentioned it above, but I will mention it again here. Apple isn’t always hiring Advisors, and when they do hire, the job listings don’t last that long.
So, for that reason, I highly encourage you to set up a Google Alert, using keywords, such as “Apple At Home Advisor Hiring” or “Apple Advisors At Home,” etc so that you’re alerted whenever the posting pops up. If you don’t do this, there’s a good chance you will miss out on the job opportunities unless you check the job postings daily.
As for the official job posting, you can always find it via the Jobs at Apple portal found here. If going this route, you will need to create an AppleID or the same user name you would use to log into the iTunes store.
It’s also said that Kelly Connect, which is part of Kelly Services, also lists the job, but if going this route, your pay would be lower than if you applied directly with Apple.
Apple at Home Advisor Reviews
In my final subsection, I want to talk about what other people are saying, highlighting both the pros and cons. I do this with all of my reviews, but I will do it here as well, breaking down the pros and cons below.
The Pros
- fantastic benefits (401K, stock options, PTO, healthcare, and discounts)
- work from home
- advancement opportunities
- great coaching staff to help you succeed
- flexibility
The Cons
- lots of overtime when a product launches
- have to bid on your schedule, making it hard to plan for life
- some reports of being micromanaged
- dealing with difficult customers
- wages hard to live on (if relying on full time)
- the job can feel mundane
Take all of these pros and cons with a grain of salt as every job will have downfalls, even some of the best.
In my personal opinion, this is a job to consider, especially if you’re looking for a full-time gig from the comfort of your own home. Just let it be known that training is vigorous, it’s very hard to get and can be demanding to some. However, as long as you have the work ethic to work independently and can easily troubleshoot, then I don’t see why this job wouldn’t work out for you.
Final Thoughts
If you want a legitimate part- or full-time job from home, Apple is definitely one to consider when they post a listing. Remember, they go fast, so if you want to chat with people about everything Apple, it’s one to aggressively pursue as it’s a position choked full of benefits and pays pretty decently for a work from home job.
Of course, Apple isn’t the only game in town, so if you like the idea working from home, you can check out the many posts already published in the past, such as these 45 BBB rated at-home jobs or jobs that pay you to type.
For now, you should know everything about the Apple advisor position. If it’s something of interest, I would recommend setting up that Google alert or even make it a habit to check the jobs page to see if a position opens up. If you have the qualifications and Apple likes what they see, you never know what the future can bring you.
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