I applied on November 25th, and got a call from a recruiter on the 29th. She interviewed me over the phone, asking questions about my previous employment, and why I wanted to work for AT&T. After about 5-10 minutes, she asked if I was available to meet with the regional HR manager the next morning. I said yes, so she made an appointment for 9AM the next morning.
On November 30th, I met with the regional manager at AT&T Regional HQ. She was very friendly, and asked me lots of questions in STAR format (Situation, Task, Action, Response). She then went over my resume extensively, and asked me why I was right for the job. The retail sales position is primarily a sales job, so the interview really focused on my sales ability, and specific selling strategies I've used in the past.
This interview lasted about an hour, and after that she texted the manager of the store I was applying too, and setup an appointment for me to go there the next morning. The HR Manager said that a button up shirt & tie would look better with the store manager (I was not wearing a tie, just button up shirt).
On December 1st, I went to the store location I was applying too, and the manager brought me to the back for about a 1.5 hour interview. This covered everything from "Sell me this phone" to "Why do you want to work for AT&T?". It was a very laid back interview, and the manager explained to me the commission structure, and what a day-in-the-life of a consultant will be. She went over my resume, and asked how my experience from each position would help me in my job at AT&T. After about 90 minutes, she had me shadow another consultant for a few minutes, to help me understand the job. I asked him some questions, and watched him handle customers. I really think the shadowing helped me to understand the position better. Afterwards, the manager said I would be hearing back from the original recruiter in a few days, to find out whether I got the job.
All in all, I could tell the other employee's really loved their jobs, they enjoyed working with customers, and didn't feel too stressed out about the goals.
2 weeks after my in-store interview, I got a call from the original recruiter that had contacted me, and she extended a formal contingent offer. I was offered $11.42/hr (Full Time), with an "Annual targeted at-risk variable compensation" between $14,400 and $15,600 (that's estimated commission). Being a full time job, it also included full benefits. Since it was a union represented job, it also included guaranteed raises every 6 months, and a few other things like that. The offer was contingent on a background check and drug test.
THE BACKGROUND CHECK:
AT&T uses a company called HireRight to process background checks & drug tests. I have heard a lot of bad things about them, but I knew my record had nothing to hide. After a few days, they said they needed tax records to prove employment dates at one of my previous employers. these records had to be W2's, 1099's, or pay stubs, NOTHING else. I had records of everything except for the end date, since 2011 W2's hadnt been issued yet, and I no longer had access to pay stubs. They told me I had 48hrs to provide proof for 2011 anyway, there was nothing they could do. So after running around like crazy, I was able to find a pay stub from 2011, all good. I took the drug test at a local facility, which was really convenient. after 4 days, my HireRight online account showed the report was complete. TIP: Contact HireRight via live chat, or phone support once your background report says complete, and ask for a copy of the report. They will email it to you, and you'll be able to see the full report that AT&T see's, so you can dispute things if anything is incorrect.
Once the report said complete, I contacted my recruiter, and she said congratulations, I'm hired!
I go to training about 100 miles away from my home for 2 weeks, then go to my store for 1 week, then back to training one last week. During this time I'll be paid normally, plus "Ramp-Up Pay" (1200 first month, and reduced down every month for first 6 months). They will also be covering the cost of the hotel, but said I would need a credit card to cover hotel incidentals. I will be provided a phone during training, and my AT&T shirts will come in during the second week.
Hope this helps, good luck with you application!
