Geek Chic

By: Hannah Seligson -CTW Features | Tuesday, December 11, 2007 3:51 PM PST ∞

Walking through a mall or downtown shopping district, it’s not unlikely that you’d spot a store with a giant apple on its exterior. And as you cross the street, it’s not unlikely that a black-and-white-and-orange Volkswagen Beetle would whiz by you.

Best Buy’s “Geek Squad” and Apple’s “Geniuses” may seem like they’re multiplying at a rapid rate, but they’re not just increasing the “nerd” population, they’re bringing along a lot of job opportunities.

According to a 2006 article in the industry report “The Mac Observer,” Apple planned to open about 40 new stores through the world this past year. This is good news for anyone, particularly job seekers, looking to sport some gear with an Apple on it.

“Apple used to only sell their products through resellers, but now they have entirely changed their model to a direct-sale concept, which is opening up a number of job opportunities,” says Michael Shipman, the vice president of talent development at Rockland Trust Company, Rockland, Mass.

But how do you land one of these jobs and where can they take you?

Shipman says stores like Apple hire more for fit than they do for knowledge, which is good news for Mac addicts that are hoping to parlay their fetish for the sleek computers into an actual career.

“They want to see that you use your Mac for personal use, whether it’s to create databases, music videos or for Web design,” Shipman says.

However, just being a highly skilled Mac user is not enough to land you a spot at their Genius Bar, the 2.0 version of a help desk where you can talk face-to-face with a rigorously trained Mac Genius.

As the name implies, Shipman says that these are coveted positions that require many hours of training to become a certifiable Mac Genius. They may be tough to land if you’re in the just-starting-out phase.

“But other stores, such as Best Buy … can provide solid training ground for a newbie. And any experience you can get on the ground selling technology is very valuable,” says Shipman.

Indeed, Best Buy’s Geek Squad looks to build their employees from the bottom up. Taking an agency approach, Geek Squad “operatives” can start as Cadets, moving up to Counter Intelligence, Special Agents, etc., all the way up to Field Marshall. The ops employ different skills and each level of rank, and some positions get them out of the office to “patrol the streets.”

But while many of these jobs allow you to leave the typical confines of cube life, the way to go about landing them shouldn’t veer to drastically from conventional job-searching strategies (read: relationship building) that you would use to find a job.

Roberta Chinsky Matuson, the principal of Human Resources Solutions, Brookline, Mass., says the key to landing a job in information technology is just good old-fashioned networking, a skill set that she says is not always second nature for techies.

“One of the challenges of this industry is that many technology job seekers are more tapped into technology than they are into real-life social situations,” Matuson says.

But what’s encouraging, she says, is that networking has gone online.

“Today, we are seeing the proliferation of sites like LinkedIn that IT job seekers should definitely be using.”

While social- and professional-networking sites are making rubbing shoulders a bit easier, HR professionals like Matuson and Shipman still encourage IT job seekers to beef up their interpersonal skills, as well as staying fluent in the latest in-demand software programs.

“Take a public speaking course, such as Toastmasters,” Shipman advises. “It will make you more comfortable and adept at the sales process.”

Here’s how to be geek chic – and employed:

Know Your Technical Programs

Shipman says this means doing more than staying up-to-date on Wired magazine. “It means talking to people, networking with users, and talking to software engineers.”

Stay Ahead of the Curve

If you want to sell it, you have to use it, says Shipman. “So spend some time figuring out the nuances of all the programs and products you sell. Even if a product isn’t out, see if you can download a beta version. Build a reputation as someone who stays on the cutting edge of technology.”

Brush up on your Sales Skills

“Closing the deal is really important,” says Shipman. “Being technically savvy will only get your foot in the door, so familiarize yourself with the different component of the sales process – relationship building, uncovering the need, isolating the objections, and closing the sale.”

Hone Your Interpersonal Skills

You must become a master at answering people’s questions, says Shipman. “Part of becoming a highly valued sales person is helping people through the learning process.”

Hannah Seligson is a writer based in New York and the author of “New Girl on the Job: Advice from the Trenches” (Citadel Press, 2007).