Company: Apple
Date: 2013-07-18
Overall rating: 2/5
Employment status: current
Experience level: Junior

Apple technology is great, but the retail experience is not so great
Pros: Excellent benefits, even as a part-timer. It's also great to introduce or reinforce customer's experience to Apple products, which are the best in the world. I love the fast-paced environment and constant change of working for Apple. It's a job that allows you to learn a lot from experience and also from training. The interaction with customers is energizing.
Cons: Exploitive. Apple retail keeps people in the lower-paying rung of "specialist" while utilizing your expertise to fill in for people who get paid more doing tech and training (and not promoting). It's getting worse and worse. Many would be willing to be "utility players" and do more than one role, but the pay and official title stays on the lower scale. I also think there is a "bait and switch" in the recruiting process where Apple contacts people with training and tech skills with the promise of Creative or Genius, lures them to work for Apple, but then keeps them in the Red Zone.

Lots of part-time positions, with crappy and inconsistent hours (I know, this is retail), managers are increasingly micromanaging issues to keep employees from progressing for silly rules (i.e.: gum chewing and color or pattern or shirts worn under Apple shirt) and employees who give great customer experiences (NPS) are not acknowledged in terms of advancement, it has more to do with kissing up to management and saying the correct corporate gobbelty-gook. Suck-ups are rewarded. Age-ism can be an issue at some stores. Pay is not great. Employee store meetings are rah-rah annoying. People are feeling unhappy about the lack of movement. Outside hires are poisonous. Standards regarding experiences and benchmarks for roles are a personality contest.