Company: Apple
Date: 2013-08-02
Overall rating: 5/5
Employment status: current
Experience level: Junior

Great place to work!
Pros: Pay to work ratio is excellent. There may be other jobs that pay more in base salary, but when you factor in all the access to free products, product discounts, amazing health, dental, and stock plans.. it adds up to an amazing company. Apple also fosters a culture of togetherness and seems to stick to its roots in cultivating a work environment with lots of creative, fun, and interesting people. Your normal "i hate my job" watercooler conversations just aren't found here..  sure there's a few people who are unhappy, but they are overwhelmed by the majority of us that are quite content with how we're treated. Raises are done on a clear merit based system so the people who work harder get the best raises -- which seems like common sense, but I've seen many prior workplaces where this has not been the case.
Cons: Apple has an ego.. if you want to work for the company but aren't a "fan" of Apple, it's almost like a cult... people will shun you and mock you for, say, preferring Windows to OSX or having an Android phone instead of an iPhone. This comes from your peers, not management, and doesn't seem to affect raises or promotions or anything --- it's just annoying to see. I'm personally an Apple fanboy so I'm right at home, but I do hate seeing people get picked on for their preferences in tech.