Company: Apple
Date: 2012-02-20
Overall rating: 2/5
Employment status: current

My experience has been great in the past, until recently, since things are changing, but not nesesarily for the better.
Pros: -The title and the prestige of working for "Apple".  
-Generally, a decent work environment, (though this is diminishing rapidly as the company has grown over the last couple years).
-Decent pay (considering it is a "retail" job).
-Opportunities for personal growth and knowledge enrichment. (training is emphasized initially, though the company's expectations exceed their commitment to ongoing training).
-Generally great people to work with, though I have noticed a recent decline in employee morale.
Cons: -Unrealistic expectations of employees.
-Lack of respect for personal time and personal growth outside of the company's agendas.
-Very poor scheduling, including but not limited to respect for employee time off the job.
-Lack of sufficient training time for the broad range of responsibilities that employees are expected to adhere to.
-General disrespect for the employee's skill sets and backgrounds.
-The inclination to indoctrinate employees with the "Apple" way.
-The recent implementation of a distinct separation between the lower level retail workers and the management teams.
-Hidden agendas, which are only revealed by inexperienced "management trainees" and other less skilled managers who are attempting to implement Apple policies regarding the treatment of lower level employees and their subsequent relationships with management.
-Decline in employee morale.
-Company expectations exceed realistic situations in the field.
-The recent emphasis on the fact that we are "working in a retail environment".  (does that mean that we should expect less respect and less compensation, though we are expected to be more flexible and work harder?)
-Discouragement from personal time, personal enrichment outside of Apple, and originality.  (We are encouraged to agree with company policies and agendas, while our personal opinions are either shunned or dismissed if they do not adhere to the company's objectives as dictated by management or the company's directives.