Company: Apple
Date: 2014-04-14
Overall rating: 4/5
Employment status: former
Experience level: Junior

The Genius role at Apple Retail offered a satisfying day-to-day with a fantastic team, but limited career opportunities.
Pros: 1. Apple Retail tends to hire people who are sociable and creative, and it was fantastic to be part of a vibrant team with many shared personal interests. There was a strong community spirit and a willingness to help each other out. Working with the vast majority of my colleagues was a pleasure; I made many friends during my time with the company.

2. The Genius role is split between seeing customers to diagnose their issues, and physically repairing Apple hardware. I found a great deal of satisfaction in both the problem-solving and customer relationship management elements of the job. Diagnosing and resolving issues within tight time frames kept a healthy pressure up and provided clear performance goals. There was good support from management for personal development within the role. The service strategy changed a lot during my time at Apple (less attention on individual customers in order to serve a greater number), but that was an unfortunate reality of the growing demand. I still enjoyed the day-to-day work right up until I left Apple for a new opportunity.

3. Apple Retail has a young and diverse culture. Tattoos, bright hair and piercings are all completely acceptable among staff. Dress code was very relaxed... Wearing trainers every day and shorts in summer was bliss. 

4. Genius pay is very good for a job that does not formally require a degree. I worked for Apple for nearly three years and received three incremental annual pay rises, leaving on ~£25k as a Genius with a year's experience in the role. Considerable discounts were available on Apple products for myself, friends and family. Apple employees received preferable rates in many of the local eateries and, most importantly, pubs. Store meetings and product launches were often effervescent affairs with free food, drink and entertainment.
Cons: 1. Career progression abruptly halted once I reached the Genius role. I started off with Apple as a part-time sales advisor ('Specialist') and successive promotions happened quickly, but the Genius position sits in a comfortable little cul-de-sac thereafter. Geniuses in Apple Retail are remunerated well but cannot easily continue a technical career into Apple Corporate as there is often a qualifications barrier to entry. Perhaps understandably, Apple does not have a career pathway that allows Geniuses to train for Corporate roles in the absence of degrees in computer science, electronic engineering or similar.
The general consensus seemed to be that while there is no stigma attached to working for Apple Retail, it is held at arm's length from Corporate and aspirational talk from management about moving across as part of one's career path is largely lip-service. Multiple colleagues of mine had secondments to Corporate but were not offered permanent positions. My advice is that if you want a role within Apple as a wider organisation, it is better to gain more relevant experience elsewhere than get your foot in the door with Apple Retail.

2. See 'Advice to Management'.