Company: Apple
Date: 2008-06-13
Overall rating: 4/5
Employment status: current

Only high-flyers need apply
Pros: You work with some of the most talented and intelligent people in the world who also have "good taste" and an appreciation for beauty and elegance from the design of the box to software architecture.  Also, it's Apple....seriously.  The fact that it is such a premium brand which is associated with innovation makes it a point of pride to go to work.  These reasons make it worth working their despite the negatives.  They give you lots of room to own your work and decisions seem to come up through grass roots rather than top-down.
Cons: While having a large amount of autonomy to direct what you are working on, sometimes it would be nice to have someone make those decisions for you.  It's a company for high-flyers who like to swim in the deep-end...and while that's invigorating sometimes...it sometimes makes you feel exhausted.   

There are no traditional corporate concepts like years-served-seniority etc. which means equal & small severance regardless of your years at the company.  This is a bit stressful because in the event of being laid off, you won't be able to find something that matches the culture and enjoyment. 

There's virtually no way to get to the upper management jobs without being a rockstar in some capacity and usually, once you are in the corporation, you aren't as desirable as outsiders.  But at the same time, the people they bring in are actually damn talented and the day Apple starts hiring within to be "nice" to their old employees is the day we should worry.  It would be nice if there better programs for "grooming" people who want to be rockstars because I feel that with a little bit of guidance, some would be stellar.  In reality though, every is too busy to mentor/groom others...it's a fast moving belt that you have to jump on at full-speed.  I can see both sides.

The bar is high and some of us weren't born with the talent to be above where we are.  We could be rockstars at smaller companies (which might be the proper career path) but the prospect of working with morons (or on a PC) isn't desirable. It's sometimes like being married to a rich and attractive, yet abusive husband.