Company: Apple
Date: 2018-05-30
Overall rating: 4/5
Employment status: current
Experience level: Confirmed

Still one of the best jobs you can have
Pros: Working for Apple has evolved, even over the 5+ years I've been with the company. I still can't believe I get paid to talk about Apple products/services, problem solve with customers, teach them how to use their products, and engage in the evolving ecosystem. They treat us extremely well in comparison to a lot of other industries. 

When you've got the right leadership team, they know how to really step back and let you do your job. Sometimes it means a slacker will abuse it, but for the most part in a store off 200+ everyone is able to do their job and keep that customer focus. 

You can grow and achieve whatever you apply yourself towards. You're working with the best of the best and it can be tougher to grow in this company than in others, but its possible. It may mean moving stores or even going to corporate. However, if you're worth your salt and plot a path, you can go anywhere internally or leverage that to go externally to another company. 

I don't know what else to add that other reviews haven't also already mentioned. Bottom line, I'd recommend working here in a heartbeat, and even when my time working here comes to an end, it won't be because it was a bad job or company to work for.
Cons: The employee experience in the retail stores isn't what it used to be. I don't mean this in a grumpy old man, "back in my day" kind of reflection. It really has taken a shift towards a sales focused leadership guidance - which anyone who worked there prior to 2014 will say managers used to never mention sales numbers to the team. It was always about customer experience and the numbers from customer surveys. 

I'm not sure Angelas vision of 'town centers' is a possibility in the majority of stores. I love the idea at the flagship locations but the mall stores aren't ever going to be someones 'third place'. 

It's been a bummer watching them slow down the amount of in-store repairs. The genius' are slowly dying inside as they ship more and more things out of store for repairs. Also, they stopped sending the new genius' out for training and while it may no be necessary it was certainly a big event in many folks career here. To see Apple invest so much into you really created some loyalty and made you less likely to leave. Not so much any more.   

Yes, it's a retail environment, even though it's not a 'traditional retail' feel. So the hours can be hard on a work/life balance, but the vacation days and ability to request time off allows a certain flexibility (unless its between Black Friday and mid January and it's all hands on deck).