Employee Review of Apple Inc - Check out more reviews of working at Apple Inc

This review is for the experience of working as "middle management" in a retail location.

Pay (0) - The pay was comparable for a typical retail environment, but when one is expected to do the work of 3 people because it's "too costly" to hire a decent number of workers, it's very much not worth it.

Respect (-4) - When I started, we were all highly respected, but then we were called out, often in front of other co-workers, for everything we did. We had a policy of "fearless feedback," which was to be done in private, but then I saw many, MANY other co-workers get SCREAMED at by managers in the open break area.

Benefits (4) - Absolutely some of the best you will find, anywhere. Retail employees get the same benefits as the corporate employees.

Security (-3) - If you are late more than 3 times in 90 days, you're fired; no outside consideration. If you're sick, and have a doctor's excuse, and you miss more than 3 days in 90 days, you're fired. To hell with you if you have a chronic health problem. You have to jump through a bunch of hoops, and are made to feel like dirt for having been ill.

Work/Life Balance (-5) - You work different shifts and different days every week. The schedule is often only given out days before that next week starts, and there is no chance to change it, or to switch shifts if you have a doctors appointment. My mom had surgery, and I requested the day off, and it somehow got "lost." This happens constantly, causing people to miss weddings, funerals, and in one case a student almost missed his own graduation. Your vacation (if you're full-time) time will be blacked-out from October-February, since that's prime holiday season. You will never have holidays off, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas day.

Career Potential/Growth (-2) - Some people get promoted, but it's usually people who are the best in sales, versus those who are best in customer service, or best in a particular area of expertise (repair, teaching, management, etc).

Location (-2) - My particular location was in a very yuppie/high end retail street. I hated having to be around these sorts of people all day, which was my main reason for leaving.

Co-Worker Competence (3) - All of my co-workers were very intelligent people with minds full of knowledge, and this is what I miss most about the job.

Work Environment (0) - I gave this a "neutral" because the store is a very pretty place to be, but if it weren't for that, I would give it a negative score. You will be on your feet all day, and all of the back-of-houses I have seen are small and cramped, with the break area often being in the middle of work areas.

I have many more negatives about the retail sector of this company, but you sign papers when you're hired, saying that you will keep confidentiality, and I don't want to break that. The bottom line: If you're healthy, have great patience, a positive outlook, painstaking attention to detail, and a completely free schedule, Apple Retail will be perfect for you. If you don't meet one of those requirements, you will be miserable, or will be fired.