Nearly twenty years at Apple taught me a few lessons. Some of them actually might benefit those working in other organizations.
There is not as much consistency as one might hope for in Apple managers so my experience would not likely be duplicated in another's career. Much of this is likely the same that you might find in any company. Yet Apple tends to be more fun to discuss because it's viewed through a magnifying glass, and there is an army of people who like to be armchair managers and analysts for Apple.
I would say the first thing I picked up at Apple is that you are your own best resource. There is no one to hold your hand at Apple. All the talk of career plans is just talk. If you're lucky someone will take you under their wing and point you in the right direction. I did learn early in my career that Apple Area Associates are the great repository of company culture and how to get things done. Apple to my knowledge doesn't even have an employee handbook. They do have some of the most talented field administrative people in the world. I was fortunate to learn from and work with many of them. I also was extremely fortunate to have one of the most talented of the bunch riding herd on my team for the last five or six years.
Perhaps the second thing that I learned is that you can tell a lot about people by how they treat administrative people. Employees that treat administrative people like disposable paper plates are most likely to be people that you can't trust to be team players. They're likely to be the ones who are only working for themselves and don't mind stepping on a few people along the way.
It didn't take long for me to learn that most Apple managers didn't want to hear bad news if there was a chance that it might get to their bosses. Yet for some reason it was okay to give an outline of bad news as long as it was tucked at the back of your presentation.
I don't know if this holds as a rule anywhere but Apple, but I soon found that the more notes that a manager took during a presentation, the less likely they were to do anything about the issues they were noting. The managers that listened and really connected with you, likely wouldn't promise the world by writing it down, but might actually try to deliver on their commitments.
This evolved into a very successful strategy for me, listen a lot, promise only what you can deliver, and absolutely deliver what you promise and more. While you're at it, it helps to communicate a lot so that no one ends up in the dark. This works for employees, managers, and customers.
Apple's very unstructured environment also led to a system of personal loyalties that determined what got done and when. You could not count on someone at Apple doing something because they were told to do it. Rank meant very little at Apple. I can still remember a large federal agency requesting some information about iChat. Three Apple VPs had approved the request for the information. Yet a Director in marketing refused to respond to multiple emails about providing the information. At Apple being successful often meant helping others to be successful so that sometime in the future they might be willing to help you. You also learned that Apple product marketing operated by their own rules and feared no one but Steve.
Another interesting thing that was crystal clear at Apple was that the level of paranoia was directly related to the closeness to the top floor at One Infinite Loop. I remember coming over to Steve's floor to pick up an executive VP for a briefing. He quickly suggested a route off the floor that didn't go in front of Steve's office. He explained the choice by saying it was safer. While Apple people on the east coast were often willing to try different things, most of the California corporate people were very nervous to be involved in anything that wasn't a certain success from the word go. I can well remember a seminar on super computing that we were giving at FOSE (the federal computer show) one year in Washington. A few weeks before the seminar when we hadn't filled all the seats for the event, the corporate person panicked and wanted to cancel the whole thing. I finally said that she could cancel if she wanted but I would guarantee a great crowd, and if the event was canceled I would let it be known who did it. The event went forward, and it was standing room only.
Perhaps the most important thing I learned at Apple was that you were in charge of your own career. No one was taking notes on your accomplishments. It was rare that Apple managers that you could trust to care about your best interests would last long enough to help you advance. I was fortunate to have a really honest and hard working manager for six of my last eight years. It made a tremendous difference in what we got accomplished. We were both working for the best interests of the company while not paying a lot of attention to the impact on our own career.
I also learned that there were people at Apple who cared more about settling personal scores or putting money in their own pockets than promoting the best interests at Apple. I doubt this is any different than what you find at most Fortune 500 companies, but many of us joined Apple with the expectation that it would be different. Unfortunately it didn't turn out that way. Like all companies there were good employees and bad employees.
Not so surprisingly I found that working in a large company like Apple could be more rewarding when the company was having tough times. It was during those tough times that employees and customers were often treated the best. Often during times of great success, it was easy to imagine that any employee was expendable or that the corporation didn't mind ignoring a few customers because there were plenty more out there to replace any dissatisfied ones.
Another secret was that you don't need to know much about long term strategy to get you job done. At least that is the case if doing the right thing by customers and employees is at the top of your priority list. A number of us have written at length about the secrecy at Apple. The result of the secrecy is often a lot of "I don't knows," but I don't think that ever kept me from doing my job.
Probably the thing I learned the hardest way is that often Human Resources in a large company is tasked with protecting the company, not employees. At Apple human resources was a special kind of beast, but I'll leave it at that.
Apple was a great training ground, and with the appropriate amount of keeping your head down, a place where you could work with some of the brightest employees around. It's not a place for people looking for a structured career or one where you can expect the company to groom you for anything but possible early retirement if you get out of line.
Apple is an American icon. I'm not sure there's a high percentage of people leaving Apple by choice, but that doesn't mean you can't have a very interesting and rewarding career there if you learn how to survive in the unique Apple world.
Enjoyed your 20 year synopsis... I rode the beast for 8 years, survived all "reorgs", but burnout ultimately won... even took me a month and a half to come back and clean out my cube :) and still haven't fully recovered some 3 years later.
I had 6 managers over that time, some excellent, some surprisingly disinterested in Apple, the last... quite clueless on how to manage people, only skilled in corporate politics.
The key to surviving is to keep your head low, stay quiet and keep a balance in life "outside apple"... since it can become all consuming. (at least for me)
I agree there is little actual structure... and I learned early on... you are pretty much your own "company" inside apple, and your labor, reputation is all based on "you" not any team, or department.
I could go on and on about the great times, and painful times while working there. I encourage everyone to work there at least once, but be forewarned it's not paradise, and study up on "corporate politics" before your first day :)
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by the way, apple alumni have their own website... enjoy...
http://www.applealumni.org/
Posted by: It's secret | October 28, 2006 at 11:25 AM
Welcome to corporate America.
Posted by: Joe | October 28, 2006 at 11:25 AM
I am disappointed that four years in Apple Retail got me nothing. In the end when I tried to transfer to a different position at a different store, I was offered nothing extra for the experience I gained and my loyalty to the company. In fact, I was offered a lower position and the opportunity to "prove myself" yet again. I quit. Now I'm looking for work elsewhere, but the transition is tough. Apple is like a drug one needs to detox from.
Posted by: M | October 28, 2006 at 01:17 PM
Actually I went through the same thing when I moved from Apple Canada to Apple USA. I had gone as far as I could in Canada without moving to Toronto, so we chose to move to Columbia, Md and take a job there.
Though I did really well in the job there, it was truly like starting over. Apple was growing quickly then. After nearly a year in the states, I applied for a new manager's position. I was told that I didn't have enough experience though my Canadian experience gave me more than the person who was hired.
You're not the first ex-Apple employee to say Apple is like a drug or disease. Apple is hard to get over.
Another lesson that I learned at Apple is that who you know is much more important that what you know, but I think that is just corporate America.
Posted by: ocracokewaves | October 28, 2006 at 01:52 PM
I've always been a Mac fan, but worked at Intel for many years.
culture there is similar to what you described, but worse. top heavy. team and section reorgs often. when the going gets tough, the employees suffer, a lot. a significant percentage of the workforce was/is contract, and the culture there of "blue badge" vs. green badge" was horrendous.
so, an enormous ship, manned by a lot of mercenaries and cutthroats, sailing around looking for loot, with lots of plank walking if loot didn't come in.
yeah. corporate America.
Posted by: Joe Smithson | October 28, 2006 at 06:08 PM
Thanks for the glimpse inside Apple. Nothing about their inner workings surprises me, as I've always heard it is a difficult place. I'm amazed that the products are so excellent and the support is so good.
I've got 10 years experience (albeit at the lowest levels) working for Fortune 500 software companies. I can attest that several things you bring up are true of such companies, including: treatment of administrative people being indicative of being a team player, the fear of escalating bad news, the people who play politics at the company's expense, and HR being on the company's side not the employee's side (all you need to do is think about who pays HRs' salaries: you or the company?)
When people leave my company we jokingly say they've graduated from the unreal world to the real world. Congratulations on your graduation!
Posted by: Twriter | October 28, 2006 at 06:49 PM
Its funny reading your comments because I am an ex employee of Unisys and whilst I was not based in the US your stories read like a page from my experiences at Unisys.
In my country we have been watching with awe the story of Enron.
A while ago we watched with baited breath the employee related issues at EA.
One cannot help but notice that the correlation between your experiences, mine and the above companies is that they are all American.
I am not attacking Americans, my wife works for an American multiNat and has few problems but it does seem corporate America really doesn’t care about employees, only profits and survival.
I have owned my own successful businesses so I can totally understand any company wanting to protect their profits first, employees second but I also know that without committed employees who want to make a difference and who care what happens within an organization actually make a company a success.
Power to the staff I say!
Posted by: sidious | October 28, 2006 at 06:58 PM
Thanks for the great article... it was very interesting to see what it's really like to work at Apple.
Posted by: Tony Skilling | October 28, 2006 at 08:36 PM
I was killed(fired) in 5 weeks in the J.M.H(iCal, iSync...) team in Paris, was a very tough time, and it made me almost 2 years to recover.
I was aware that it was very hard to survive in Apple, but sincerely didn't believe it would be so crazy.
I work in a multiNat now, and it is not this kind of thing, even if it is far from paradise :) It is a lot more compatible with the real life.
Posted by: igerard | October 28, 2006 at 08:45 PM
Well, I have been working for about 10 years to get to my position. Left one industry for another. Now I am in the Film Industry. Much of what you have said, I learned in my first big job out of school. After 3 years we went from a small company (less than 100) to more than 10,000 (400+ in my building alone). As you can imagine we had rapid growth ... but soon after things settled down. That is when I decided to go back to school. I was forced early in my career (if you want to call it that) to take responsibility for my self. That is what ultimately gave me bigger raises. Also listening to everyone's needs (as you have pointed out). And more important only do work you know you can finish. Been burned on that one as a contractor more than once.
Thanks for your wise insight to apple, it seems that it's the same no matter what business you are in.
Posted by: Tom | October 28, 2006 at 09:15 PM
This is corporate America and our cold marketed world. No one cares for you, unless of course it is of clear benefit to them. Search at home for love and attention not at work. We're heading up on that holiday that is America's biggest corporate success- Christmas!!! enjoy!
Posted by: Scott | October 29, 2006 at 09:22 AM
Great article! Working at Apple for 16 years and leaving recently, I think the representation is largely accurate.
Apple is a special place with many very talented and dedicated people. I truly cherish my experience there.
Fear-based decision making diminishes Apple's success much more than the culture of secrecy.
God luck in your new endeavors.
Posted by: Tony | October 29, 2006 at 03:28 PM
Wow this is great insight. Thanks for sharing your experience at Apple with us. I have worked for Apple in the past. I loved the company. Many things that you discuss in this post definitely makes sense. I am passionate about Mac and would certainly love to work with the company again but one of the things that I find could be a problem is the fact that you can make good money but there is not a lot of room for moving toward leadership positions...
Anyhow... long life to Apple and Mac
Also please check out my mac related website at:
www.mostofmymac.com
To help you get the most out of your mac...
Posted by: TheMacThinker | October 29, 2006 at 05:21 PM
I am a college student from the Marriott School of Business at BYU studying marketing management. I found it very interesting to read your blog about the culture at Apple. I will graduate in December and am intently studying many companies and where I might want to work. I have always admired the Apple brand. It is often mentioned as an exceptional brand in the case studies I have been given at school so a small glance behind the brand was intriguing.
Posted by: Cody Webb | October 31, 2006 at 11:00 PM
It would be a HUGE help if someone who worked at Apple could tell me more about Human Resources. Thanks.
[email protected]
Posted by: nathan | December 10, 2007 at 01:04 AM
what is the starting salary for the retail stores? what is it like working in the retail stores? how does management treat the little people? the new employees? how is the janitor treated? (this would tell me a lot about management).
I'm told if you work for apple you cant be a member of online sites or forums, you can't talk about your job there? can someone verify?
Posted by: ihateleopard.com | September 11, 2008 at 03:45 PM
After 5 years at Apple (retail) I can fill in the culture that is there.
In most ways, it is the same. Fear and politics are the prevailing motivators for manager's decisions. I learned the hard way that doing a good job and taking on extra responsibilities does not translate to being promoted. ALthough this is way the company would like you to believe. I was always passed over for the person that schmoozed the boss better.
Most of the promotions were done because they had finally decided to fill a position that was vacant for an eternity. At that time they would pick whoever was standing in the room at the time. Most of these were not qualified for the positions that they hold.
Being ambitious does not always help and can sometimes hurt. If a manager doesn't like you, you will go nowhere. If you change stores without a promotion, it will be like starting over. Nothing you have done in the past will be considered.
The Store Managers are in most cases all powerful but only in the store they run. Most of them see the other store managers and stores as competition. There is an us and them feel to them.
The people that work at corporate treat the retail folks as monkeys and are not considered "Actual" Apple employees.
Posted by: Harry Hill | December 17, 2008 at 02:55 AM
I couldn't stand it there because my manager was a moron with no management experience but a lot of corporate politics and showmanship. The rest of the division leadership who ended up creating alliances amongst themselves, were considered all morons - one psychologically crazy - too by the rest of the employees but everyone was so afraid to say or do anything. If you like a culture of fear, politics, controlling, junior high hierachy, and being backstabbed, this is the culture for you. it was the worst experience of my life and one I had to take many years to recover from. The worst was the way that people on the outside idolize working at Apple only to find out later that the corporate Apple is so different than what they spend millions of dollars on with their image. I know many people who hated working there and were scarred.
Posted by: it'll kill your soul | May 18, 2009 at 12:24 AM
worked in Apple Europe for 2 years... its a great place to work, but is not life friendly. if you work there, be prepared to say good bye to social and family life!!
I left because i wanted a life outside of apple!
Posted by: not as great as you think! | July 08, 2009 at 10:16 PM