Hello.
A while back I asked on here if I should take a job Apple offered me, to be a Creative. I took it, was excited, then quit on day 2. Here's why.
On both interviews I was told that I would be using all my creative talent to teach people, and help people, use a plethora of creative software. I was going to be using Adobe CS, Final Cut Studio, Maya and Modo. I've been involved in 3D for almost 20 years, love to teach it, and was told the Creative role would allow that.
I turn up for training, meet the people, everyone seems nice, although a little bit too in love with Apple. I get called into a morning meeting, called a Download, and greeted by everyone. They did this chant thing where they spelled out Apple, with each letter being a different word - that was odd. Download over I go into a tiny back room cupboard to start my training. It turns out this is reading a ton of stuff about how various Apple apps work, such as how to import music from a CD in iTunes etc, the kind of stuff that everyone outside of a deaf, blind, dead, buried and rotten half breed can figure out for themselves. This was supposed to cary on for two days, I started to get suspicious. I tried talking to the Creative who was training me, he seemed more interested in playing with Final Cut, going through Lynda.com training material.
So I carry on with it, thinking it would get better. It did, I was asked to go into the store to sit in on a session with a Creative, and watch how they teach. That was fun, the lady (who was very sweet) needed to know how Time Machine works, and the Creative took the entire hour to show her, wow. I mean, I didn't realise it had to be that complex. Surely the point of Time Machine is, well, anyway, you get the idea.
I had lunch, then went back where I was given a pep talk about Apple, how secure my job would be, how much money the store had made, how many new 'Apple Owners' they had 'made'. I was constantly asked what I thought about that, 'how does that make you feel' etc. My response was something along the lines of 'well, if you make money, I get paid'. That made the frown, it wasn't in the spirit of things. Next came the incredibly peculiar bit, the language of Apple. I was told what to say and how to say it, how to deal with certain questions etc. I told them I was a grown up now and could deal with awkward customers and that I knew enough about Apple products to be able to deal with any questions that could arise. And then it came, the killer. 'But what would you say if an Apple Owner wanted to learn how to edit a digital photo in Photoshop?'. My response was something along the lines of 'show them'.
That's the wrong answer. No matter that in both interviews I was specifically told I'd be using all sorts of software etc, that was wrong. Apple don't acknowledge software or hardware they don't make, if you paid to see a Creative, it better be about an Apple product otherwise forget it. So, that pissed me off. I can't sit with people wanting to use iPhoto all day, I'm slightly beyond iPhoto. Sure, I'd do it when the occasion calls, which I was told would be every other day or so. Where was Final Cut, Maya, Modo? Where was the time where I'd be teaching complex stuff to people? That's not allowed, you're not allowed to be creative as a Creative. I asked why Apple had 'Think Different' as a campaign when the people they employ were not allowed to be. That started a long conversation with the manager of the store, who instead of trying to convince me that working for Apple was good, thought I'd rather be made aware of how much money they had made in the previous week, and where they stood in terms of global store sales.
So I went back to my hotel, packed, and in the morning told them that was it. The benefits I was told about, cheap Apple gear, the percentages knocked off etc, was all lies. You get a certain amount off, but it's not worth being in a cult for. I still think Apple machines are great, I still like OS X more than Windows (although Snow Leopard is a disappointment). But would I ever want to work for Apple again? No thanks, I prefer to have my own ideas thank you. The final thing my manager said to me clinched it though, 'If you quit Apple now, you'll never work for us again'. Don't worry mate, wasn't going to.
A while back I asked on here if I should take a job Apple offered me, to be a Creative. I took it, was excited, then quit on day 2. Here's why.
On both interviews I was told that I would be using all my creative talent to teach people, and help people, use a plethora of creative software. I was going to be using Adobe CS, Final Cut Studio, Maya and Modo. I've been involved in 3D for almost 20 years, love to teach it, and was told the Creative role would allow that.
I turn up for training, meet the people, everyone seems nice, although a little bit too in love with Apple. I get called into a morning meeting, called a Download, and greeted by everyone. They did this chant thing where they spelled out Apple, with each letter being a different word - that was odd. Download over I go into a tiny back room cupboard to start my training. It turns out this is reading a ton of stuff about how various Apple apps work, such as how to import music from a CD in iTunes etc, the kind of stuff that everyone outside of a deaf, blind, dead, buried and rotten half breed can figure out for themselves. This was supposed to cary on for two days, I started to get suspicious. I tried talking to the Creative who was training me, he seemed more interested in playing with Final Cut, going through Lynda.com training material.
So I carry on with it, thinking it would get better. It did, I was asked to go into the store to sit in on a session with a Creative, and watch how they teach. That was fun, the lady (who was very sweet) needed to know how Time Machine works, and the Creative took the entire hour to show her, wow. I mean, I didn't realise it had to be that complex. Surely the point of Time Machine is, well, anyway, you get the idea.
I had lunch, then went back where I was given a pep talk about Apple, how secure my job would be, how much money the store had made, how many new 'Apple Owners' they had 'made'. I was constantly asked what I thought about that, 'how does that make you feel' etc. My response was something along the lines of 'well, if you make money, I get paid'. That made the frown, it wasn't in the spirit of things. Next came the incredibly peculiar bit, the language of Apple. I was told what to say and how to say it, how to deal with certain questions etc. I told them I was a grown up now and could deal with awkward customers and that I knew enough about Apple products to be able to deal with any questions that could arise. And then it came, the killer. 'But what would you say if an Apple Owner wanted to learn how to edit a digital photo in Photoshop?'. My response was something along the lines of 'show them'.
That's the wrong answer. No matter that in both interviews I was specifically told I'd be using all sorts of software etc, that was wrong. Apple don't acknowledge software or hardware they don't make, if you paid to see a Creative, it better be about an Apple product otherwise forget it. So, that pissed me off. I can't sit with people wanting to use iPhoto all day, I'm slightly beyond iPhoto. Sure, I'd do it when the occasion calls, which I was told would be every other day or so. Where was Final Cut, Maya, Modo? Where was the time where I'd be teaching complex stuff to people? That's not allowed, you're not allowed to be creative as a Creative. I asked why Apple had 'Think Different' as a campaign when the people they employ were not allowed to be. That started a long conversation with the manager of the store, who instead of trying to convince me that working for Apple was good, thought I'd rather be made aware of how much money they had made in the previous week, and where they stood in terms of global store sales.
So I went back to my hotel, packed, and in the morning told them that was it. The benefits I was told about, cheap Apple gear, the percentages knocked off etc, was all lies. You get a certain amount off, but it's not worth being in a cult for. I still think Apple machines are great, I still like OS X more than Windows (although Snow Leopard is a disappointment). But would I ever want to work for Apple again? No thanks, I prefer to have my own ideas thank you. The final thing my manager said to me clinched it though, 'If you quit Apple now, you'll never work for us again'. Don't worry mate, wasn't going to.
