Please note, however, that consistently NOT providing breaks is a violation of federal employment laws. Every company gets crap for that if they don’t comply (crap – you know, like fines and sanctions and visits by inspectors). And if they don’t allow you sick days they offer, or intimidate you, either write it up in some blog or join a friggin’ union. If you just get pissed and quit (or get fired), you wind up just passing the problem upline (funny how people say they don’t need unions, but act all helpless when big companies dump all over them).

lupwah59 :0)

P.S.S. PCzRok: Corporate Banker = Incompetent Douche. My 401K thanks you.

I have a degree. Two of them. I’ve shuffled papers around and recruited new clients and wore suits every day and kissed my boss’s ass. Company car, flying first class, fancy hotel rooms. I did it for over five years and I was good at what I did; I kept getting promoted. I made loads of money.

I was unhappy.

I’m not saying you’re unhappy – you could very well find corporate banking to be the most fascinating and electrifying thing in the world, and I sincerely hope you do. What I’m saying is maybe that isn’t for everyone.

I work as a retailer. I love my job, and I’m fantastic at it and proud of what I do. I make substantially less money than I used to, and I don’t care – for me money doesn’t affect happiness. I work a wide variety of hours and I like it. I believe in the products I sell, and my customers love what they buy. Some of the best people I’ve ever met are people I work with and some of my regular customers.

You remind me of the guys I used to work with – constantly reminding themselves how much more important they are than people who make less money than them. People who don’t have as many brands in their closet or the Italian leather package on their SUV. Remember – without people working these jobs you wouldn’t have a tailored suit, a starbucks coffee, a PC, your blackberry, socks, underwear, fast food, kleenex, a TV, etc etc. All the possessions that you keep around to remind you of your success, and all the luxuries that keep you feeling like the VIP that you are would be obsolete without the people to market and sell them to you. So before you take a p*ss on people that have different priorities than you, please understand that some of us are doing what we do by choice rather than circumstance.

Its clear to me that a lot of people who commented earlier on this page are not cut out for retail. and it’s totally ok. anyone who says customers are a nightmare has got a rotten attitude – I NEVER have a terrible customer. Unhappy or agitated sometimes, but letting them know they were going to be taken care of and that you understand them goes a long way if you’re genuine. They want to be taken care of and get value for what they spend just like anybody does, so when they realize that you want the same thing for them the confrontation is over. angry customer suddenly is wowed that you’re going the extra mile for them – because so few retailers do.

I do not have a job working for apple. I’ve worked for a variety of companies and brands. Every retail job with an even remotely modern management structure promotes from within and uses individual sales goals to meet the store’s financial objectives. How else can someone’s productivity be measured in a sales role? any retailer who just opens his doors, stands behind a register and hopes for the best is doomed these days.

And penalties for tardiness? There’s a simple solution – show up on time. And frankly, I don’t believe that a company wouldn’t let you take sick time. if someone gets hassled about taking sick time, it usually means the company knows it’s being abused. After all, there is a difference between sick time and vacation time – one of those differences being that when you quit a job, vacation time gets paid out. sick time doesn’t.

Anyway, what I’m trying to say is do what you excel at. do what makes you feel fulfilled at the end of the day, and take pride in it, whatever it is. and THAT’s win freakin’ win.

OK I wasn’t going to comment, because I really don’t care. But … uhh … hey Dude? I gotta nominate you for the “Biggest Douche of the Universe Award” for that comment.

That’s not called being whiny. That’s called being human. If you go into work expecting to get a 15 minute break at some point and you’re told “NO” you’re probably not going to be a happy camper. Just because you and the management view it as a golden “opportunity” to squeeze just that little extra but of productivity out of your employees, by denying them the one respite they get while at work is an opportunity is for you & you alone. The lowly peon selling doesn’t get a raise or a bonus by foregoing his break, so why should he care?

(I know there’s a question mark there, but that’s a rhetorical question. I have no desire to hear another corporate BS answer to any questions I ever ask.)

I’ve never worked for Apple … never would … I’m a PC guy and y’all tend to be a pretentious bunch of characters, but I did sell retail PCs for 2 years back when I was in college (1997-1999) and the same crap you’re spouting off is the same crap my bosses were spouting off about as well, “Yea Go Team! Sell Sell Sell! Win the cupie doll! You get what you put into it! If you’re not happy then it must be your fault! The management is never wrong! Let’s all hold hands and sing the company song!” … LOL … your problem isn’t that “teens are whiny and don’t want to work” your problem is that teens are smarter now and see through the corporate BS that used to work on a much more naive generation (most likely their parents!) and you haven’t updated your game plan since I was in retail (over a decade ago). So don’t be surprised when the “flock” fights back. I guess you’ll just have to start treating people like human beings or come up with a new game plan to mind @#$% the current generation into believing that what you tell them “the company” wants is actually in their best interest.

Anyone who is considering joining the retail sales force just needs to be wary of the realities of what they will encounter. You’re never going to get a retailer to be honest & upfront about the job. They’ll always paint the rosiest picture. You should talk to the employees of the store before you give it serious consideration. If there’s dissension among the ranks, rest assured it’s being brought on by the douchey management and you are about to subject yourself to those exact same working conditions.

Retail is fine as a college job, but please don’t be deluded into thinking it’s some utopia where everyone is happy & looking out for your best interests, and that you’re about to make a million bucks and can pay off your student loans before next fall. It’s just a ‘filler job’. Something to pad the resume until you can get to a real job, or until you graduate. None of the jobs I’ve held since then have even bothered to look into the retail job on my resume. I even had one interviewer, years ago, tell me I should actually just take it off because most interviewers take retail jobs with a grain of salt … for many of the reasons that have already been mentioned they’re a poor standard to judge an applicant by. Your boss may be a douche, or incompetent and as a result gave you bad reviews when you are in fact and excellent employee … so like I said … it’s a college job. After that you grow up and get a ‘big boy job’.

In spite of layoffs and buyouts, I’m still glad I’m in the world of international corporate banking … LOL. Stability, regular hours, interesting clients, low stress, the occasional free beer & better pay than any piddly retail job I ever did … it’s win freakin’ win baby :)

R-Man is clearly a recruiter reading from a credo card of the same talking points I heard in all those useless meetings. The story about the specialist who only sold the most expensive items was especially poignant. I know that guy, he used the exact same “planned obsolescence” pitch to up-sell and also consistently lied to customers about anti-virus to get them to buy .Mac knowing full well that it was incompatible with the new operating system. Until he got promoted to management. Go figure.

Let’s get back to the original article we are commenting on. Do you remember the movie Waiting? What’s his name is offered a card very similar to the one above. He could have been a server in another restaurant, or moved up to management in the same restaurant. He instead realized that something needed to change in himself so that he could be successful. What does he do? He chucks the card and quits because he’s too smart to do that job for the rest of his life. He doesn’t want to end up like the angry bushed lady or the sleazy old empty shell of a man with no friends that manages the place. And look where he is now… ironically now he’s a Mac! Actually he’s an actor and he makes way more $ than anyone in Apple Retail except Ron.

If you are applying for a job at Apple Retail with the sole hope of moving out of Retail, than you probably will not be successful. Apple Retail wants people who not only love Apple, but who also love to assist and have fun with Apple’s customers in a Retail Setting. It is this closeness with the customers that really makes someone qualified and ready to move out of the Retail Box an into corporate opportunities.

There are many opportunities for Retail employees to branch out into corporate. Whether it be training opportunities, or the corporate exchange program. Both are designed to provide the opportunity to high performing retail employees who A) have an interest, and B) possess an in-demand talent , to work at Apple corporate.

I hope this answers your question.

I would absolutely contact the store.

However, I would print off a resume, and bring it into the store and ask to speak with a manager.

Please be prepared, you will probably only have 30 seconds to a minute, due to the current volume in the store to get their attention and make them want to call you for an interview.

Ever heard of an elevator speech? Basically, if you were getting on an elevator with a extremely powerful individual that you wanted to convey your value to, how would you do it between the first and 10th floors. Not a long time, but you need to make a lasting impression.