Legendary Apple Engineer Gets Rejected For Genius Bar Job. Too old?

[FLPanhandle]

http://gizmodo.com/legendary-apple-engineer-gets-rejected-for-genius-bar-j-1786195633



This weekend’s New York Times op-ed about the ageism people over 50 face in the workplace includes a charming anecdote via JK Scheinberg, the esteemed Apple engineer who got Mac OS running on Intel processors.

A little restless after retiring in 2008, at 54, he figured he’d be a great fit for a position at an Apple store Genius Bar, despite being twice as old as anyone else at the group interview. “On the way out, all three of the interviewers singled me out and said, ‘We’ll be in touch,’ ” he said. “I never heard back.”

Although Apple customers would’ve been lucky to have Scheinberg as their tech support, we can at least rest easy knowing the famed engineer wanted the job more as a hobby than as a way to earn money.

The op-ed also called for age diversity in the workplace, pointing out that women face discrimination in the workplace starting at the tender age of 32, when they begin getting passed over for promotions, widening the pay gap.

[msongs]

1. maybe he is not snotty enough. but the age thing, that's definitely understandable from tax dodgers

at apple lol

[Moonwalk]

6. Wow. Was an Apple genius snotty to you? The ones I've dealt with have been incredibly friendly....

...and super kind. I've seen them laughing and joking with older customers, carrying out computers to their cars for them. When I had an iPhone emergency in a foreign country the geniuses there bent over backwards to figure out what was wrong and get my phone working before my flight. Never met nicer tech folk--especially compared to other companies. I remember the rudest tech from one such other company saying, "Well, I can't do any more for you, so you'll just have to get a new one."

Never had an apple genius or tech tell me anything like that. When one of my devices did have real trouble, the genius took one look at it, went into the back and brought me a new one; then he apologized on behalf of Apple for the problem I'd had.

But maybe I've just had good Apple genius experiences...though Apple's customer service does get consistently high marks compared to others companies. So...maybe not so snotty as you think?

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

16. They were pretty rough when I was on my umteenth iBook logicboard replacement

All that model of iBook logicboards were defective, every single one ever made. Defective boards were being replaced with a brand new defective board.

In 2007 I was actually offered a corporate job with the Apple Store, but they were pretty cultish.

[Moonwalk]

2. Odd. The local Apple stores in my area have men and women of all ages. I remember seeing....

...more than one gray and silver-headed sales person (of both genders) helping customers to find the right product for their needs. I can't speak to the genius bar, as I haven't had to take an Apple product there for repair in a while, but I can say that while older sales people aren't the majority at the Apple stores in my area, there's certainly more than a few.

Of course, one person's experience is never a valid sampling to argue a point such as this. I...oh, and the article...would have to get a larger sample to prove agism on Apple's part in hiring both genius bar repair people and sales persons. But it is an amusing story. Did the op-ed say if the place that didn't hire him was interviewed as to why they didn't hire him? I mean, what if they were told "we thought we needed an extra repair person, but we don't"?

Still, the op-ed is very right. We do need more diversity in the workplace. And I'd say that what I don't see at the genius bar is less a diversity in age than in sex. I almost never see a woman at those genius bars. That troubles me a bit more, especially in what it says about the lack of women (I presume) studying tech and being encouraged to take such classes or feeling welcome in such areas.

[NightWatcher]

3. Maybe he was OVER QUALIFIED and that's why they passed him by

The "genius bar" is rarely populated by geniuses. A legendary engineer would wipe the floor with them.

[FreeState]

12. This. I just did a round of interviews and about 1/3

This. I just did a round of interviews at my work and about 1/3 of the candidates were extremely overqualified.

[DonCoquixote]

13. ding ding

When I got out of college, I would interview at places that did not need a Master's, but they would always reject me. The reason being, the supervisor who likely got to their position by kissing ass and toadying, KNOWS that corporate would see a future in you, unlike him or her.

[Eleanors38]

18. Since grad school (over 40 yrs ago) I have heard that a few dozen times...

But I could type 86 wpm, and there were enough openings that turning down a male would have been obvious. Next career? Auto mechanic!

[onehandle]

4. I know a number of people who have experienced ageism in hiring at the Apple Store in Philly.

It's an open secret that the woman who manages it is looking for hip youngsters and will rarely consider anyone over 30.

Most other Apple Stores seem to hire all ages.

[Moonwalk]

7. You should send a letter to Tim Cook. Really. Apparently he often reads such e-mails...

Couldn't hurt. And I really don't think she should be allowed to get away with that.

[Auggie]

15. +1 (for pointing out it is likely the decision of one person and not corporate philosophy)

Last edited Mon Sep 5, 2016, 08:23 PM - Edit history (1)

People with axes to grind (the anti-Apple and yellow journalists) will skew this story in favor of their agendas.

[onehandle]

22. Yeah, I'm a big Apple person. I go to the Apple Store in the 'burbs in Willow Grove...

...or the store across the river in New Jersey instead, for a lot of reasons beyond their hiring practices.

Even though they are a lot less convenient.

A bad manager makes a big difference.

[Blue_Tires]

5. It's even worse for those of us that aren't former Apple engineers...

[mopinko]

8. apple should get hip with this.

about 6-7 years ago, at the callow age of 55, i tried hard to get a job at the apple store.
i was perfect. no recent work history, but a qualified graphic designer, long time computer user, and very techy for an old lady.
they really need people in my demographic in there. there are 3 apple stores near me. aaallllll young people.

had done a lot of classes through them, and even had a friend on the inside. couldnt even get an interview.

[MADem]

9. I think Apple stuff is overpriced and way too proprietary....

...but if I ever did switch (unlikely, I admit) I would rather talk to someone closer to my own age rather than some kid who looks impossibly young.

Call it bias if you'd like but that is how a lot of people north of fifty feel.

[Orangepeel]

10. Maybe he blew the interview?

It's certainly possible that they passed him over because of his age. But it's hard to be sure without knowing how the interview went. Maybe he kept referring to himself as "legendary"?

[Tracer]

11. My dentist retired and got a "hobby job" at Apple.

Not as a "genius" but just working the floor.

And he certainly isn't a kid. He is probably in his early sixties.

[ErikJ]

14. Not "sexy" enough?

Apple like most of retail prefers youth to help sell and brand their products. And Apple probably has more than enough applicants to choose from.

[GOLGO 13]

17. It's the "Abercombie Syndrome"

Hire only young attractive people to give good face to the public.

[GeoWilliam750]

19. Few people

Are willing to higher staff older than them, partly because they believe that the older person knows more than them, and may be more qualified.

Thus, they would rather have more pliable, more vulnerable, often less qualified, and usually less reliable staff. So many companies do this, and it does not bode well for a business model.

It increasingly seems that weakness and sychophancy are far more desirable than experience and independent thinking.

[marble falls]

20. One more reason to hate Apple. I want an Apple desk top, I just don't want to buy it from Apple.

[jmowreader]

21. I can imagine what they said about him on the interview notes

Candidate: JK Scheinberg
Experience: While working at Apple, ported MacOS to Intel
Recommendation: Do not hire. Not enough iOS experience.