Why I Walked Out On Apple

H

HardOCP News

[H] News
Joined
Dec 31, 1969
Messages
0
What's it like to be a designer for Apple? Ask this guy. :eek:

Then at lunch time I wiped the iPad data clean, put the files I had been working on neatly on the server, left all their belongings on my desk, and I got in my car and drove home. I left a message for my boss and told him he’s the worst boss I had ever encountered in my entire professional career and that I could no longer work under him no matter how good Apple might look on my resume.
Click to expand...
 
Walking out of a job like that is just not something you do. I have a hard time believing that company with the size and reputation of apple doesn't have a workplace policy to deal with situations like this.
 
I'm lucky to have such a good work-life balance at my current job. Part of that balance is a trusting boss who is good at managing people. This guy obviously didn't have that.
 
Professional career? You leave at lunch and that's professional. Suck it up, give your two weeks, and move on. If it wasn't a career job, leave at lunch. I've done that (even first day!), but they weren't career jobs. They were just jobs. If you want a professional career, you treat it well. Even at a shitty job. :/
 
@Xr7 - then again, maybe there's more to this story that we're not being told.
 
I don't know what this guy was trying to prove by writing that. He could've handled that situation very differently opposed to just walking out like he did.
 
If your DREAM is to WORK for xyz company, then you're priorities are all out of wack. I work in corporate america at a great company with great pay and benefits. I DREAM of not working and spending 100% of my time with my family.

I am glad this guy got it right at the end. Good for him.
 
I lol'ed at all the comments. Every employment contract states that its a mutual contract between 2 entities and you can leave at any time. A company will lay you off that day if it feels you provide no benefit.
 
Just not sure what is to be gained by someone who just walks out on a job and then puts it online.
 
LOL. Apple should never be anyone's dream job. If you read/watch any biography/biopic about Steve Jobs you will quickly learn about the abusive managerial style he fostered. Being that they canonized him, I'm sure that attitude is pervasive throughout the company.

As always, do your reasearch.
 
He walked out, and is trying to mitigate the damage he may have done to his career, by publicly bad talking the employer he walked out on? Not smart.

I wish him the best, I really do. And I also might have put my experiences out there, but I would have waited until a bit after I had found a new job.
 
I can relate, I work for a Mega company and it is similar. No matter what you do and how hard you work to overcome all the crappy work your vendors send you which you are required to rework and still make the delivery date management is never satisfied with your performance and fixates on micro-managing your job instead of fixing the inherent problems and processes that create the disruptions. It would be nice to be able to say "Screw it!" and walk out the door, but you suck it up for the pay and benefits that come with the job. Actually he did not even work for Apple it sounds like but one of their contract companies, another sad state of affairs in today's business world.
 
A bit surprising he didn't try the HR office, or did Steve make sure it was impossible to find. His methods may not have been the most sound, but at least he did what was best. A shitty boss can turn even the greatest of jobs into a nightmare.
 
I guess my only question is what did he do do rectify the unprofessional attitude of his boss? I didn't see anything about him even asking the boss to lay off the insults much less seeking a solution from higher up the chain and/or other possible routes that are likely available at a company that size.

While I'm not a big Apple fan, it seems odd to just call it quits and run away with your tail between your legs so fast and so easily because the first guy you met at your dream company was a dick.
 
Xr7 said:
Walking out of a job like that is just not something you do. I have a hard time believing that company with the size and reputation of apple doesn't have a workplace policy to deal with situations like this.
Click to expand...

I walked out like that at Verizon.
 
Apple design:

1. Take photo of product on white background.
2. Create new document in Photoshop and paste said photo.
3. Type something stupid in Helvetica.
4. Vertically align both layers.
4. Save file and go on break.
 
Ur_Mom said:
Professional career? You leave at lunch and that's professional. Suck it up, give your two weeks, and move on. If it wasn't a career job, leave at lunch. I've done that (even first day!), but they weren't career jobs. They were just jobs. If you want a professional career, you treat it well. Even at a shitty job. :/
Click to expand...

I think the fact that we're acting like professionals while the company is more than happy to have your belongings meet you at the door when you get to work is one of the great scams of the western world.
 
So, he walked out on his dream job because he hated his supervisor? What an idiot.
 
It doesn't say how long he worked there, we at least know it was over a month since he said it took him a month to get access to the servers. Does kind of seem like a poor way to go about leaving, however in a place like Apple I would assume they don't want a two week notice. As that is 2 weeks of you not doing anything, having access to stuff to screw up and so on. So just a I quit probably results in the same as going to HR and trying to give a 2 weeks notice.

That said some of this stuff there sounds like being a whiny little bitch to me. If you don't like the commute then move closer. Sometimes taking a job requires you to spend more time away from your family. that is something you factor into working to begin with. Boss does sound like a jerk. So maybe there was valid reason to quit. However going online and posting about it like this isn't going to help him with future job placement.

cortexodus said:
Seems to me, by his own admission he didn't really work for Apple. Does being a contractor count?
Click to expand...

Yes, you are working at Apple on Apple products. Even if you are there as a contract worker. All that being a contract worker means is that after x amount of time they could not renew his contract and he would be out of a job as opposed to being hired and having to be fired to get rid of him.

inbedwithhomer said:
LOL. Apple should never be anyone's dream job. If you read/watch any biography/biopic about Steve Jobs you will quickly learn about the abusive managerial style he fostered. Being that they canonized him, I'm sure that attitude is pervasive throughout the company.

As always, do your reasearch.
Click to expand...

agreed
 
Ur_Mom said:
Professional career? You leave at lunch and that's professional. Suck it up, give your two weeks, and move on. If it wasn't a career job, leave at lunch. I've done that (even first day!), but they weren't career jobs. They were just jobs. If you want a professional career, you treat it well. Even at a shitty job. :/
Click to expand...

Corporations do not give two weeks notice before laying you off so why should a worker give a two weeks notice before quitting?

Stop being sheep and licking the boots of Corporate Amerika.
 
Xr7 said:
Walking out of a job like that is just not something you do. I have a hard time believing that company with the size and reputation of apple doesn't have a workplace policy to deal with situations like this.
Click to expand...

Oh, of course. All giant corporations give a shit whether a manager is berating his subordina-lol.

They care about what will get them sued, like sexual harassment. They give less than one tal meson of shit whether your boss is an asshole. Most are. Unfortunately, there's usually an asshole bossing them around, too.
 
infin@ said:
A bit surprising he didn't try the HR office, or did Steve make sure it was impossible to find.
Click to expand...
You're missing an important part of the story. From the article:

"They offered me a contract position"

and

"The third party company that contracted me"

He was not an Apple employee, he was a contractor. Every company has their share of bosses who are jerks, however it is much worse when you aren't a real employee, because the jerk boss knows he can get away with just about anything (that isn't too blatantly illegal) and you have no choice but either put up with it or leave.

He couldn't "complain to HR", or anyone else, because technically he didn't actually work for Apple. He worked for some thrid-party contracting company. Apple pays the contracting company who pays the guy. Make any waves and suddenly, your contract is cancelled. This is a scam that is used by a lot of the tech companies.
 
Whatever. He needs to suck it up. Just ignore mr dickhole. If you stick in there, you may pass up mr dickhole and have some leverage to get him gone.

That or he sucked and is trying to point the finger at Apple for his failure. Usually the people that get managed the most are the ones that don't work out well.

Either way fucking millennials are so weak. Grow a pair, life is hard, and if mr dickhole is that bad got to HR.
 
Makes me wonder what these "insults disguised as jokes" were, specifically, since he never mentions a single one. If it was something really bad then he should have gone to HR. If he was just being an overly-sensitive douche, well...there you go.
 
The dude had his rose colored glasses on thinking Apple is heaven on Earth. Of course he found out the truth.
 
If it's causing a problem for yourself and co-workers int he department, go to his boss, something that bad disrupting the production of an entire department, must be getting noticed by someone?

And no you don't just walk out, you hand in your notice, as I'm sure you are contractually obliged to provide notice of so many days (normally 14, or 30). I think he shot himself in the foot.
 
What did he expect?

Apple makes good products but its a nasty company, always has been. They underpay and mistreat their staff, they shamelessly use exploited labor in 3rd world countries, they have no respect for any of their competitors and often steal technology then bully them with false patent infringement cases knowing that most of them cannot cover the legal bills and worst of all they treat their customers and fans with utter contempt.

Very Good products, but dreadful company with a narcissistic attitude.

And for those who think it was unprofessional for Jordan to quit like that? Some companies like Apple have no problem firing employees on the drop of a hat on the weakest of excuses (settle personal scores, avoid having to pay extra compensation commissions/bonuses, or simple to be cruel). Turnabout is fair play. His manager enjoyed bullying people (I know the type, cowards outside the office sucking up to other bullies above them) so Jordan owed them nothing. Show no love for your employees you get none in return. Apple has no right to complain (in fact, I doubt it really cares one way or the other).

In my view Jordan made two mistakes.

1. He should have known what he was signing up with the devil beforehand. Apple isn't Google. It's poor reputation is well known in the industry. Personally I would never work for a company with that type of reputation, I don't care who it is, I have worked for some of them as well, big names don't impress me. I work to feed my family, not to stroke a company's ego. I would rather work for a nobody company and get treated correctly then get treated like dogsh*t at a prestigious company.

2. He should have found another job first, THEN told his boss to go f**k himself and quit.
 
Should have quietly left and quickly found a new job. A 1-month gap is something that can fly under the radar of your resume and not show up in future interviews.

Instead, he made a show of it and aired their dirty laundry on the internet. Now he gets to answer questions about it in every future job interview.
 
Good for him,whatever his reasons,...I dont care what company it is , no job is worth keeping if its making you miserable
 
Companies will get away with treating their employees like shit as long as the employees are desperate enough to put up with it.
Don't worry Jordan.
When it comes to your resume, Apple is just like EA in employers' eyes. You're either a doormat or an asshole.
 
So basically:

- he didn't like regular work hours (he called them "rigid", but its clear what he meant was normal for 99% of the jobs in the world)
- he didn't like meetings (tough luck in a big company)
- he didn't like his commute
- he didn't like working on things his boss thought were important
- and his boss was a bit of a prick

Bummer, dude. That's why they call it a "job". That's why they call it "work". If it was all fun and doing what you want, when you want and they way you want then they wouldn't need to pay you.

Definitely unprofessional to just walk out. Some would call it down right immature. And putting up a blog post bragging about doing it isn't the best move either - that is if you ever expect to get a "regular" job again (yes, Virginia, most big companies will research your internet history before hiring you...or in this case before deciding NOT to hire you).
 
Sounds like his boss was one of the typical geek-elitists (treating everyone like garbage to try to make yourself feel better because of stereotypical geeky social inadequacies and the lack of a life outside of video games, non-social hobbies, and/or work) that have taken over most of the technology industry and chased out most of the professionals. Typically they get angry when other people make better decisions and have the courage to confront their fears, take risks, and seek more meaningful things from life than they do. I see a lot of them on these forums - some commenting on this topic.

The people saying he should have talked to his boss or HR:
He already said that those that in any way stood up to the boss suffered retaliation. As for HR...first of all, in the vast majority of companies (which happen to also be greedy and corrupt) HR exists to protect the company, not the employee. If he complained to HR, HR would only be looking the most efficient way to terminate him with the least risk as fast as possible. His only options were to live a miserable life at Apple or leave.

But regardless, although the guy doesn't sound like a jerk as his boss was, he does sound like an idiot. Who cares about the two week notice thing - unless the involved companies do this for their contractors/employees, in which case it would be only right to return the courtesy. I highly doubt that is the case though. However, leaving without a two week notice when you do not even have another offered lined up? Completely dumb. It is even dumb to leave at all without another offer lined up, unless the job was severely affecting him in some way, but he did not indicate that was the case.

Furthermore, it was idiotic to leave without even first warning the company that directly contracted him. It appears he had a long, positive working relationship with this company, yet he gave them no consideration at all? He also started complaining about having to work in the city (his choice to live out in the suburbs or whatever commuter city), having to work a standard 9-5 work week without "flexibility," having to balance work with family (his choice to start a family before he could afford conveniences that would reduce the problem), etc...

Those three issues are beyond the control of Apple and are HIS issues. That does not make him appealing to future employers when they now know that he is going to be having these issues at their companies as well.
 
cyzzledyzzle said:
sounds like an entitled millenial hipster dipshit to me
Click to expand...

Yeah, this is exactly what it feels like to me as well.
He should have given his two weeks at a minimum, and at the very end, sent the e-mail to his supervisor along with CCing his superiors.

But then again, he made quite a few other mistakes. :rolleyes:
 
Welcome to the real world Jordan. Don't feel like the Lone Ranger; everyone deals with a-hole bosses in their working career. I have had SEVERAL!!

Man, 20 something years ago I went through the same thing working for an electronics giant. I was offered a position in a factory facility and ended up working for a guy that was an unbelievable #1 a-hole. It was my DREAM to leave the small time and work for one of the big names and this a-hole ruined it. I ended up getting laid off and it was actually a relief. (company is long gone now anyway)

Sounds like Jordan worked under someone that went to the Steve Jobs school of management. Jobs was often cruel to people under him, a real prick. Many people that worked for him hated him.
He was so disliked it was a contributing reason he was booted from the fledgling Apple in the early 80s.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top