JK Scheinberg, the Apple engineer who worked more than 20 years with the company and persuaded Steve Jobs to port the Mac from PowerPC to Intel processors, was reportedly turned down for a Genius Bar job at the Apple store.
The incident took place in 2008, when Scheinberg was 54, and feeling restless after retiring. The New York Times article says he was twice the age of the average person applying for the Genius Bar post. He was allegedly singled out by the three interviewers after his interview, with them saying they’d be in touch — but he never heard from them again.
The article uses the rejection as an example of ageism in the workplace. While I haven’t heard similar efforts by Apple to crack down on this specific problem, since taking over the reigns at Apple, Tim Cook has championed diversity — which one would hope would also include diversity of age.
Of course, there are plenty of other reasons why a former Apple engineer (even one as talented and renowned as Scheinberg) may not be offered a role at his local Apple store.
With that said, who wouldn’t want their Apple device serviced by a guy able to convince Steve Jobs to make one of the most important changes in Mac history?
Source: New York Times
Via: Business Insider
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
2 responses to “Engineer who moved Mac to Intel turned down for Genius Bar job”
There’s a difference between the real definition of diversity and the liberal-political one. ;)
Over qualified?