One ex-Apple employee has held on to a set of tips for success from the technology giant for over a decade.
Former Apple solutions consultant, Huxley Dunsany, resurfaced the laminated note card his boss gave him in 2004 with 11 strategies for employees to prosper in a post on Reddit under the username Wowbobwow.
The post says the card was from John Brandon, an executive at the company who gave them to the employees he supervised.
"He was a great guy in my interactions with him, despite his lofty position relative to my total-noob status back then," Dunsany writes. "He really seemed to live by these rules and made the whole organization feel like something really special, even when Apple was still climbing out of 'beleaguered' status."
The rules are:
1. Let go of the old, make the most of the future
2. Always tell the truth, we want to hear the bad news sooner than later
3. The highest level of integrity is expected, when in doubt, ask
4. Learn to be a good businessperson, not just a good salesperson
5. Everyone sweeps the floor
6. Be professional in your style, speech and follow-up
7. Listen to the customer, they almost always get it
8. Create win/win relationships with our partners
9. Look out for each other, sharing information is a good thing
10. Don't take yourself too seriously
11. Have fun, otherwise it's not worth it
Dunsany writes that he worked at Apple as a solutions consultant for over six years. He describes the job as, "the full-time Apple corporate employee stationed inside the Mac area at CompUSA (and later Best Buy). It was a largely forgotten role that faded out as the Apple Stores blew up, but for the first few years I loved it."
Since leaving the company, the lessons have stuck with him. In the post, the former employee explains what rule number five, "everyone sweeps the floor," means to him today.
The basics still matter, and you'll always be expected to help regardless of how high up you riseWowbobwowFormer Apple employee
"No job is too 'low level' or unimportant for anyone to help with," he writes. "The basics still matter, and you'll always be expected to help regardless of how high up you rise or how fancy you think you are.
"I think this philosophy is why you'll still regularly see Apple execs who make zillions of dollars per year showing up to product launches, responding to individual customer emails, etc."
Now, when he himself is hiring new employees in his role as an IT consultant, he uses the idea in job interviews. He says he asks another employee to come in and mention that the trash needs to be taken out.
"Explain to the interviewee why you need to step away from the interview for a couple minutes, and then see if they offer to help," he writes. "Their reaction in a simple staged scenario can reveal interesting details about their willingness to help out with tasks that are 'beneath' the role they're applying for."
With over 50,000 up-votes on Reddit, it seems like the tips from Apple are gaining traction.
Dunsany writes, "I'm so happy that this odd post seems to have resonated with so many people."
This story has been updated to include the name of the former employee.
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