Apple Store

It might be helpful to be young if you want to work at an Apple Genius Bar.

(Josh Reynolds)

JK Scheinberg is bored. He's been retired since 2008, and so recently the 54-year-old decided to get a part-time job.

He applied for a gig at an Apple Genius Bar, the counter at Apple stores where we take our computer problems for geniuses to solve.

Have you noticed that Genius Bar employees tend to be young? You might think that's because youngsters grew up with computers and thus are more likely than graybeards to know all the tech ins and outs.

That's certainly not the case with Scheinberg. He spent more than 20 years as a software engineer at Apple and is kind of a legend in the tech world. The New York Times points out he "led the effort that moved the Mac to Intel processors."

Yet Scheinberg told the Times that, after a group interview at an unnamed Apple store, interviewers noted that he was much older than the other candidates.

"On the way out, all three of the interviewers singled me out and said, 'We'll be in touch,"' he told the Times. "I never heard back."

The tech press and others have picked up on the possible egregious example of age discrimination. "It is unlikely that anyone is more qualified to work at an Apple store than Scheinberg," wrote Business Insider.

Offered Gizmodo: "Apple customers would've been lucky to have Scheinberg as their tech support."

But, who knows, maybe that Apple store will come around. Scheinberg thinks, with the New York Times publicity, it's still possible.