How to Get a Job at Apple

Apple is not just a tech company -- it's one of the leading technology innovators in the world. On top of that, it's a great place to work. Apple is ranked as one of Glassdoor's Best Places to Work not only in 2019, but every year since 2009. Their employees have the opportunity to work with some of the most cutting-edge, innovative technologies today, while enjoying first-class wages and benefits -- from employee discounts to comprehensive health insurance.

So what does it take to score a job at this iconic company? We've got input from real employees and interviewees at the company on how they got an interview at the company, what the process entailed, and what it's like to be an employee for the leading technology firm.

How to Interview at Apple

"The interview process was what you’d expect from a company like this. I have about three phone screens (all of them were technical and the last one included a code snippet), followed by an all day on-site interview. The on-site consisted of one-hour interviews every hour (11-5), and were all very technical. I was asked to solve various problems (your typical algorithm and data structure subjects), as well as explain the various projects I worked on in my most recent position. The questions involved a lot of thinking, but I was able to find my way to the solutions after some time. All in all, I'd say it wasn't too bad as I had prepared by practicing algorithms (searching, sorting, etc.), and brushing up on some objective-c (I had to teach myself it in the two weeks leading up to the on-site). A good topcoder browse is a good resource for preparing to interview with this company." -- Software Engineer Interview

"The whole process was very polished and professional. The HR reps were prompt and sharp. Interviewing potential supervisors was somewhat nerve-wracking, because they seemed to have keen 'b.s. sensing' attributes. Questions were difficult, mostly about describing exactly how you performed in the past. Follow-on questions tested the validity of your answers. Strong emphasis in work ethic, how you perform under pressure, ability to travel frequently, and maturity. From recruitment to offer, 2-month time span." -- Global Supply Manager Interview

"Asked a lot of troubleshooting questions and how much you know about Apple products. Role-play scenario about someone having issues with their iPhone. How would you troubleshoot an external monitor?" -- Apple At Home Advisor Interview

"Super quick and painless. On campus interview and two phone screens, and that was it. I had an offer relatively quickly. They really didn't waste any time at all. I've heard that they usually give on-sites for full time. This was for a co-op." -- Product Design Engineer Interview

What Apple Employees Say

"Working at Apple means that the things you work on get into the hands of hundreds of millions of people, literally. It's a lot of pressure to get things right and drives one to do the best work of their lives. 2+ years later I'm still blown away by the talent and creativity of people I work with." -- Current Software Engineer

"The position is at home. The company is AMAZING. There are limitless advancement opportunities. You work with some very cool people and the leadership cares about your development. You may get coaching but you never get battered or belittled. The pay is decent and the benefits include, 401(k) match, stock purchase options, product discounts and discounts on services across many different areas, education assistance, child care assistance, paid vacation, sick time and other time off options, health club reimbursement or bike cost set off. You get 1.5 time for OT and it's pretty much unlimited as long as you don't exceed 12 hours in a day or 59 total in a week." -- Current Apple At Home Advisor

"Great team of creative thinkers. Open to feedback (culture of receiving and offering positive and negative feedback). Offers special food days during busy seasons. Diversity (of thought, feeling, being) is truly honored and respected at Apple. YOU WILL LEARN SO MUCH! Great working environment with opportunities to be promoted into a new role." -- Current Product Specialist

"Supportive manager, interesting problems, competitive salary, and about everyone is dedicated to the product. Truly first class coworkers and the culture within my org was supportive. I could really focus on the work in a way I couldn’t at other larger companies and I knew that my contribution was amounting to an important impact for users. The skills I learned here have translated forward to other jobs I have had afterwards and I am certain I am a better engineer for having spent time here." -- Former Software Engineer

Apple Job Search Tips

1. Practice for the interview – really practice.

Apple is one of the leading technology companies in the world. Any technical role you apply for will not only require you to talk about your past work experience and your fit for the current role, but also to pass certain technical tests that show your aptitude for the job. Depending on the job you're applying for, you can search the different types of questions that people interviewing for specific jobs at Apple are asked for using Glassdoor -- from software engineers to technical specialists to Apple at-home advisors.

2. Network.

Getting a job at Apple doesn't always come through an impersonal online application process. In fact, of the thousands of Glassdoor users who interviewed at Apple, only 55 percent applied online, while the rest scored interviews there through employee referrals, recruiters, on-campus recruiting, and in person. This means that doing networking during your job hunt at Apple can seriously pay off.

This means reaching out to recruiters, talking to current or past employees, and probing your network to see if anyone you know has friends or professional connections at Apple. Current employees have an incentive to refer you, too, because Apple has been known to offer cash bonuses to the employees who refer successful hires. So go out and start talking to people!

3. Polish and proofread your resume.

Your resume is the foundation stone upon which you build your job application. Make sure your resume is polished, proofread, and coherent. Don't be shy to hand your resume over to friends, family members, and colleagues, who can help catch errors. With a ready-to-go resume, you'll be prepared to apply to jobs as soon as they're posted.

4. Set job alerts.

Apple currently has over 6,000 jobs posted on Glassdoor, and more are added every month. You can make finding a specific job easier for yourself by setting a job alert, so when new jobs are posted at Apple, Glassdoor will send you an email about it. You can also set job alerts for related positions at other companies, from software engineering to UX design.

What To Know About Apple

Before applying to a job at Apple, it's important to do your research. At such a large company (according to industry resources, the company employs more than 132,000 full-time workers as of 2018) there are many career opportunities within the organization, from working as a software engineer in Santa Clara, California to working as an Apple At-Home advisor from your bedroom in Kansas. Check out the job requirements as well as the average salary and typical interview questions for these positions on Glassdoor.

Since Apple is always unveiling new products, it's important to stay up-to-date on what products they've just launched, and which ones are currently in the works. It's also important to look at their news about the quarterly reports -- for example, Apple just released its Q2 report for 2019 financials, which showed a decline in iPhone sales but an uptick in iPad and wearable sales.

You can also choose to set a news alert using Google or other tools, so that every time big news related to Apple is published, you can see it right away.

Now get, set, apply!

This article was originally published on Glassdoor, one of the world’s largest job and recruiting sites. Glassdoor combines all the jobs with valuable data to make it easy for people to find a job that fits their life, while also helping employers hire quality talent at scale. Are you hiring? Post jobs for free with a 7-day trial.