If you are eager to become a member of the Apple tribe, then it’s a good idea to go over the most common Apple interview questions and answers!
As you would expect, Apple has a rigorous and challenging hiring procedure. Therefore, your chances of getting hired at Apple will increase if you prepare thoroughly in advance.
So, make sure you read this entire article to learn everything you need to know to ace your Apple interview, including the sample answers to some of the most important Apple interview questions!
Key Takeaways
- Phone interviews, technical assessments, positional evaluations, and in-person interviews are all part of Apple’s rigorous hiring process.
- In this article, you will find answers to behavioral, technical, and company-specific Apple interview questions.
- You will also be able to find a series of specialized questions, such as those pertaining to programming, engineering, program management, and UX/UI design.
- Consider attentively looking into the requirements of the position, conducting in-depth research on the company, practicing with the questions prior to the interview, and demonstrating your excitement for the role as well as the organization as a whole.
Interview Process at Apple
Apple is one of the most well-known technology companies in the world, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the interview process is competitive and demanding.
To get the desired position, candidates have to go through a few stages of the recruitment process:
- The process of hiring typically begins with a phone call. A recruiter from the company will want to speak with you over the phone for 15–30 minutes to verify some details and some rudimental things you need to be suitable for the job.
- If you do well in the phone interviews, you will be invited to do technical tests. There will be some resume-related questions, but the bulk of the testing will consist of typical Apple behavioral interview questions as well as technical ones, including some particularly “Apple” interview questions about coding.
- After the technical assessments, there will be positional evaluations. Candidates for certain positions may be required to travel to Apple’s assessment center, while others may receive online tests to complete in the comfort of their own homes. Candidates will be evaluated using a combination of written, group, and roleplay tasks, depending on the position.
After all of the tests are completed, the final step in the hiring process is a series of in-person interviews. Considering the average length of an interview is 45 minutes, the whole in-person interview process will take roughly 5 hours.
Candidates will meet with more than eight individuals and be subjected to a battery of technical and behavioral questions from the hiring managers. Therefore, it is crucial to be well prepared for this final interview phase of the hiring process.
Apple Interview Questions With Answers
Now that you have a better understanding of how Apple conducts its job interviews, we can go over the types of questions you should expect and the responses you should be prepared to give.
#1. Why do you want to work for Apple?
This is one of the company-specific Apple interview questions designed to probe a candidate’s interest in the company and fitness for the organization.
Apple receives thousands of applications for each open position, and this question allows hiring managers to focus on the applicants who are truly interested in the job and who will be a good cultural fit.
Therefore, the best way to approach this question is to give a response that is both strategic and honest.
One such answer is as follows:
The work-life balance at Apple sounds ideal, which is why I want to join the company. Work-life balance prioritizes taking breaks and not overworking yourself, which then fosters productivity and the ability to think outside the box. This, in turn, allows employees to focus their best attention on excellent products that the public would appreciate. Apple wants its employees to succeed professionally, so it does what it can to help them improve and become the best they can be.
#2. What accomplishment are you most proud of?
Candidates’ past successes can be evaluated for relevance to the open position by means of this behavior-based question.
If your past successes are directly applicable to the role you’re applying for, recruiters will see that as a sign that you can achieve similar results for their organization.
Here’s an example of a possible reply:
Successfully implementing a marketing campaign for a multi-million-dollar corporation with a team of 15 is one of my proudest achievements. I’ve been with this company for a while now, and my superiors saw fit to put me in charge of a team because of how well I’ve been performing. It was challenging, but I grew so much from it, and the results were excellent.
#3. What is your favorite Apple product, and why?
Recruiters will use this company-specific question to assess whether or not you have used Apple devices and are passionate about their features.
Pick one Apple device that you enjoy using and find practical. However, be sure to include concrete examples of why you enjoy the product; recruiters are looking at more than just how well you can express yourself.
Here’s an excellent example of a reply:
The MacBook Pro is the one Apple product I will always go back to. I’ve had it for two years and have used it constantly since I bought it. It’s easy to carry along and has some impressive features, like a retina display and the smoothest hardware integration of all. Performance and my user experience haven’t declined a bit in these two years.
#4. How would you explain to a child what a modem and router are?
This is a technical question designed to gauge an applicant’s familiarity with relevant terminology and concepts, their technical skills, and their ability to simplify complex concepts for different audiences.
Therefore, regardless of the position, make use of basic terminology while proving your knowledge of such technologies.
Here is a response you can consider:
A combination of a modem and a router is what makes constant internet connectivity possible at home. The modem receives data from an internet service provider and sends it to the router, which then broadcasts that data throughout the house through a WiFi signal.
#5. Describe a time when you provided outstanding customer service.
One of the goals of behavioral interview questions like this one is to identify candidates with strong communication and problem-solving abilities.
The interviewers are looking for evidence that the candidate possesses the skills necessary to flourish in customer service. This is why, regardless of your field of work, it is essential to reflect on your many successes in providing excellent customer service.
Here’s an example of a suitable response:
Two years ago, I was employed as a sales associate in the clothing sector. Customers were constantly coming and going, keeping us on our toes.
A woman shopping for a summer dress to wear in Greece came in one day. She was picky, so I spent an hour with her to assist her in narrowing down her options. Taking care of her and the other customers who needed aid was challenging, but in the end, everything went smoothly, and the lady left happy with her purchase and my assistance, which made the effort worth it.
6. Tell me about a time when you had a disagreement with your supervisor.
This is yet another one of the behavioral interview questions that assess a candidate’s conflict resolution, communication, and problem-solving abilities.
Hiring managers are looking for candidates who can take ownership of their actions, maintain composure under pressure, and constructively speak their way out of sticky situations.
That’s why you should talk about an argument you handled professionally to show that you can keep your composure and handle your emotions in a professional setting.
Here’s an answer that takes that into account:
My former supervisor and I clashed over the budget for the marketing campaign we were developing. She thought we should reduce spending on design and put that money toward expanding our internet presence. I disagreed. In my opinion, that would be detrimental to the campaign’s success.
Therefore, I decided to look into the matter further and set up a meeting with her to discuss my perspective and the reasons I believed it to be the best option. During the meeting, we found a middle ground that ultimately improved the overall results of the campaign.
#7. How do you keep up with cutting-edge technological developments?
This is both a company-specific and behavior-specific question that can shed light on a candidate’s familiarity with the field and their interest in learning new skills.
Demonstrating familiarity with and enthusiasm for new developments in the rapidly changing world of technology is crucial for several reasons, including gaining employment and advancing one’s career.
If you need an answer to this question, here it is:
The field of technology is one that is always expanding. There is a vast amount of information out there, and it has been crucial to one’s professional growth and development to know how and where to find it.
I try to keep up with the latest innovations in technology by reading about them in authoritative internet publications. I enjoy reading current research and engaging with industry professionals at networking events, conferences, seminars, and other events.
#8. Give an example of a moment when you had to juggle several important tasks at once.
This is an excellent question that focuses on behavior and helps demonstrate whether a candidate possesses organizing, prioritization, planning, time management, multitasking, and other comparable skills that are vital to professional success.
The people in charge of hiring will be looking for the kinds of experiences where you can demonstrate that you had a lot on your plate and that, despite the fact that it was stressful, you managed to pull through thanks to a series of actions that you took.
Take into consideration the following response:
In my previous position, I was frequently responsible for managing a variety of marketing campaigns. It was challenging to take care of everything and meet all of the deadlines I had to meet. So, I made the decision to concentrate on how I could increase my productivity.
I developed a plan for prioritizing assignments that had a more stringent deadline, increased the number of team members who participated in the process and utilized a range of tools. As a direct result of these actions, the amount of work became more manageable.
Specialized Apple Interview Questions
Here are some specialized Apple interview questions that you should go over, depending on the position you are applying for!
Programming Apple Interview Questions
- Find out if two binary trees are the same or not by looking at their roots.
- If you have a double “x” and a number “n,” write a function to find “x” to the power of “n.”
- Find three integers in an array whose sum equals the supplied value.
- Merge two sorted linked lists to become one sorted list.
- Using the root node of a directed graph, create a deep copy with the same vertices and edges.
Engineering Apple Interview Questions
- How would you define “agile” software development, and do you agree with its principles?
- How do you feel about testing software?
- Give an example of a complex bug in a large application that you had to fix.
- How can you describe technological hurdles to stakeholders without assuming that they share your level of technical expertise?
- Why can’t we utilize primitives in hashmaps?
Program Manager Apple Interview Questions
- How do you create a minimally viable product?
- Please tell me about some of the difficult projects you’ve managed and the challenges you faced.
- When working on a large project, how do you ensure that employees from different divisions are able to successfully communicate and collaborate?
- How much do you think it would cost to add additional capabilities to Apple Maps?
- To what extent can the success of FaceTime be evaluated?
UX/UI Design Apple Interview Questions
- How do you plan on ensuring that your platform or website is accessible to users of all abilities, including those with sight, hearing, or mobility impairments?
- When a customer complains, “I don’t like this design.” How do you go about it?
- Give me an example of a business challenge that you set out to tackle through design.
- Provide evidence that UX design will pay for itself. In what ways would this boost my profits?
- Give an example of a recent project that tested your abilities and explain how you overcame the obstacles you encountered.
4 More Tips on How to Prepare for Interview at Apple
Consider these pointers in preparation for your interview with Apple:
- Go over the position requirements. The first step is to review the needs of the position thoroughly. To impress your potential employer, you should tailor your application to match their specific needs.
- Research the company. Making a good first impression requires showing that you have researched the company and its mission. Research the company’s background and all the services or products it provides so you can confidently answer questions about them.
- Practice using questions. You should always rehearse before an interview if you want to show confidence throughout it. Think about reviewing the interview questions our HR experts have gathered in this article. But be sure that your responses come out naturally and are not scripted.
- Show enthusiasm. Finally, show how much you want to work for the company and how much you enjoy using their products. Talk about your favorite Apple products and why you find them so useful. Doing so will demonstrate that you value the products and services offered by the company and actually have passion for them.
Final Thoughts
This concludes the information you need to know before attending an interview for a position at Apple.
Apple’s hiring procedure is notoriously difficult. If you’re unsure how to prepare for your upcoming interview, this article should serve as a helpful guide.
Reading over the Apple interview questions we’ve compiled for you can help you relax and feel less anxious before the big day. Good luck!
