This article will help prepare you for your upcoming interview with Apple. We’re going to start with some basic information about Apple to get you more familiar with the company itself. Then, we’ll segue into a list of common Apple interview questions. Each of the nine total Apple interview questions will be paired with an answer that you can modify and use during your own Apple interview. At the end of the article, you’ll find some general tips about interviewing at Apple.
Apple Interview Question and Answer (4 Answer Examples)
About Apple
Apple is a technology company headquartered out of California. They design and sell consumer electronics, software, and several online services. They employ almost 125,000 people throughout the world and operate around 500 retail locations.
As for Apple employees, they receive a generous benefits package that includes a 401k plan with company match, a hefty employee discount, a health insurance plan, paid time off, and education assistance. Apple has retained a good position on Glassdoor’s list of “Best Places to Work” since 2009.
Apple Job Interview Questions & Answers
These are some of the Apple interview questions you’re most likely to be asked on interview day for the following job positions: Specialist, (all specializations), At-Home Advisor, and Software Engineer. The three of these positions represent the majority of job openings at Apple. To get the most out of these Apple interview questions, practice them out loud with a friend multiple times and have your answers prepared before attending your interview.
1.) Specialist Interview Questions & Answers
Q1: “Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult customer.”
A1: “At my last job, many of my coworkers would get frustrated because of the number of “difficult customers.” I could see that the issue was stemming from one of our core policies, which was lengthy and difficult to explain. What I did was to rewrite the policy in a more concise, jargon-free paragraph. Once finished, I delivered it to my manager.
She was able to get it approved as the new official policy and customers found it much easier to understand. Difficult customers have usually experienced some form of miscommunication. Most people don’t attempt outright to be difficult. Approaching the situation without allowing yourself to feel personally attacked is the key to diffusing difficult customer situations.”
Q2: “What does excellent customer service look like?”
A2: “Providing great customer service takes workers who are passionate about their job and dedicated to their organization. You’ll need to make the customer feel welcome as soon as they walk through the doors of your store. You’ll need to establish rapport with them to get them talking and discover what their needs are. Then, help them find what they’re looking for or resolve their issue. Doing this efficiently and with friendly service and a smile equates to great customer service.”
Q3: “Tell me about a time you were overwhelmed with projects. How did you deal with the situation?”
A3: “When I took on a trainer position for my most recent employer, I stepped into a position that was much-needed but didn’t previously exist. Not only did I have to develop training materials for new hires, but I also had to create a method of tracking their progress as I was tasked with the responsibility of training every employee.
Needless to say, I was overwhelmed. I tackled the project by breaking it down into parts and prioritizing them. I only worked on one component at a time before moving onto the next item in order of importance. Once I had my strategy laid out on paper, I could start working.”
2.) At-Home Advisor Interview Questions & Answers
Q1: “How would you define the word ’empathy’?”
A1: “Being aware of other peoples’ feelings and responding to their opinions in a way that makes them feel heard and cared about. Empathy is central to any customer-facing position because the job is all about making the customer happy and encouraging the customer to continue use of the product or service.”
Q2: “How would you resolve the situation if a customer had their phone connected to a wireless speaker and now it will not connect?”
A2: “First, I would have them make sure Bluetooth is turned on. Then, I’d find out what pairing process the device uses and check for compatibility between the devices. I would make sure both devices are in discoverable mode, that they’re within range of each other, and that any likely interferers are turned off. If none of this was working, I’d have the power the devices off and on again, charge them, and have them delete the speaker from their phone and rediscover it.”
Q3: “What would you do if you started your workday and your computer wouldn’t turn on?”
A3: “If there isn’t a protocol for this kind of situation, I would notify my superior of the issue and troubleshoot the computer as quickly as possible. Upon discovering the issue, I would update my superior and let them know that I’m back up and running. In the event that my superior would allow me to use a personal Mac to go online, I would start making support calls with my own computer. I would work on troubleshooting the Apple-issued computer later in the day, providing an update after resolving the issue.”
3.) Software Engineer Interview Questions & Answers
Q1: “What experience do you have with iOS development?”
A1: Go into detail about the most relevant projects you’ve built for iOS. Explain the process you used to build each project or app and talk about what you learned from the build. Talk about your years of experience using iOS and highlight any significant challenges you overcame while developing your projects. If possible, show them to your interviewer and give demos.
Q2: “Why do you want to work for Apple?”
A2: “Apple is one of the only companies that are consistently changing how technology fits into our daily lives. To be a part of that and to be able to help create products that make people’s lives easier would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Q3: “How do you typically make yourself familiar with a new, large codebase?”
A3: “I like to start out reading about an overview of the technology and then dive into working with it. Setting myself up with a good IDE is important to me. I’ll focus first on the system’s high-level structure and then start gathering a deeper understanding of the codebase by finding a particular part of the application I’m working with and tracking it through the code. Identifying the use cases of the product and identifying design patterns used in the code is extremely helpful.”
Apple Job Interview Tips
Be personable and put just as much thought into your tone as you put into your answers
Apple is interested in gauging the way that you speak, think, and act almost just as much as your technical knowledge. Many positions at Apple require that you’re able to work in a team cohesively or that you’re able to provide excellent customer service.
During your Apple interview, remain conscious of your tone, your expression, and your body language. You should stay upbeat and confident throughout the duration of the interview for the best results.
Get familiar with basic technology and with Apple’s products
Be able to explain the differences between Apple’s most popular computers and phones. You should also become familiar with popular computer hardware. If Apple is releasing a new product or has recently released one, get to know that product inside and out. Product-specific knowledge will likely come up in several of your Apple interview questions. Be able to answer the following questions.
- What is RAM?
- What is the difference between an SSD and an HDD?
- How do you define a processor?
- Explain some major differences between Android and iOS.
Preparing for the Apple Interview ( The Process)
The Apple interview process is a rigorous experience. You are expected to be well-prepared and have a general idea of what you are going to do in the interview.
Preparing for an interview requires knowing the company, the industry, and your skill set. There are five steps that you should take before going into an Apple interview: research the company, identify your strengths and weaknesses, prepare for behavioral questions, practice answering questions in front of somebody else, and know what’s expected during the interview. We have put together a list of 50 Apple interview questions with answers in this article.
You might also be interested in:
- The most popular Lowe’s interview questions.
- Our hand-picked collection of Amazon interview questions
. - Other technical interview questions.
Conclusion
Our goal is to help you feel prepared for you Apple interview. The most important step to take during the interview preparation period is to ensure that you’ve practiced your answers. Do not stop until you feel confident in your ability to impress the interviewer and get hired. For more information about what it’s like to work at Apple, visit the official Apple website. View available job positions at Apple on their site as well. Do you know about any additional Apple interview questions? Share them in the comments and let’s start a discussion about the Apple interview process.