What does Apple ask in interviews?

Apple interviews are known for their technical depth, focus on problem-solving, and assessing how well you fit into Apple's culture. Here’s what you can expect in each part of the interview process:

1. Coding and algorithms

Apple heavily tests your ability to solve coding problems efficiently. You’ll face questions on:

• Data structures: Arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash tables, stacks, and queues.
• Algorithms: Sorting, searching, dynamic programming, recursion, and graph algorithms like DFS/BFS.
• LeetCode-style problems: Expect problems similar to those on LeetCode or HackerRank that require thinking on your feet and optimizing for time and space complexity.

To ace this part of the interview, practice with structured resources like Grokking the Coding Interview: Patterns for Coding Questions. This course helps you recognize patterns in coding problems, which is key to tackling Apple’s coding challenges.

2. System design

For senior roles, Apple asks detailed system design questions to see how you think about large, scalable, and efficient architectures. You might be asked to design systems like:

• A messaging platform
• A recommendation engine
• A large-scale data storage system

The focus will be on scalability, reliability, load balancing, and database choices. You’ll also need to address trade-offs between different design choices, such as consistency vs. availability (CAP theorem). For solid preparation, Grokking the System Design Interview offers excellent practice on common system design questions.

For advanced design topics:

• If you're experienced, Grokking the Advanced System Design Interview is ideal to cover more complex and advanced topics.

3. Behavioral questions

Apple is big on cultural fit. They want to know how you handle challenges, work in teams, and align with their values. Typical behavioral questions might include:

• Describe a time you faced a significant challenge and how you handled it.
• How do you prioritize tasks under tight deadlines?
• Tell us about a project you worked on where you had to collaborate with others. What was your role?

To prepare, use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to answer these questions clearly. You can enhance your preparation with Grokking Modern Behavioral Interview.

4. Product and Apple-related questions

Apple loves to see passion for their products. You might get questions like:

• What’s your favorite Apple product and why?
• How would you improve [a specific Apple product] and what features would you add?

This is where you can show your understanding of Apple's design principles and user experience focus. It's crucial to express how you can contribute to Apple's mission of delivering beautifully designed, intuitive products.

Conclusion

In Apple interviews, you’ll encounter a mix of coding, system design, and behavioral questions. Make sure you’re well-prepared technically and have strong examples for behavioral questions. To cover all bases, check out Grokking the Coding Interview: Patterns for Coding Questions and Grokking the System Design Interview for practice.