Ask HN: How desired is working at Apple? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How desired is working at Apple?

6 pointsthrowaway4322 comments

I'm a CS student looking for full-time employment (as a software developer) for after I graduate in May.

I'm strongly considering Apple. A couple of pieces have shown up over the past few weeks about the culture of privacy at Apple, and that's left me a little concerned. When people talk about large companies ideal for developers in the valley, I usually hear Google/Facebook/Twitter, and I'm wondering why I don't usually hear Apple on that list.

I'd really like to get a sense of some of the following from current/former employees or just people in Silicon Valley that have heard stories:

- is Apple desired more or less than Google/Facebook/Twitter?

- how selective is Apple compared to Google/Facebook/Twitter? i.e., is getting a job at Apple considered a big deal in the tech industry, or do people consider Google harder to get into?

"is Apple desired more or less than Google/Facebook/Twitter?"

I think for a developer it is less simply because developers are not willing to deal with the perceived island culture. Developers are all about practicality and getting things done. Apple is all about style, design, and one button mice. Imagine stepping through the door on day one and being handed a black turtleneck, one button mouse, and being shown to your uncomfortable work futon, and btw, mandatory meditation hour is every day a 8, 10, and 3. That's probably not realistic, but that is the perception I have. But from a career perspective a job at any successful place like apple is going to be golden, it just may not fit every person's needs.

"how selective is Apple"

I think all the places you mention are probably going to be very selective, accepting anywhere from 0.5-5%.

This is speculation but I assume that some of the following factors play a huge role in folks choosing which company to work for:

Pay, stocks, flexibility, benefits, etc...

I'd imagine Apple is probably the least appealing in many categories when compared to Google or Facebook even if they are one of the most awesome/innovative companies out there.

Then there are other factors to consider for some people such as network (folks they'll be connected to), environment, learning experience, etc...

I assume these also appear to be better at other companies.

Of course whether or not any of the above is better or comparable is a different story but it would seem if those are the things important to folks, Apple would be slightly lower on the list.

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