The recruiter approached me via email, possibly after I received a referral from a friend who works there.

First, there was a phone screening interview asking why I wanted to work at Apple and how my skillset fit with the job description. Then, I moved on to a one-on-one with the hiring manager. It was all behavioral questions; some I had prepared for, but others I had not.

I was a bit disappointed that I did not get the job, since I used to work there as a contractor for more than a year and understand the workflow to hit the ground running as soon as possible.

I was disappointed because they assessed us with standard and dated HR behavioral questions that are meant to be answered as scripted as possible – or, should I say, the LinkedIn version of ourselves.

Also, the behavioral questions and assessment are standardized with in-office dynamics and culture in mind, not catered for a post-pandemic world where people have been working remotely/hybrid for more than two years. Perhaps this is because they require everyone to work from the office soon? For a person who thrives working remotely, I find it mind-boggling that Apple still uses this standard HR template. I hope they find a fitting candidate for this role.

What is your leadership style?

Tell me about a time when you faced a difficult situation at work.

How was your process when working on QA?