Process
I applied online.
Initial recruiter phone screen, then a hiring manager screen, then 4 full technical interview rounds. The recruiter phone screen and the hiring manager screen are high-level research fit. Each of the 4 rounds was technical, focusing on machine learning concepts from different areas.
Questions
One example is explaining contrastive loss.
A bunch of other ML questions, spanning transformers and computer vision.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 3 interview experiences for the Apple Machine Learning Researcher role.
Success Rate
Apple's interview process for their Machine Learning Researcher roles is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very negative feelings for Apple's Machine Learning Researcher interview process.
Apple Work Experiences
- 5.0A place to beMachine Learning Researcher • Current EmployeeCambridge, England, United KingdomJanuary 28, 2021Pros: Apple cares about employees.Cons: There is a lot to learn, but it is harder to find.
- 5.0Great place to workMachine Learning Researcher • Current EmployeeCupertino, California, United StatesMarch 10, 2025Pros: Friendly coworkers, interesting problems. Challenging product goals.Cons: Working with a large number of teams and stakeholders
- 1.0Nice Team, Toxic LeadersMachine Learning Researcher • Current EmployeeParis, FranceOctober 4, 2025Pros: The wider team in Europe and the US are nice, and I can work with nice people outside of Paris if the manager doesn't get in the way.Cons: - Toxic team leaders. - Not meritocratic; progression is at manager discretion, with limited oversight for inexperienced managers. - Managers have too much influence and demonstrate incompetence. - Research is incremental and in a niche area not relevant to modern machine learning.
Apple Interview Questions
