Software QA Engineer Interview Experience - Cupertino, California
Process
I found the ad for a QA Contractor at Apple on Craigslist, surprisingly! As a community college student, I didn't expect to hear back, but to my surprise, I received an email scheduling a phone call interview. During the call, I was asked some QA questions, why I liked Apple, and what I had to offer the company.
After the phone interview, I received an email scheduling an on-site interview in Cupertino. The minute my interview started, the interviewer asked how I was able to get the interview, given my young age. I was asked some programming questions, questions about my programming history, and more problem-solving and QA testing questions. Know your resume!
I was interviewed by six people during my on-site interview. Because I am a BIDI software QA, I was also required to know either Arabic or Hebrew for my position. After the second on-site interview, I was interviewed by two senior directors, one who spoke Arabic and the other Hebrew (I speak both languages). During my interviews with them, they asked about my experience with BIDI programming, why I wanted to join Apple, what programs I had written, and my favorite language, among other things.
After it was confirmed, I was hired as a QA Engineer (contractor). A week and a half on the job, my boss came to me and said I was performing very well. I was then offered a full-time, permanent position.
A few tips:
- Know your resume.
- Know what QA means.
- Know why you want that position.
- Know your goals in life.
- Be ready for some criticism.
- Show a positive attitude.
- And last but most important: Do not get stressed!
I honestly walked into the interview planning to do my best but not expecting much. I was not stressed, looked sharp, confident, and composed, and I answered questions quickly. On the other hand, I saw another guy standing outside the building where I interviewed, wearing a suit and sweating (it was not hot). He had flashcards and did not look confident. I have been at Apple for two months now, and I have not seen this guy around.
Questions
I was asked a few MySQL questions, which I did not expect.
Other than that, Objective-C, C++, and C were fine.
I was asked what the hardest project I ever worked on was. As a community college student (20 years old), I did not have too many large projects to talk about, haha.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 15 interview experiences for the Apple Software QA Engineer role in Cupertino, California.
Success Rate
Apple's interview process for their Software QA Engineer roles in Cupertino, California is fairly selective, failing a large portion of engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Apple's Software QA Engineer interview process in Cupertino, California.
Apple Work Experiences
- 5.0Great place to work at!Software QA Engineer • Former EmployeeCupertino, California, United StatesJuly 10, 2014Pros: Great place to work out. Apple Inc. offers a fair work environment, and everyone works cohesively.Cons: The pay is good up until you need to move up the ladder. There isn't much of a pay raise.
- 4.0Stressful, but funSoftware QA Engineer • Current EmployeeCupertino, California, United StatesNovember 28, 2011Pros: Very laid-back, not a lot of micromanagement. On the cutting edge of technology, hands-on work. Generous compensation.Cons: Really competitive, stressful. Raises are small or non-existent.
- 5.0Happy to work for one of the most mature startup companies in Silicon ValleySoftware QA Engineer • Current EmployeeCupertino, California, United StatesApril 25, 2008Pros: Apple is a large company, but often has a small company feel. Most project teams are very small – a few people at the most. Often, there are only one or two key engineers directly responsible for features or key project areas. Because of how small teams are, it makes it very easy to approach key players and influence product direction. Conversely, key engineers don't have much bureaucracy to cut through to implement innovative new ideas. It is because of this culture of innovation, as well as a culture of excellence, that working at Apple has been one of the best experiences of my professional career.Cons: Because of the small business mindset and the decentralized nature of decision-making and product direction, Apple at times lacks the structure that other companies have set up. There are very few departments that are isolated from their customers, so the process and structure that each group attempts to establish can be heavily influenced or even ignored by those who need to use a backdoor method of getting work done. It is possible that project managers may pressure engineers or other staff to complete work faster than their managers agreed upon. In larger companies, this behavior would be frowned upon or forbidden. Some structure is necessary to keep a happy medium, and at times, Apple could use more structure.
Apple Interview Questions
