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An extremely fulfilling, life-changing experience, but with plenty of costs

Software Engineer
Current Employee
Has worked at Apple for 6 years
May 24, 2012
Cupertino, California
4.0
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEO
Pros
  • Work on amazing products
  • Work with amazing people
  • Take pride in the work that you do
  • Huge gain in professional knowledge
  • Experience makes you hirable anywhere else
Cons
  • No work/life balance.
  • No direct career paths.
  • Average compensation (pre-stock).
  • Average to below-average perks.
  • Having to deal with growing and encroaching bureaucracy.
Advice to Management

Read more books on complex systems. Stop enforcing top-down processes for the sake of it; build simple rules to create a fence around where you want the company to move while allowing your teams to direct how they best see fit. Apple isn't a small company anymore, and as such, the same management models will not work. Invest more in the talent that has brought Apple its success, as that will create positive feedback loops in areas of:

  • Competing in the high-skilled labor market
  • Reducing overhead costs
  • Avoiding Apple engineering churn

etc.

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Apple Interview Experiences