Who hasn’t dreamt of having their invention being unveiled by Steve Jobs? Just like he did with the iPhone in 2007 at Mac World.
Unfortunately, this opportunity is long gone, but the legacy is still there. Imagine being able to help others understand why Apple gadgets are so loved by many.
And if you’ve ever helped your parents learn how to use an iPad, then you're off to a good start. Because that means you have both the knowledge and the people skills.
The company prides itself on fostering a community. Where you can be your creative, passionate and innovative self.
Regardless of the job position you choose, you can follow your dreams.
Or to use Apple's words:
"This is where individual imaginations gather together, committing to the values that lead to great work. Here, you’ll do more than join something – you’ll add something."
So what would it take to land your dream job?
Well, do you have what it takes “to bring the best user experience to [the company’s] customers?”
It all boils down to determination, experience.
And a stellar resume, of course.
Our complete guide will teach you how to tackle each resume section
- How to create a resume header which will leave a lasting impression
- How to market your achievements and skills with your resume summary
- How to tailor your resume to the particular role you're applying for
- What to include in your experience section to make the most of it
- Which qualifications are Apple recruiters looking for in an ideal candidate
- How to make your creativity and passion for technology show through
Looking for related resumes?
- Software Engineer
- Network Administrator
- Network Security Engineer
- Sales and Marketing
- Supply Chain Manager
What's so special about the Apple resume? And how to write one
Many consider working for a big tech giant to be an unreachable goal. Because securing a position at such a company is always shrouded in mystery.
And while some companies have special resume requirements, Apple recruiters don’t. Even when it comes to formatting.
Hiring managers are happy with the traditional resume layout. So all you have to do to make yourself seen is to:
- Fill it with relevant qualifications and experience needed for the role
- Show you have the right skills in the right mindset for the job
- Align your work with the company’s values: accessibility, education, environment, inclusion and diversity, privacy, racial equity and justice, and supplier responsibility.
Apple offers plenty of career opportunities. Some of these paths include:
- Apple retail
- Software and Services
- Hardware
- Machine Learning and AI
- Support and Service
- Design
- Operations and Supply Chain
- Corporate Functions
- Marketing
- Sales and Business Development
And you don't have to have worked in a similar role to consider applying for one at Apple.
As long as you:
- can translate your professional achievements
- link them to the company’s goals
…your resume is half-ready!
You may be thinking, what does operations and supply chain work have to do with creativity. Or big tech innovation.
Everything.
Consider the following explanation found on the Apple website:
“Everyone here is an innovator, or an innovator-to-be — even in areas customers don’t typically notice: Consider the Siri curators and engineers who help reduce bias with continual updates and respectful neutrality in search responses. Or the teams who designed, produced, and shipped millions of COVID-19 face shields for front-line medical workers. Or the chef in one of our cafés who patented our environmentally friendly pizza box.”
em>Apple
The company spearheaded innovation in the early 2000s. So it's no wonder that their products always look and feel futuristic.
The global changes in the past 3 years pushed companies to reconsider how they operated.
Think about your job. How much has it changed since you started working at your position? Did you switch to home office, or has your workplace adopted hybrid work?
Did you have to automate some of your processes? Or did you have to entirely rethink your operations?
These require creativity, resilience and resourcefulness. This is what you need to focus on when working on your resume.
Going back to resume formats, the reverse-chronological layout is your best option.
Unless you're an intern, Apple recruiters expect you to have some relevant qualifications.
Even if you don’t have the work experience, there are still transferable skills you can add. Start with your most recent roles, but don't go back more than 10 years
If you don't have much experience, you have two options - the hybrid resume and the functional resume.
What's the difference?
If you're a recent college grad, or you have some internship experience, use the hybrid layout. The format allows you to include both skills and relevant experience.
This way you can include projects, similar to the tasks in the job description. Or list appropriate research papers and industry association memberships.
But if you have absolutely no experience, the functional resume is your best option. This one focuses more on your skills and abilities rather than practical experience.
Regardless of the format, concentrate on relating your experience to the company's values.
Here is how to divide your resume:
Important sections to have of your Apple resume:
- A header to detail your contact information. And link your portfolio and social media accounts
- Resume objective or summary to draw attention to your successes
- An experience section to describe your work history and display your achievements
- A skills box where you highlight your social and technical talents
- Education and certificates segment to show you have the necessary qualifications
- Other sections you can include to boost your chances of getting an interview
See? It looks like your run of the mill resume. Nothing particularly outstanding or special about it.
But how can I make my resume outstanding, we hear you ask.
By focusing on all the right things. Remember Apple’s mission statement. Link it to your personal experiences and the role you’re aiming for.
Don't know how to do it?
Check out the questions in the table below. These questions are similar to the ones you’ll get during the interview.
What do Apple recruiters look for in a perfect candidate?
- Tell us about yourself.
- What has been your hardest challenge so far? How did you deal with it?
- Tell us about the projects and work you’ve done so far.
- What was the toughest bug you’ve ever tracked down? How did you fix it?
- Are you a team player? Or do you work better individually? Why?
- Have you ever had to deal with a difficult colleague? How did you deal with the situation?
- How long do you expect to work for us if hired?
- What are your expectations from this job?
- Can you tell me about a situation in which you’ve had to work under pressure? What happened?
- Do you consider yourself a successful individual? Tell us about your successes.
- Can you explain a difficult concept as if you’re explaining it to an 8-year-old?
- If we hire you, what project would you want to work on?
- Have you ever disagreed with any of your managers? Tell me about it. How did you approach the situation?
- Why do you want us to hire you? How would your job at Apple differ from your current position? Would you miss anything?
An important thing to remember is that Apple hires by team. So if you're going for a position within a particular team, check out who the recruiter is.
It’s a good practice to find the team’s hiring manager on LinkedIn.
Follow up with them after you’ve submitted your resume. Tell them how the opportunity means to you, and thank them for their consideration.
The resume header: Creating your business card
Let's start with the first section - the header. Even though it's a little box that sits at the top of your resume, don't be quick to disregard it.
Make sure there are no typos and all your personal details are listed. Your resume header should have:
- Your first and last name
- Your job title
- Your address
- A way to contact you, preferably a phone number and an email
- Any links to your portfolio and social media account
Don't worry if your current job title isn’t the same. Instead, include the title listed on the job description.
If you decide to reference your portfolio or LinkedIn, ensure the link is working.
How does this look in action?
Check out the resume headers samples below.
2 Apple Resume Header Examples
Our friend gave us permission to use his draft resume, so you can see examples of both what to do and what to avoid.
Take a look at the first version of Gabe’s resume:
Okay, he has the job title down. There is also a link to his professional software engineering GitHub profile. But there are a few glaring mistakes here:
- Gabe has abbreviated his name. Don't do this, unless you're professionally known in the industry by your nickname. His GitHub profile is also listed as Gabriel Booth.
- Don't rely only on your online portfolio. Hiring managers need to be able to contact you, so include both your phone and email address.
- Finally, even if the position is remote, you need to include your location. This is usually needed to prevent potential administrative issues.
How can we make this into a better sounding resume header?
Take a look at the following sample:
Although Gabe’s job title is different, this resume header is much better.
Why?
Because if you separate the section from the rest of the resume, it will look exactly like a business card. And this is the whole point of the resume header.
So if you don’t know how to check if you've done a good job, just separate the section from the rest of your resume. See if it will be able to stand as a business card on its own.
If it does, you’ve nailed it!
How to impress Apple hiring managers with your resume summary
Before we talk self-marketing, we must discuss the difference between summaries and objectives.
Simply put, they both serve the same purpose. To pitch yourself to your potential employer.
The only difference is who's talking. If you lack experience, or you're switching careers, then you should use a resume objective.
This way, you can show what transferable skills you have. Make sure you mention any relevant courses, volunteer work and side projects you’ve done.
If you've been in the industry for a few years now, then write a resume summary.
We all know you have many professional achievements. And you should be proud of them. But refrain from listing all of them in one long paragraph.
Your resume summary shouldn't be longer than 5 or 6 sentences. So pick only the achievements most relevant to the company's goals and its values.
3 Apple resume summary examples
Continuing with Gabe’s resume draft, here is what you should avoid doing with your summary. Do you see the mistakes?
It looks like someone trying to look professional. But it’s actually very sloppy.
First, Gabe says that he's highly-skilled and motivated. You can't prove those in a resume. Except if you name specific projects, where these skills have been applied.
But no such projects are ever mentioned in the summary.
Since the summary’s aim is to keep them reading, don't wait until the end of your resume to mention your successes.
Also, given he’s a recent graduate, he hasn’t named his school.
Yes, many companies consider the name of your school as an important factor. Especially if you’ve graduated from an Ivy League college. But don't worry if you got your diploma from an online school. Or if you have no formal education. Some Apple jobs only require an equivalent industry experience.
What makes these mistakes even more noticeable, is how the summary is worded. It's targeted at the company, but Gabe hasn't stated how Apple will benefit from his skills.
Here's how to make yourself stand out:
Much, much better!
But what if you’re a recent graduate?
Notice how if you substitute “Agile Software Engineer” with “recent computer science college grad” it will still sound good?
This is because the applicant has referenced tools and skills specific for the job. Plus, they've shown how they will be used to serve Apple customers.
And for those who have the experience, but don't know how to summarize it, consider the sample below:
How to create an attention-grabbing experience section for your Apple resume
Once you have perfected the summary, you need to keep the momentum.
Why?
Imagine reading a book or watching a movie. It starts well enough, the plot is good, and then - it fizzles out at the end. Don't make the same mistake.
Since the experience section should take the larger part of your resume, it needs to stand out on its own.
How do you do that?
Simple! Just:
- Carefully look at the job description. Pick out the most important requirements for the position
- Next, you have to look at your own qualifications. See if you can think of examples from your professional life that relate to the requirements.
- Then, write them down and cherry pick. Remember that the experience entries should be between 3 and 5. So select those which best represent your abilities.
We know all this sounds like a lot of work. And it is. But once you tackle that first experience section entry, you'll get the hang of it really quickly.
3 Apple resume experience examples
Going back to Gabe’s resume draft, take a look at what you need to avoid in your experience section:
02/2017 - 05/2022 
- •Offered maintenance and addressed clients’ needs
- •Helped the software team develop new features, based on client feedback
- •Led a team of Technical Specialists
Nowadays, it’s difficult to imagine a company not having a website. Especially when it comes to software development.
So although most of the basic details are listed correctly, a nice touch would be to add the company’s website. It shows attention to detail.
This way, the company's projects listed online will supplement your own portfolio.
Also, make sure that your entries are linked to measurable results. Don't make your experience section read like it’s copied from the job description.
For example, Gabe has mentioned that he has led a team of Technical Specialists. What happened while he was leading the team?
Did they achieve the results? Did they win any awards?
If you want to list leadership skills on your resume, display how your work affects your team.
Having considered all these points, have a look at how Gabe’s experience section looks now:
02/2017 - 05/2022 
- •Increased the client pool by 250% in 2 years by introducing city pharmacies to our key software product, offering maintenance and addressing clients needs.
- •Helped the company establish itself as a market leader by helping the software team develop new features, based on client feedback.
- •Lead the company's client-side expansion by building and leading a team of Technical Specialists, which were later tasked with handling new clients.
Impressive, right?
Something else to take into account is who is going to read your resume.
If you're sure that the recruiter has a technical background, you may want to reflect that in your resume. But you have to be absolutely sure the recruiter understands tech jargon.
For example:
02/2017 - 05/2022 - •Increased Alpha Solutions' brand recognition and established the company as an industry leader by developing a key software solution in 2018, which has since become a staple in the industry.
- •Tripled my team's velocity and reduced software development cycle time by frequently and continuously addressing staff project input and needs.
- •Boosted the team's code coverage by 61%, following the implementation of a new client on-boarding and project assessment methodology.
Which skills will make a greater impact on your Apple resume
Before we answer this question, we must look at the overall picture.
Why?
Because just as much as salespeople need to be a little tech-savvy, tech people must have social skills. There needs to be a cultural fit.
As a result, having the right skill and mindset is important.
So, the key here is to have a balanced out resume. Try to show equal parts social and technical talents. Keep in mind to tie them to quantifiable results.
Let's look at each type of skill set separately.
describing your hard skills in a concise and understandable way
Depending on your position, you have to use more than one type of database. Or operating system. Or work with more than one programming language.
And unless the hiring manager is a techie, you need to be able to explain your core skills in an understandable way.
The best way to do this is to use the C-A-R method. This stands for Challenge-Action-Results. Show the results of your talents.
Keep in mind to touch up on KPIs, which are important to both the technical team and the company's goals.
You can find these listed in the job description. Check what recruiters are hiring for and see if any of the requirements match the abilities you have.
If you're struggling to come up with tech skills for your resume, consider the ones in the table below:
Must-have hard skills for Apple validation software engineer:
- Linux
- Unix
- C
- C++
- Assembly and scripting languages
- Java
- Grooby
- Python
- Splunk
- ELK stack
- vSphere
- Jenkins
- Grafana
- VMware
- CI/CD pipelines, tools and methodologies
- Data extraction and management
- Monitoring and alerting systems maintenance
- Digital design
- Design verification
- Silicon and analog characterization
- Test equipment and analyzers
- Troubleshooting
- Debugging
Key technical abilities for Apple software engineer:
- Database systems management
- Data pipelines
- Source control systems (Git)
- Golang
- Jenkins
- HTTP
- Content routing and caching systems
- End-to-end testing systems
- Xcode
- Swift
- Objective-C
- C
- C++
- Go
- Java
- Go
- Scala
- Python
- Network architecture
- Load balancing
- Kubernetes
- XML
- JSON
- SSL
- TCP/IP
- AWS services (EC2, ECS, S3, SNS, SQS)
- SQL
- Postgres
- Elasticsearch
- Redis
- MacOS
- Linux
- Shell scripts
Balancing out your Apple resume with the right social skills
The Apple careers page states: “Join us. Be you.”
But you still have to be a cultural fit. Because ultimately, you're joining a community of innovators.
The best way to do this is to make your social skills complement the core skills you have listed on your resume.
How do you do that?
Let's go back to the C-A-R method. So lead each entry with data.
Take into account how soft skills are described in the table below:
You see how each skill is linked to an outcome or an event?
Think about how your social abilities affect you and other people around you.
You've won an award because you’re determined? Great, add it!
You have made work easier for your colleagues? Good, detail how you've done it.
You've managed to get out of a sticky situation, because you are great at working under pressure? Excellent, now write that down.
If you find it hard to come up with real life examples, take a look at our soft skills chart below.
Remember to not limit yourself only to work experience. You can also add volunteer work and side projects.
Essential social talents for Apple employees:
- Innovative
- Adaptable
- Flexible
- Customer-focused
- Results-oriented
- Communication skills
- Multitasking
- Responsible
- Accountable
- Motivator
- Inspirational
- Teamwork
- Leadership skills
- Mentor
- People management
- Organizational skills
- Time management skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Troubleshooting skills
- Analytical skills
- Critical thinking
- Able to work under pressure
- Able to work independently when needed
- Personable
- Able to work in cross-functional teams
- Coordination skills
- Attention to detail
- Enthusiasm
- Dedication
- Passion
- Collaboration
How important is it to have a formal education to work at Apple?
We all know the stereotypes. If you’ve graduated from an elite school, you have better chances. Even if your GPA isn't perfect, you probably have 2-3 internships under your belt.
As we mentioned before, some of the company roles do not require an academic background.
You can easily apply with certificates from an online course. Or relevant industry work experience.
Having said that, most Apple employees have a university diploma in a technical field. Some of their degrees include:
- BS or MS or Ph.D. in Computer Science
- BS or MS or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering
- BS or MS in Network Security
- BS or MS in Cybersecurity
Are there any certificates that would make your Apple resume stand out?
Of course!
Some of the company's engineering teams work with specific databases, environments and software. So, if you have a certificate for a particular specialization, add it.
Just make sure your certificates are valid and up to date before you include them.
Are there any other sections you can include on your Apple resume?
Definitely!
If you have accomplishments relevant to the position, list them. Showing a personal interest and actively contributing to the field you’ll be working in is a great plus.
Even if you’re a recent college grad, you can list:
- Academic projects
- Journal articles, academic projects and patents
- Research papers
- Industry association memberships
- Awards and prizes
- Volunteer work
- Interests and Hobbies
- Languages
Share your successes!
Key takeaways: how to secure an interview with Apple
- Read the job description carefully. See what’s the work focus of the hiring team.
- Jot down your biggest achievements and link them to the company’s future goals
- Make sure there are no typos in the resume header and your portfolio links work
- Turn your resume objective or summary into a sales pitch
- List accomplishments which are relevant to the position you’re applying for
- Lead your experience section entries with verifiable and quantifiable results
- Balance out your soft and hard skills. Show you are both talented and a culture fit.
