7 hours in the spaceship: interviewing for a job at Apple Park

Posted:
in General Discussion edited July 2018
A personal account of a job interview held at Apple Park appears to paint a picture of the new headquarters' inner workings, from staff docents to iPad-powered coffee dispensers, in intriguing detail.




Briefly published to Reddit before being deleted from view, the recent post from a throwaway account talks about a prospective hire being interviewed for a position on the Mac team. While the author does not discuss what happened during the interview itself, they do cover the experience of visiting the campus for the entire day.

On arrival at the Tantau Avenue reception center, the writer was checked in and provided with a green visitor's lanyard, which also identified their host for the day. They were then instructed to follow a path to the main building, one that is obstructed by hills and the path itself before offering a "spectacular view of the side."

Two sets of employees welcomed the individual, with blue-shirted Apple Security personnel accompanied by green-shirted "greeters," who acted as guides in a similar way to front-of-store Apple retail employees directing customers to other store staff. Informed the building was quite confusing, "especially for guests," the poster notes they received assistance from a number of the green-clad employees to the appropriate area.

Checked in by another greeter at Apple Park Section 1 and asked to wait in the lobby, the writer remarks the area "looked custom made and very new," complete with comfy couches and beanbag chairs. Guests also had access to a pastry bar and coffee at the location.

The coffee stations are noted as having a "Moen faucet" style spigot that contains four smaller hoses, used to dispense hot, chilled, and ambient temperature water along with freshly brewed coffee. The station was controlled by an iPad, which offered to dispense coffee in a user-specified quantity, selected by a slider. Nearby was a "small but well-staffed cafe" that provided espresso drinks and pastries.

According to the writer, each of the nine sections has its own coffee station and cafe, separate from the main dining area.

The interview room is described as being made from wood, but one with small 1 to 2 millimeter holes across the surface used for ventilation. As the world's largest naturally ventilated building, the writer noted they did not see any air vent grates, while the ceiling of the room was made from granite.

The room also had a circular table, chairs, a glass whiteboard, and a soft LED light strip that ran along the middle of the wall along the sides. The glass walls facing the hallway had motorized blinds for privacy, rather than the author's expected use of frosted glass.

Two hours into the interview process, the writer was walked to another section of the ring for lunch, ordering from the app-based Caffe Macs menu. The low-cost food is reportedly similar in quality to that offered at Caffe Macs at Infinite Loop, but the experience of eating has apparently benefited from Apple "building the place to accommodate thousands upon thousands of people per day."




The main dining area is described as sizable, both in terms of floor space and with a ceiling taking advantage of the size of the building, complete with ample natural light and trees within the dining space. Sitting on a third-floor balcony to eat, the author was able to look out onto the campus' inner ring, calling it "honestly breathtaking."

Following lunch, interviews continued for another four hours. Potential employees are warned that a 6 to 7-hour interview process is "the norm," so to expect spending an entire day going through the process.

While the original post about the visit was posted on Thursday, the entire post was removed and the associated account deleted hours later. It is possible that the author removed it due to the risk associated with publishing details about Apple's headquarters affecting their chances of getting the job they interviewed for, a probable conclusion considering the comments below the now-wiped post.

Numerous commenters advised to take down the post, suggesting it would be against any signed non-disclosure agreements, and that it was highly probable someone at Apple would have read the post and identified the author.

Despite the anonymous nature of the post, numerous elements of the article match up with the experience of one AppleInsider contributor's own visit to the campus, suggesting it to be a factual account. Descriptions of the food, coffee stations, and the iPad-based menus correlate with what was seen on that occasion, as well as the heightened security and the attention to detail in building and decorating the working environment.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 42
    Robots78Robots78 Posts: 20member
    "Informed the building was quite confusing" How did they manage to make a circle confusing?
    cornchip
  • Reply 2 of 42
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Robots78 said:
    "Informed the building was quite confusing" How did they manage to make a circle confusing?
    What does the shape have to do with whether a massive structure with countless doors that require varying degrees of access credentials that lead to countless corridors and rooms have to do with whether it's confusing or not? I've seen the building from the road and it looks like any other office building due to its size.
    edited July 2018 king editor the grateronnpscooter63
  • Reply 3 of 42
    paul turnerpaul turner Posts: 222member
    I have interviewed many people over the years. 

    There are only really 2 question that  I try to find the answers to, all the supplementary questions try to find these out and are based on these 2  simple questions:

    1) Can  this person do the job? Aka. Do they have the skills, or are they trying to pull the wool?

    2) can they fit in lto the team (aka are they a total cancer / asshole?)

    if you are trying to  find a job all you have to do is not come over as a complete ass and know what you are doing. Simple really!
    king editor the gratecornchipmatrix077StrangeDaysjony0
  • Reply 4 of 42
    Anilu_777Anilu_777 Posts: 521member
    If I were hiring for a company with a high emphasis on keeping details secret, and a prospective employee immediately wrote about their experience at my company’s interview and about its property, the prospect would be considered a security risk and rejected. 
    edited July 2018 SpamSandwichchasmbdkennedy1002cornchipmatrix077Rayz2016pscooter63lostkiwinewBelieverstantheman
  • Reply 5 of 42
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    I have interviewed many people over the years. 

    There are only really 2 question that  I try to find the answers to, all the supplementary questions try to find these out and are based on these 2  simple questions:

    1) Can  this person do the job? Aka. Do they have the skills, or are they trying to pull the wool?

    2) can they fit in lto the team (aka are they a total cancer / asshole?)

    if you are trying to  find a job all you have to do is not come over as a complete ass and know what you are doing. Simple really!
    You need to get a job at Apple and tell'ed how its done!  Tell'em to simplify an not be assholes. I am sure with your experience and approach you'd be a real asset. 

    kiltedgreenasdasdbshank
  • Reply 6 of 42
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Robots78 said:
    "Informed the building was quite confusing" How did they manage to make a circle confusing?
    By needing varying rooms, services and amenities for 13,000 people, making it one mile in circumference, and giving it four floors, two sides, a huge interior courtyard with its own set of facilities and a basement with underground car parks.

    It’s not just a circle. It’s a very large functioning building.
    edited July 2018 king editor the grateronnradarthekatStrangeDays
  • Reply 7 of 42
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    I have interviewed many people over the years. 

    There are only really 2 question that  I try to find the answers to, all the supplementary questions try to find these out and are based on these 2  simple questions:

    1) Can this person do the job? Aka. Do they have the skills, or are they trying to pull the wool?

    2) can they fit in lto the team (aka are they a total cancer / asshole?)

    if you are trying to  find a job all you have to do is not come over as a complete ass and know what you are doing. Simple really!
    If only life was that simple.
    cornchipbackstabGeorgeBMacstantheman
  • Reply 8 of 42
    charlitunacharlituna Posts: 7,217member
    Anilu_777 said:
    If I were hiring for a company with a high emphasis on keeping details secret, and a prospective employee immediately wrote about their experience at my company’s interview and about its property, the prospect would be considered a security risk and rejected. 

    and quite possibly has been. i mean I can't imagine they couldn't figure it out from what was posted 
  • Reply 9 of 42
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Anilu_777 said:
    If I were hiring for a company with a high emphasis on keeping details secret, and a prospective employee immediately wrote about their experience at my company’s interview and about its property, the prospect would be considered a security risk and rejected. 
    Yes, but if the person who wrote the story wasn’t being interviewed, but was already working there and made up the story as a way of communicating feelings and thoughts they have had about the building and interview process, as a way of getting them off their chest, they would be virtually impossible to identify. Deleting the story may have been motivated when a feeling of guilt or company loyalty came over them.
    edited July 2018 radarthekatjony0
  • Reply 10 of 42
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Anilu_777 said:
    If I were hiring for a company with a high emphasis on keeping details secret, and a prospective employee immediately wrote about their experience at my company’s interview and about its property, the prospect would be considered a security risk and rejected. 
    Yep. The poster obviously cannot keep their trap shut and they’re a liability.
    cornchipstantheman
  • Reply 11 of 42
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Anilu_777 said:
    If I were hiring for a company with a high emphasis on keeping details secret, and a prospective employee immediately wrote about their experience at my company’s interview and about its property, the prospect would be considered a security risk and rejected. 
    Yep. The poster obviously cannot keep their trap shut and they’re a liability.
    And a joy to read; a joy to read.
    edited July 2018
  • Reply 12 of 42
    robin huberrobin huber Posts: 3,949member
    I have interviewed many people over the years. 

    There are only really 2 question that  I try to find the answers to, all the supplementary questions try to find these out and are based on these 2  simple questions:

    1) Can  this person do the job? Aka. Do they have the skills, or are they trying to pull the wool?

    2) can they fit in lto the team (aka are they a total cancer / asshole?)

    if you are trying to  find a job all you have to do is not come over as a complete ass and know what you are doing. Simple really!
    That is true, but many assholes present very nicely. Their true nature may not appear until later. A grueling 7-hour process might tend to unmask the true personality than a cursory one.
    cornchip
  • Reply 13 of 42
    robin huberrobin huber Posts: 3,949member
    Maybe this person DIDN’T get the job, thus felt free to post. Then thought better of it anyway. 
    caladaniancornchip
  • Reply 14 of 42
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Maybe this person DIDN’T get the job, thus felt free to post. Then thought better of it anyway. 
    That was one of my theories. The other is they actually work there and felt the need to tell how cool it was to, and wrote this based on creative observations and not personal experiences.
    edited July 2018 radarthekat
  • Reply 15 of 42
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    ireland said:
    Maybe this person DIDN’T get the job, thus felt free to post. Then thought better of it anyway. 
    That was one of my theories. The other is they actually work there and felt the need to tell how cool it was to, and wrote this based on creative observations and not personal experiences.
    Kids today feel no need to be loyal to the people or company paying them. Those with little work experience or sense of responsibility or the legal repercussions of their actions are in for a rude shock eventually.
    radarthekatmacseekerGeorgeBMacracerhomie3pscooter63
  • Reply 16 of 42
    65026502 Posts: 380member
    I have interviewed many people over the years. 

    There are only really 2 question that  I try to find the answers to, all the supplementary questions try to find these out and are based on these 2  simple questions:

    1) Can  this person do the job? Aka. Do they have the skills, or are they trying to pull the wool?

    2) can they fit in lto the team (aka are they a total cancer / asshole?)

    if you are trying to  find a job all you have to do is not come over as a complete ass and know what you are doing. Simple really!
    Don't you want to know what animal they would be if they could be any animal?
    JWSCirelandcornchipradarthekatfastasleep
  • Reply 17 of 42
    mtbnutmtbnut Posts: 199member
    "Moen faucet" style spigot that contains four smaller hoses..." 

    And this is how they identified the author: They swap out the faucet brand for each interviewee. Grohe is Person A, Delta is B, and so on. 

    Genius. 

    uktechiecornchipbackstabradarthekatleehammfastasleepkuduanonconformistkiltedgreentgr1
  • Reply 18 of 42
    uktechieuktechie Posts: 67member
    mtbnut said:
    "Moen faucet" style spigot that contains four smaller hoses..." 

    And this is how they identified the author: They swap out the faucet brand for each interviewee. Grohe is Person A, Delta is B, and so on. 

    Genius. 

    Hmmm, no... Far too obvious and not enough possibilities without severely limiting the number of interviewees. I reckon they use a combination of badge and uniform colours:

     “The writer was checked in and provided with a green visitor's lanyard... Two sets of employees welcomed the individual, with blue-shirted Apple Security personnel accompanied by green-shirted "greeters”. 

    Lets say they use 32 differentiable colours - that gives you 2⁵ x 2⁵ x 2⁵ = 32768 combinations to identify 32768 unique interviewees. They probably use even more colours...

    Me? I got the turquoise lanyard, mikado yellow security and sarcoline greeters...

    Oh, wait... was this the interview question?
    fastasleepkiltedgreen
  • Reply 19 of 42
    backstabbackstab Posts: 138member
    You had me at, "pastry bar and coffee".
    "Uhh... Screw the interview {nom-nom- nom... slurp...}"
    mwhitekiltedgreenlostkiwi
  • Reply 20 of 42
    jimh2jimh2 Posts: 611member
    "looked custom made and very new,"...Thanks genius we already know the building is new and that it is custom. 
    GeorgeBMac
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