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Landing a corporate job at Apple is such a big deal for tech workers that some seek out career coaches to help get interviews. Others apply to multiple open positions at the company at once to try to secure an offer.
Sure, it's one of the world's most valuable companies, alongside Silicon Valley neighbors like Meta and Alphabet. But what's the specific Apple lure?
Career expert Marc Cenedella told Business Insider he had the chance to hear Apple's late founder, Steve Jobs, answer a similar question.
"'Taste,' he replied," Cenedella said. "'Taste' is the essence of what attracts people to want to work, sleep, play, and live with the Apple brand today."
Apple has been at the forefront of innovation when it comes to smartphones, tablets, and wearable gadgets. Devices like the iPod, Mac computer, and iPhone have become iconic, helping the company gain and keep a massive dedicated global user base (Wedbush Securities analysts estimated earlier this year that there are 2.2 billion iOS devices out there). They've also helped the company itself swell. At the end of last year, Apple employed around 161,000 people.
Career experts told BI that Apple's creative culture, innovation, and legacy are big pulls for applicants.
Apple positions itself as more than just a job. The brand touts its creativity and imagination, attractive qualities for young professionals.
"We aren't merely creating products. We're creating something magical for the person who uses it," a quote from Apple engineering manager Ehsan Farkhondeh reads on Apple's careers page.
Like its products, Apple has worked hard to brand itself as a more playful and curious environment than its competitors.
"The company has a reputation for fostering creativity, championing collaboration, and creating an environment where employees are encouraged to push boundaries, making it a coveted position for many," Chaitra Vedullapalli, cofounder of Women in Cloud, said.
Even Apple Park, the company's headquarters in Cupertino, has earned the nicknames "the spaceship" and "the ring" for its memorable futuristic circular design.
And the lure of working for a company where everyone knows what it makes can't be dismissed.
"Apple's products are globally recognized for their quality and impact, contributing to its prestige," Arianny Mercedes, a former American Express talent manager and career coach, told BI.
According to one Reddit user, securing a job offer at Apple after college is such a priority that it influences what university they'll attend. Another Apple hopeful posted that he was "getting desperate" for a job at the company and applied for 60 jobs in one day.
Apple's pay and benefits are competitive. Employees are eligible for stock, stock options, or share discounts.
When former Apple creative recruiter Theresa Park was approached about a position, she wasn't planning to leave her role at Spotify.
But "Apple pay is much higher when we are looking at the overall package," Park told BI.
"They ended up offering me something I couldn't refuse," she added.
Still, for most, it's about more than the money.
"It's the opportunity to work on cutting-edge technology and be part of groundbreaking projects that often set Apple apart," Mercedes said.
When it comes to innovation, 2024 is a big year for Apple. The company is on the verge of releasing its AI venture, Apple Intelligence, and debuting a new iPhone and new operating technology later this year.
To be sure, its latest innovation, the pricey Vision Pro headset, didn't create the splash the company may have wanted. But the opportunity for Apple to dominate the world of AI (and for said AI to spark a "golden upgrade cycle" with the newest iPhone) is huge, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said.
Apple's nearly 50-year history has been the source material for multiple movies, like "Jobs" and "Steve Jobs." It began in a garage in 1976 and now has a market cap of over $3 trillion. The company spent years building personal computers and introduced the iPod in 2001. It swiftly followed up with the iPhone, probably the most recognizable global smartphone, in 2007.
Since then, Apple has released nearly 20 more iPhone models, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
Drew Evans, COO of professional services company High Trail, also said, "Working at Apple is a résumé builder." Having Apple on your résumé could be the difference between it getting discarded or being seriously considered by recruiters.
"People know that Apple hires strong talent, and having that branding on your future job applications will almost always guarantee a second look," Evans told BI.
And why wouldn't they want an employee who has worked at the same place as famous iPhone designer Jony Ive?
After all, "A better, more thoughtful, more beautiful, more crafted, (more expensive) experience elevates Apple above all others," Cenedella said.
