How to Write a Resume for Apple + Templates

As a top tech company, Apple’s hiring process is extremely selective. Less than 1% of applicants make it to the hiring stage.

This post will provide tips on how to craft an outstanding resume for Apple that will set you up for success.

Real Apple resumes

Looking for inspiration before you apply? Below are anonymous sample resumes from Apple employees who started working at the company within the last twelve months.

Use them as a reference for your own resume.

• Real Resume 1: Apple Software Engineer
• Real Resume 2: Apple Product Manager
• Real Resume 3: Apple Data Scientist
• Sample Apple Cover Letter

Real Resume 1: Apple Software Engineer

This is an Apple software engineer resume from a candidate who got the job in the last twelve months.

Why is this a good software engineer resume?

• It displays technical understanding: This resume showcases the candidate's experience in multiple programming languages and technical skills, such as Python, C++, JavaScript, and React.js.
• Improved processes: During their time at a large investment bank, they deployed code that increased efficiency and automatically updated visual dashboards.
• Cross-team collaboration: In their last position, they worked with remote software teams to deliver products. Working beyond your IC position or director will be necessary at Apple.

Overall, this resume showcases a robust technical background and hands-on experience in software development, making the candidate a good fit for a software engineering role at Apple.

Real Resume 2: Apple Product Manager

This is an Apple product manager resume from a candidate who got the job in the last twelve months.

Why is this a good PM resume?

• Demonstrated leadership: This candidate was responsible for digesting and sharing data with leadership in their consulting position.
• Management experience: This candidate directed teams worldwide to achieve marketing KPIs. Their marketing experience helped them lead a distributed team to success.
• Prioritization: This candidate highlighted their ability to prioritize tasks as a PM. They could set measurable goals based on what was possible with budget and business needs. They have a Masters's degree in Management Information Systems and Services.

The candidate is results-oriented, having successfully designed and implemented cloud ERP systems, increased business growth, and carried out 30+ mobile app, web design, and cloud development projects from end to end.

They have demonstrated strong communication skills and the ability to build relationships with high-level team members.

Real Resume 3: Apple Data Scientist

This is an Apple data scientist resume from a candidate who got the job in the last twelve months.

Why is this a good candidate?

This candidate has professional experience in data analysis and data science.

They have a Master of Science in Business Analytics from UCLA and a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance & Economics and Management from the University of Toronto.

Their technical skills include using SQL, R, Microsoft Access, and time-series models.

The candidate is results-oriented, having improved accuracy scores, generated revenue, and established new revenue streams through their work, showing they can deliver measurable results.

Sample Apple cover letter

Here’s a sample cover letter from an Apple media experience engineer you can start editing from below:

Why is this a good cover letter?

The writer highlights their programming expertise and knowledge in relevant technologies (C/C++ and Objective-C), which is vital for this role at Apple—Apple uses a lot of Objective-C.

The writer also demonstrates a genuine interest in the company and the opportunity to work on cutting-edge media experiences.

The letter is concise, well-written, and easy to read, making an excellent first impression.

How to format your Apple resume

Apple seeks resumes that align with its values: creativity and innovation. Emphasize your creative and innovative skills and experiences.

Design

Apply Apple’s love of simplicity and elegance to your resume.

• One page: Selectively highlight your top skills and experiences and keep it to one page.
• 11pt+ professional font, 1-inch margins, consistent formatting: Your resume should be neat and skimmable.
• No photos: Photos aren’t standard on resumes, and they detract from your content. When relevant, you can include hyperlinks to other information.
• Logical layout: Use clear headings and bullet points to organize your information. Successful resumes commonly use the reverse-chronological layout to present the most recent accomplishments.

Summary

The summary follows the header. It briefly states your goals, skills, and relevant experience and introduces the rest of the resume.

When done well, a summary can quickly pique a recruiter's interest.

But the summary isn't necessary if you're directly communicating with a hiring manager at Apple.

Experience

Here’s your chance to demonstrate your skills and experience. List previous jobs, accomplishments, and the impact you’ve had.

• Use bullet points: Include 3 - 5 bullet points per section. Each topic should be only one or two sentences.
• Use concrete numbers: Add data points to your accomplishments (dollars earned, money saved, % growth, etc.)
• Use action words: Start your resume bullet points with action words.
• Tailor your experience: Tailor your experience to the job you are applying for. Use the job description to identify relevant metrics and skills.
• Keep Apple’s shared values in mind: Select your bullet points based on how well they illustrate Apple’s shared values.
• Keep it recent: Only include positions from the previous 5 - 10 years. List experiences in reverse chronological order.
• Explain gaps: When presented effectively, gaps in your work history are not a big deal.

Education

Education should be included below your experience section, not above, unless you are an entry-level candidate.

• Don’t include high school education: It’s no longer relevant.
• GPA: You could optionally include your GPA.
• Degree(s): Include the institution you attended, your degree, and relevant coursework or certifications.

Additional sections

If you have space, list your extracurriculars. Volunteer work and outside interests add a personal touch that can help you establish rapport in an interview.

Keep it short - a few lines max.

Including information about your outside interests, volunteer work, hobbies, etc., can provide your resume a nice personal touch, which can help establish a better connection during a later interview.

Sample job descriptions

These are some common job descriptions at Apple.

Use the specific job description you're applying to while crafting your resume. Use the keywords mentioned and focus your skills on how you've solved similar problems in your other roles.

Sample: Apple software engineer job description (Media products)

Apple is looking for an experienced Java engineer with hands-on software engineering experience, knowledge of databases (SQL and NoSQL), RESTful web services, and experience working on highly scalable applications.

Must be a self-starter with excellent communication skills and a strong sense of responsibility. Responsibilities include adding new integrations, scaling data flows, and re-imagining existing processes to accommodate developing features/architectures.

How to focus your resume:

If you were applying to this job, you should focus on your system design knowledge. Mention your work with large databases and any previous media management experience.

Sample: Apple product manager job description (Payments)

Apple is seeking a hard-working Product Manager with a singular focus on customer experience and demonstrated experience in payments/financing.

Must have strong communication and problem-solving skills, the ability to run multiple projects with opposing priorities, and work independently.

Responsibilities include enhancing the online store offerings, leading cross-functional teams to execute initiatives, developing knowledge of the systems involved, collaborating with business teams on launch strategy/execution, and identifying requirements for comprehensive customer experiences.

How to focus your resume:

This product manager position requires experience in finance and payments. Have you worked at a FinTech company before? Do you have experience rolling out mobile apps with recurring payments and revenue?

Even if you're transitioning into product management, you can look for similar financial projects in your past to highlight.

Reasons to work at Apple

Not sure if you want to work at Apple or how you'd answer the "Why Apple?" interview question? Here are the top 5 reasons to work at Apple:

Innovate and advance

Apple is constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible, and employees have the chance to be a part of that process.

You’ll have the opportunity to work with and be surrounded by some of the most innovative and advanced technology and people in the world.

Embrace creative collaboration

Apple is known for its collaborative, team-oriented approach to problem-solving.

This fosters a culture of creativity and collaboration, where employees from different departments and backgrounds come together to bring new ideas to life.

Design excellence

Apple has a long-standing reputation for design excellence, and this focus on design extends to all aspects of the company.

From the sleek, minimalist look of its products to the attention to detail in its retail stores, Apple places a high value on design and provides employees with the tools and resources to bring their creative vision to life.

Prioritize wellbeing

Apple is committed to creating a workplace that supports and nurtures its employees.

From on-site health and wellness programs to flexible work arrangements, the company goes above and beyond to ensure its employees have a healthy work-life balance.

Make a difference

Apple is a technology company with a mission to positively impact the world.

From its commitment to sustainability to its efforts to bring technology to underserved communities, Apple empowers its employees to use their skills and creativity to make a difference.

Why are resumes important?

Your resume is your first impression, and Apple recruiters take close note of what’s on it.

Apple’s hiring process involves several evaluation stages, starting with a resume screen, then a recruiter screen call, then a phone interview, and finally, the on-site interview.

The resume screen is the first stage.

A team member at Apple reviews all the applications submitted to their job postings and scans resumes to see if there’s a good fit. Apple uses technology and human-curated review processes to determine if a resume is relevant for the role and then decides whether to send the candidate on to the next step of the process.

In the final stages of the decision on a candidate joining Apple, recruiters and hiring managers will review the candidate’s packet holistically, including the resume, to see if there’s a good fit with the candidate.

So, your resume not only helps you get in the door but can also help you land the job once you’ve interviewed.