An Apple HR representative contacted me and told me the Touch Screen group was interested in hiring new grads with a strong background in EE. The position was an Analog EE position; I told her my background was in Digital EE. She informed me that this was not a problem. I was then sent a pre-interview exam to complete within 24 hours. On the exam were analog circuit analysis questions (RLC and op-amps), a probability question, and an open ended economics question. I felt good about the exam and a few days later Apple contacted me saying they’d like to proceed with an onsite interview. We scheduled a date. Four days before the interview I received an email disclosing what I should study to prepare for the interview. On the list: tranistors/resistors. Transistors had not been on the pretest. Enter full on study mode. The day of: My first interview starts with “So why do you want to work at Apple.” I’m tempted to say “Actually, you guys want me,” but I start off on a good note and talk about the exciting technology, the chance to work with brilliant people, and my potential to really grow and excel in such an engineer-friendly environment – pretty good I think. Next he says “Your background is DSP, so why are you interviewing for this job.” Again, I’m tempted to say “Well, I don’t have a job yet, I am really smart and I could do well – I think – doing just about anything so I figure why not check out my options.” Instead I go on to talk about my passion for EE and my general obsession with science and engineering (honest) and that it was difficult for me in grad school to choose an area at all because everything excited me. Again, true and tactful. He understands. We talk about my background. I describe my research and go over some coursework. Then, on to the “technical” part. My first technical question is to solve an Op-Amp circuit. I tell him I have to solve the circuit. He steps back and lets me go. I solve it slowly but surely. We move on to discussing touch screens; we have a nice technical discussion about it. Ends well and he gives me a business card. Next, my second interviewer arrives. He again asks me why I want to work at Apple and why I am applying to this job. I bite my tongue about clarifying that I didn’t apply for the job. We discuss background and research and then move on to the technical questions. He puts up a slightly more complicated Op-Amp circuit. Sheesh, I think. I solve it, but the whole thing has taken awhile. He decides to ask me something that “I should be really familiar with.” He then goes on to ask the most ill-posed question I have ever heard. It came with a correspondingly bad block diagram. I have thought long and hard on the discussion that followed and have decided that he didn’t know enough to ask a good question. I think he skimmed a wiki article on DSP and thought he knew enough to interview me well. My next interview is with HR. They gush over how smart I am, how much “Apple” wants me, etc. It is over all pleasant and a nice break, thought I wonder who "Apple" is and when I get to meet him... An engineer comes to interview me over lunch. He fixates on my background and how this position is not a good match. I try to stay positive but he is relentless. I think he hates me. I guess he gets tired of reminding me that I am a poor match for this position and moves on to asking about my research. I tell him what I did, etc. His exact words are then “Well, I am skeptical about that.” How do you politely say “Sorry you don’t understand it; maybe you’d like me to teach you something for the next 4 hours?” I know what I did, the conferences that published my work know what I did, and the team of doctorates that passed me on my M.S. defense knows what I did. I really don’t care if this guy thinks it’s legit. I feel very uncomfortable, very defensive, and starting to wonder how I even got there. I thought these people wanted to hire me; I didn’t come here to beg for a job. He draws an op-amp circuit. He doesn’t like how I am solving it – which isn’t wrong it’s just not how he prefers. He interrupts my train of thought, but I manage to get the correct answer. He then moves on to stats questions. I did poorly here. This man was not nice and I didn’t want to be near him. Finally, a new interviewer. He asks me another (you guessed it!) op-amp circuit. He tries to meet me half way by asking a DSP question, but I really wish these guys would stop doing that. He receives a text message, and then asks me a question about the seasons. Meeting on more neutral ground is comfortable. This guy is nice, and I wouldn’t mind working with him. Interview ends and he graciously tells me that we are done interviewing, but HR will be in touch with me about DSP positions. We politely say goodbye; then I get the hell out of there. Overall, it was weird. I am glad I did it, glad I didn’t get the job, and glad to be interviewing with other companies.