This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Brian Chukwuisiocha, a 22-year-old computer science student based in the Washington metropolitan area. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
Apple taught me how to own my work and care more about who’s using the products I work on.
I worked there in my sophomore year from May 2024 to August 2024 as an intern. It was a great experience, and it really aligned with my original motivation for getting into software engineering: to make things that people can use and help them in everyday life.
They liked the amount of knowledge I had in coding for iOS apps, and I was interviewed for four different positions. After two to three rounds of interviews, I ended up on the Apple Fitness+ team. I was earning $42 an hour while there.
But when it came time to start thinking about post-graduation employment, I didn’t end up applying for an entry-level role at Apple. Instead, I accepted a full-time job offer from my most recent internship.
Apple is a dream company for many software engineering students, and working in Cupertino was a one-of-a-kind experience. Ultimately, there were a couple of factors that led me to seek out a different job for after college.
Apple Park is in a world of its own
In my three months on the job, I learned that Apple is very intentional about the environment it’s created on the main campus. It’s fostered an atmosphere of creativity that’s led to their most iconic products.
However, Apple Park is sort of siloed off from the rest of the world. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It just took me a minute to learn what’s what with all of the secrecy and privacy that Apple is known for. There were a lot of parts of the campus that I didn’t have access to as an intern.
It’s a whole Apple village. For example, they have trails for walks or jogs, and the gym is the coolest gym I’ve ever seen in my life. The only thing it’s missing is a place to sleep.
I appreciated the seclusion, since it promoted collaboration with my teammates, and I made friends that I’ll probably have for a lifetime in my fellow interns. It’s so closed off that you don’t hear the outside world, like an ambulance passing by.
I’m not sure the West Coast is for me
I’ve lived in several different countries, and I’m used to being surrounded by people of diverse backgrounds. For me, as a Nigerian man, it was hard to find my community there. It was hard to find food I loved and places to get my hair done compared to the East Coast where I’m from.
Apple Park probably couldn’t exist in New York, though, so I understand why the West Coast is appealing for tech companies. There’s more space, and you can create your own tech community and economy.
It makes sense for Big Tech, but I’m a multifaceted person. I have interests outside of tech, and it felt like I couldn’t grow my other passions in the Bay Area.
I want to stand out among my peers
In my years of programming, I’ve learned that new grads can have a tougher time standing out at Big Tech companies. You’re coming in at the bottom of the food chain. Many undergrads just don’t have enough experience to differentiate themselves from the rest of the applicants hoping to land a full-time position.
They can end up being just a number at some tech firms, and I didn’t want that to happen to me.
After I graduate, I’ll be working in financial tech in New York City. But that doesn’t mean I’m out on Big Tech.
I have a long career ahead of me, and Apple isn’t off my radar.
Are you a current or former Apple employee with a story to share? Contact this reporter, Jordan Hart, from a non-work device and email at [email protected].
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