As somebody who may apply for a job at Apple in the near future: Because working for that multi-billion dollar corporation means getting to work on possibly the best set of electronic devices on the planet. If I work for a company rather than for myself, I want my work to be contributing towards as grand a project as possible, and if that end goal is valuable enough, working insane hours to meet insane requirements sounds like a fair trade.
This has always confused me. I don't understand why anyone works for Apple (or Amazon for that matter).
If you're already selling your soul to big tech why not just go to Facebook or whatever and get paid more?
I used to want to work at Apple until I got to know people who work there. Very heavy secrecy + burnout culture, plus weird things like some projects get free meals where others don't.
Side note: I once met a former Apple employee who dismissed my sugar coated illusions my telling me that at the end of the day working for for even an amazing large tech company is "working for the man"
Apple doesn't actually pay well compared to competitors, I think most people are taking a haircut on their salaries in order to work there, because of the brand, the corporate culture etc.
Apple is the biggest company on earth and out of the FAANG companies, they are the most prestigious place to work. Their market cap is on it's way to 10 Trillion. There's very little incentive for people to jeopardize this job and give up their stock in the company.
They work at Apple because they love the products, culture and people. Sure pay is a factor in the decision but I think the type of people who work at apple work their mainly because they believe in what Apple stands for. Challenging the status quo by thinking differently.
*I don't work at apple but I do have a few friends who do.
For Apple people usually want compensation but I think compensation is not the main reason they work there.
Charities get people to work for free because those people believe in the cause the charity stands for. People will take a job at Apple with less pay then another offer because they believe in what Apple stands for.
Good point, I have no first hand knowledge of working at Apple. I have worked at some smaller companies (and that's where I am now) that do have a good work/life balance but nobody would recognize those names so I just picked one. Definitely appreciate the insight though. I do occasionally contemplate working at a bigger company, and it's good to think about all the trade-offs. It's also interesting to think about the culture of a company, how that grows and evolves, and how that matches your own goals and ideals. It's not just about the money. I do think it's possible to do good work and be happy at a small/medium sized company that has a pretty cool product but isn't going to be the "next xyz".
Not a developer but I would definitely do a 2+ year stint at Apple to get the name on my resume and find out what it's like to work at one of the largest and most profitable tech companies ever. I'm sure there's an incredible amount to learn and the pay is nice as well.
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