SEATTLE

Jo started her career at Apple over 14 years ago as a Specialist at the Apple Store. “My time in Apple Retail made me fall in love with the culture here and discover my passion for helping people.” She followed this passion to the Seattle campus, where a casual introduction to a colleague led to an exciting new opportunity on the AI and Machine Learning (AIML) team.

“We were introduced because we have a lot in common — we’re both Latinas and very big advocates for women in technology.” During their initial chat, Jo shared an idea inspired by her days in Apple Retail. “What if we could create a learning experience that helped retail employees better explain how machine learning is used in our products?”

The team loved the idea, which led to them offering Jo a new role where she helped turn her idea into a reality. Today, Apple Store team members have even greater confidence as they help customers appreciate the benefits of Apple’s unique approach to machine learning. “I love the fact that this all started from grabbing coffee with someone. It’s a beautiful way to connect and begin a collaboration.”

Jo promotes connection outside her day-to-day work as well. She’s one of the leaders for the Women@Apple Diversity Network Association (DNA) in Seattle, and also helped launch the Pride@Apple DNA in Seattle. “Creating a sense of togetherness is a big part of who I am. It’s powerful to be with your community and learn from each other.”

Chidi first began working with the Commerce product team as an intern. This experience made him confident that he wanted to join Apple full-time after graduation. “The major driver was the team. I really loved the work they were doing, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it.”

When Chidi started as a product manager, he quickly found both support and inspiration. “My manager’s guidance was really helpful, and the fact that, like me, he moved here for the opportunity with this group — it says to me that this team, this work, is a long-term vision.”

The chance to help shape this vision from the beginning was a big draw for Chidi, and he saw a lot of potential for himself. “Because my team is newer in Seattle, there are opportunities to contribute to the culture and the experiences that we have. I can see that my future here is very bright.”

Sophie had worked in much smaller organisations before she joined Apple as a manager of academic research programmes. “I’d always been at state institutions or nonprofits. When first considering Apple’s AI and Machine Learning (AIML) team, I wasn’t sure if I’d thrive in an environment that was so different from what I was used to.”

As Sophie began the interview process and learned more about the role, however, she realized that Apple may actually be a perfect fit. “I quickly saw that I could be contributing to the world of research in new and exciting ways here. And perhaps most importantly, that my individual contributions would be highly valued.”

Once she joined the team, Sophie’s colleagues only helped reaffirm her decision. “Everyone was so willing to sit down and chat if I had questions, no matter how senior they were. These are some of the most collaborative people I’ve ever worked with.”

When Dragos had the opportunity to join Apple as a software engineer, he was glad he’d be able to stay in Seattle. “I didn’t want to leave, so it was great to see what I could do at Apple.”

After making considerable contributions as part of the Apple Cloud Infrastructure team, Dragos started exploring new ways to put his expertise to work. “The people here, including my managers, have always been supportive when I want to try something in a different area, but it also took a bit of self-initiative to drive my career forward.”

Part of that effort involved organising internal meetups with fellow engineers. “I wanted to help grow Apple’s tech community in Seattle. These meetups are a way to connect and discover a bit about each other — what we’re working on and what challenges we’re facing.”

It was through one of these meetups that Dragos met people from the Apple Media Products team who were working on some things that really interested him. A few years later, Dragos remembered that conversation, reached out to the team, and eventually joined them. “You meet so many talented people here. I’m always listening, so I keep learning. That’s opened up new opportunities for me.”