Sr. iOS Software Engineer, Paper & Pencil

Apple

Given an integer array nums where every element appears three times except for one, which appears exactly once. Find the single element and return it. You must implement a solution with a linear runtime complexity and use only constant extra space. For example, if the input is nums = [2,2,3,2], the output should be 3. Another example, if the input is nums = [0,1,0,1,0,1,99], the output should be 99. How do you solve this problem, considering edge cases like empty input, presence of zero, and negative numbers?

Apple

Let's discuss platform architecture. Imagine you are tasked with designing a platform for a rapidly growing social media company. This platform needs to handle millions of users, support various media types (images, videos, text), and provide real-time updates. Consider the following: Scalability: How would you design the architecture to ensure it can handle increasing user traffic and data volume? Discuss specific technologies and strategies (e.g., load balancing, caching, sharding). Reliability: What measures would you take to ensure the platform remains available and fault-tolerant? Consider redundancy, monitoring, and disaster recovery. Performance: How would you optimize the platform for speed and responsiveness? Address concerns like database performance, content delivery, and API design. Security: What security considerations would you prioritize to protect user data and prevent attacks? Think about authentication, authorization, encryption, and vulnerability management. Cost: How would you balance performance, scalability, and reliability with cost-effectiveness? Discuss trade-offs and potential cost optimization strategies. Provide a high-level overview of your proposed architecture, including key components, technologies, and design principles. Explain your reasoning behind each choice and how it contributes to the overall goals of the platform. For example, would you choose a microservices architecture or a monolithic architecture? What type of database would you use and why? How would you handle real-time updates and notifications? What CDNs would you use?

Apple

Let's explore your interest in Apple. To help me understand your motivations, please provide a detailed explanation of why you are specifically interested in working at Apple, rather than another technology company. Your answer should include specific examples related to Apple's products, services, culture, or values that resonate with you. For instance, you could discuss a particular Apple product that you admire and explain how its design or functionality aligns with your own interests and skills. Alternatively, you could talk about a specific initiative or project that Apple is undertaking and why you find it compelling. Furthermore, elaborate on how you believe your skills and experiences would contribute to Apple's success and how working here would support your professional growth and aspirations. Finally, please articulate how you see yourself fitting into Apple's culture and how you would embody the company's values in your day-to-day work. Please provide concrete examples to illustrate your points and demonstrate a deep understanding of Apple's unique position in the technology landscape.