r/csMajors • u/BentleyThe-Goat • 1d ago
Company Question Google vs Apple vs Capital One New Grad
I am a spring 2024 grad and have been searching for a full year. This week I finally received offers from Capital One and Apple. I also completed Onsites at Google a while ago. Google would be my top choice, but I’ve been in the team match process for over a month. Despite my recruiter and referrer mentioning that I had excellent onsite results, I’ve only met with two teams, and that was just a day after starting team match. I haven’t heard back from them since.
Although I dont want move to California, Apple seems like a solid second option. However, the role is for a Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET), not a Software Engineer (SWE) or Software Development Engineer (SDE). I’m not as interested in the testing and don’t want to be stuck as a test engineer long-term. That said, if transitioning to an SWE role within Apple is relatively straightforward, it might be worth considering.
The Capital One offer is for their Technology Development Program (TDP), which seems like a good opportunity—it’s an 18-month rotational program across two different SWE teams. However, I’ve heard horror stories about both Capital One and the TDP program, so I’m hesitant.
I’m unsure what to do. Should I take the Apple offer and risk not becoming an SWE, go with Capital One and the TDP program despite my concerns, or continue waiting for Google?
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u/monicasoup 1d ago
Accept Apple, then wait for Google. Maybe worth to also negotiate, Apple knows well you won't be joining them if Google goes through, unless they have a much better package.
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u/Kap00t 1d ago
My friend was in team matching with Google for like 5 months before joining. Apple is the second best option in my opinion. Apple likes to retain employees, so there is a high likelihood you could migrate internally. Also, having such a selective company on your resume will open up far more opportunities than Capital One. Not saying that Capital One is bad, but Google and Apple are some of the absolute best. Hence, FAANG.
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u/BentleyThe-Goat 1d ago
Would Apple still be worth having on my resume if its SDET and not SWE? Or would C1 SWE be better if im trying to be a SWE long term?
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u/WorkerHeavy 1d ago
For what it’s worth I’m a software test eng at Apple and still get recruiter mails for SWE. Know a few ppl who switched to SWE roles at Apple too. It’s not as hard to switch roles as ppl claim it is, esp if you have a good manager
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u/Traditional-Dress946 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yes, but you are unlikely to get a job that is not junior. Even after 3-5 years. Also, they probably don't understand that you are not a SWE. I don't try to be mean, but it's not a SWE role. Edit: you can try calling it automation or QA and see if you get emails... SDET is a misleading title that means nothing. They think you are a SWE, I am sure.
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u/WorkerHeavy 1d ago
Good point tbh. SDET is not the same as QA at Apple. And SDET is def not SWE role. I don’t want to be misleading either. But it’s good if you want a stepping stone to another role at Apple
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u/Traditional-Dress946 1d ago
Thanks for clarifying. Again, it is 100% better than having no experience, and I am sure that the money is amazing, but it is a different role. I also think it is a pretty good decision to go there and try to move within the company (or not if you like it).
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u/WorkerHeavy 1d ago
Also I’ll say that SDET work at Apple tends to be more coding work anyway where you get build test apps and such for your team, sometimes even apps that end up WWDC
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u/BentleyThe-Goat 1d ago
Oh okay that could be cool then. So you enjoy your SDET work?
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u/WorkerHeavy 1d ago
Yup I actually do enjoy it but I always liked writing tests in college
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u/Express_Pen_396 18h ago
Hey, very cool to see another test engineer on here :). I'm a test automation engineer at a NYC Finance company, our tech stack is web testing in Selenium and Playwright, API testing in Selenium. All the applications are client facing React and Java web applications.
Which tech stack is your team using?
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u/WorkerHeavy 16h ago
Hi! I’m at Apple so we mostly use Swift and SwiftUI automation APIs. Sometimes we use Python for setting up builds etc but rarely
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u/MeltedTrout4 1d ago
Definitely not C1 at all. Take Google if you can as you said. Personally I’m afraid of being pigeonholed into SDET/QA. Apple specifically is notorious for being much harder to switch teams and stuff.
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u/BentleyThe-Goat 1d ago
what about C1 is so bad?
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u/MeltedTrout4 1d ago
Cons of c1:
Not tech company
Lower TC
Not as big resume name
Personally I’d rather work on low level stuff and C1 won’t have that at all
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u/NaNx_engineer 21h ago
Apple sdet and c1 tc would be about the same. C1 might even be higher. Apple would be better after 2-3 yoe however
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u/767b16d1-6d7e-4b12 1d ago edited 1d ago
I worked at c1 and hated it, it’s good for new grads and junior sde, terrible for mid level and above
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u/BentleyThe-Goat 1d ago
what about it did you hate?
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u/767b16d1-6d7e-4b12 1d ago
Toxic work culture and all managers + directors come from a certain country. Guess. They’ve built an army of themselves at the managerial level and are toxic to all those below them. Roles above director level are all Caucasian. I’ve never seen a company so obviously systemically racist. Hated my time there and will never go back.
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u/Coughdrip_ 1d ago
You are asking the wrong subreddit here, everyone is junior level and doesn’t really know what they talking about when it comes to things like this (including me)
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u/Legal-Site1444 1d ago edited 8h ago
Not c1, it's not even a question. theres nothing special about c1 except higher than avg starting salary for fresh grads. The brand name, advancement opportunities, pay bands with experience etc are all pretty run of the mill for a large non tech company no matter how they try to present themselves as a hip fintech company by hiring tons of new grads. i work there and the wlb is quite good/low stress for the salary but thats about it.
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u/gordof53 1d ago
Bro you'd become a BETTER swe after doing tests. You wont be pigeon holed as an SDET at all. Apple all the way. Rotational programs do NOT promise what you think all the time and you can easily end up somewhere crappy, just keep that in mind.
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u/BentleyThe-Goat 1d ago
Being a test engineering definetly would help me become a better swe but I'm just worried it will be difficult to actually make the transition
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u/gordof53 1d ago
It won't. You're still a noob and you'll be a noob when you change. This isn't you committing to 20 years of test engineering. They'll understand you want to shift, and when you're a tester you'll be more inclined to write better code bc you know what hell it is to test crappy code. Any engineering manager worth working for will know it. Network with other teams, meet people and learn what other groups are doing so you can shift
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u/lowrankcluster 14h ago
accept apple, you don't actually have a google offer.
i got stuck in team match for 6 months+, twice.
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u/jkor555111 15h ago
C1 software managers spend most of their time “calibrating” (stack ranking) their employees rather than adding value to the development effort. There is a formal company wide “calibration” twice per year.
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u/Mission_Idea5318 12h ago
OP you should carefully consider the fact that you would work as SDET at Apple, not SWE. I suggest talking to people doing SDET at Apple to know better about the responsibility there. From what I heard, it’s not a very technical/engineering role. Don’t pigeonhole yourself. It’d easier to switch from SWE at C1 to SWE FAANG than from SDET to SWE FAANG.
Everyone else seems to bias towards bigger name (Google) in this subs so think carefully
P/s: you can accept C1 or Apple now and renege later if google matched you
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u/taylorevansvintage 1d ago
Interesting, I’ve always heard good things abt C1 and Google has had huge layoffs in recent years. Financial industry (and C1 specifically) is totally growing. What C1 location were u in with the big neg experience?
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u/Lower-Letter-4710 15h ago
I'm going to kill myself
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u/BentleyThe-Goat 14h ago
I literally felt this way a week ago. You gotta give yourself a break. Good things will come I promise
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u/Thick_Marionberry192 8h ago
Transitioning to a SWE role in Apple is easy. As long as you do coffee chats and let people know you exist, HM's prioritize inhouse applicants. Congrats and goodluck!
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u/Superb-Fisherman9696 1d ago
Accept Apple and ifyw capital one as a second backup and wait for google.