TCHS Alumnus Justin Ng steps into the fast-paced Apple world of engineering, technology and creativity, where employees are inspired to “Think different.”
Ng is participating in a full time, year-long paid internship at Apple’s iOS Accessories Hardware Team. After beginning his job in September, he will return to school in one year.
“I’ll graduate a year later, but by no means is this a setback,” Ng said. “In my opinion, at a company like Apple, it really is beneficial to take a whole year instead of the typical three-month summer internship.”
At Apple, Ng uses his industry engineering knowledge to create new projects and brainstorm with his team for fresh ideas. His belief in taking initiative has allowed him to succeed in college and gain work experience.
“I didn’t need to wait for someone to teach me because I knew that the resources were out there, just waiting to be found,” Ng said. “Like my friend and mentor, Mr. Kevin Slattery, always told me, it’s just about staying curious and exploring. If you find something you love, then hold on to it and chase after it because it stops being work and starts being fun.”
Ng found the job online, applied and aced a phone interview about his personality, interests and product design. He answered technical questions that related to his major, electrical engineering, and after moving on from the interview stage, Ng had to design a fake iOS product.
Ng’s interest in electrical engineering began with a summer course in eighth grade. He pursued independent projects in high school and created basic circuits, a laser-controlled dog-treat dispenser, a solar-powered robot and other machines that sprung from his early interest in programming.
“I would tear apart old electronics to look inside and play with batteries and motors that I pulled out of toys,” Ng said. “I joined the Quantum Physics Club to participate in the robotics event at the annual Science Olympiad, and I also participated in the Cal Poly Roborodentia, the annual campus robotics competition.”
Ng expanded on his engineering skills at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He joined the Robotics Club and became the Lead Electrical Engineer for the Autonomous Golf Cart project. Ng’s involvement in engineering throughcollege helped build his resume, while also creating a passion.
“The thing I love most about working for Apple is that what I do matters,” Ng said. “This isn’t a homework problem that has the answer in the back of the textbook. The projects we work on are new, exciting and full of challenges. It’s seriously awesome to think that the engineering we do is going to be bringing joy to millions of people around the world.”
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