Tools, Frameworks & Implementation Proficiency Topics
Practical proficiency with industry-standard tools and frameworks including project management (Jira, Azure DevOps), productivity tools (Excel, spreadsheet analysis), development tools and environments, and framework setup. Focuses on hands-on tool expertise, configuration, best practices, and optimization rather than conceptual knowledge. Complements technical categories by addressing implementation tooling.
Technology Stack and Tooling
Focuses on familiarity with common technologies and the rationale for choosing them. Includes knowledge of databases both relational and nonrelational, caching layers, message queues, containerization and orchestration, monitoring and logging tools, continuous integration and continuous delivery pipelines, and cloud versus on premise tradeoffs. Candidates should understand the role each tool plays in a system, when to adopt a technology based on system requirements and constraints, and tradeoffs in terms of operational complexity, cost, performance and team capability.
Technology Selection and Vendor Management
Focuses on the process and criteria for selecting third party technologies and managing external vendor relationships. Topics include defining requirements, running evaluations and proofs of concept, scoring and benchmarking options, total cost of ownership analysis, risk assessment including vendor lock in and security posture, contract negotiation and service level agreements, integration and migration planning, governance for upgrading or replacing vendor products, and ongoing vendor relationship management and roadmap alignment. Candidates should discuss how to involve engineering, procurement, legal, and security stakeholders and how to pilot and measure vendor effectiveness.
Technology Evaluation and Selection
Focuses on evaluating technology options and selecting appropriate platforms or vendors. Key skills include defining business and technical requirements, creating evaluation criteria and decision matrices, running proof of concept trials, assessing total cost of ownership and vendor lock in, validating integration feasibility and operational impact, ensuring security and compliance, planning staged rollouts and migrations, and documenting governance for adoption. Interviewers may probe examples of build versus buy decisions and how pilots were used to de risk technology choices.
Technology Stack and Innovation
Evaluates knowledge of current technology trends and the practical approach to selecting, adopting, and integrating platforms, frameworks, and tools. For Apple roles this includes familiarity with the Apple platform ecosystem such as iOS, macOS and Metal and their developer toolchains and constraints. Topics include criteria for choosing technologies such as performance, security, scalability, maintainability, cost, interoperability and developer productivity; methods for running proofs of concept, pilots and staged rollouts; migration and deprecation strategies; vendor lock in and risk assessment; and alignment of technology choices with product roadmaps and operational support requirements. Interviewers assess how candidates balance innovation with long term maintainability and technical debt, measure technical risk, and communicate trade offs to stakeholders.