Apple CEO Tim Cook says neither a degree nor coding skills get you hired at Apple : "People that code, People that don't" . Even though he calls coding "the only global language that we all share." Instead, he screens for three traits: collaboration rooted in deep belief that "one plus one equals three," genuine curiosity about how things and people work, and creativity that lets people "see around the corner." The logic is that research tells you what customers want today, but only a person can sense what they'll need in three years. As Cook puts it, the goal is to "get ahead of the curve" and together these traits make a great team player.