Goals

Timeline

Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering (Present - May 2027/2028) —- I expect to graduate around May 2027, but if needed, I can take another year for a 4 year degree. In the next 2-3 years, I hope to complete all my required courses for my degree, and graduate with some sort of honors. During these years, I hope to apply to the BS/MS program at Georgia Tech for a seamless transition into my master’s degree. Throughout my bachelor’s, I want to supplement my academics with internships and research to keep in touch with the latest trends in the industry while also gaining relevant skills.

Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering (Aug 2027/2028 - May 2028/2029)

Through the BS/MS program at Georgia Tech, I will get a head start on my master’s degree, as it is in high demand for the semiconductor industry. By 2028/2029, I hope to graduate with a master’s degree. Before graduation, I will look out for semiconductor related jobs to ensure I have something planned after graduation. Like with my bachelor’s, I will pursue semiconductor specific internships and research opportunities to make myself more competitive for the job market.

Junior Electrical Engineer Role (<1 Year Post Graduation)

Due to the increasing competitiveness of the job market, it may be difficult to find a job right after graduation, especially one related to the semiconductor field. I hope to find a job within a year after graduation. If there is downtime between graduation and my first job, I will continue to grow my skills in any way I could to prepare for a more fitting role. Even if the role is not directly related to semiconductors, an electrical engineer role would be useful to build experience in the industry. I can learn other skills in other branches such as power or RF. Ideally, I would want a job where I would gain hands-on experience working with hardware (Test or Fabrication), but any role with applicable skills to other roles will be valuable.

Semiconductor Engineer Role (5+ Years Post Graduation)

Eventually, I hope to finally land a role at a semiconductor company within 5-7 years post graduation. While it may be difficult to find work in fabrication, working with semiconductors in general adds tremendous value to my career. I would like to stick with companies such as/similar to Texas Instruments, Micron, TSMC, Samsung, etc. where I would be exposed to work directly adjacent to my work in college/past jobs.

Next Steps

Gain knowledge and experience with semiconductor engineering and analog/digital circuit design

Since I aspire to create semiconductor devices in the future, I want to have the skills needed to thrive in the industry. Luckily, there are plenty of opportunities at Georgia Tech and other extracurriculars to help me towards my goal. For courses, I hope that Semiconductor Devices and IC Fabrication can build the foundation for understanding semiconductor devices, while Analog Integrated Circuits and Digital Integrated Circuits can improve my skills with the digital and analog world. These classes also promise hands-on experience with design an fabrication of integrated circuits and wafers. As for clubs, I can look into SiliconJackets, a group that works with semiconductor design and tapeout. They also have valuable connections with the industry that I could possibly take advantage of. Research labs will also be useful to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to remain competitive. I could continue my work with the Flavin group as I will eventually do circuit design, or pursue semiconductor adjacent groups here at Georgia Tech. I will actively to pursue summer internships, targeting roles that relate to circuit/PCB design, test, and semiconductor roles from companies such as or similar to Texas Instruments, Micron, and Infineon.

Build my network

Having meaningful connections is invaluable in today’s market. A popular saying is “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” and I believe there is truth in that. A strong network can get you through the doors, and your skills will get you the role. It is a two way street: if you can provide something valuable to a connection, they can return the favor. To build upon my network, I should actively be looking for networking events and building upon existing connections. Georgia Tech holds career fairs every semester, so it would be wise for me to attend a couple to get my resume out there. There’s also a lot of networking events with companies such as Apple and SpaceX that are close to campus. Atlanta is a hub for company recruitment, so I could also look into local third-party events, even for smaller companies. Joining clubs is also a great way to meet new people who may have insight on how to land an opportunity or some useful advice. As mentioned before, I hope to join SiliconJackets or another robotics club on campus. As for existing connections, I want to continue to engage with the Flavin group as there are tons of undergraduate/graduate students to connect with. Finally, I can reach out to people who are working at companies I am targeting online (such as LinkedIn) to gain insight on what hiring managers are looking for in a candidate. While this does not guarantee an opportunity, any advice or perspective will be valuable when applying.

Do personal projects

As an engineer, I find it valuable to apply what I am learning in the classroom/internship/club to a hands-on project. Building projects allows for hands-on experience, skill development and confirmation, and a potential talking point in interviews. Projects also gives an avenue to learn industry applicable skills and possibly produce some design/product that could be impactful for a niche community. While I have done some engineering related projects in my core classes, I should explore individual projects so that I can control the learning process. As a start, in ECE Discovery Studio, I started a keyboard PCB project in order to learn the basics of PCB design and KiCAD. I believe the design of keyboard is simple enough for beginners to grasp (as there are plenty of tutorials to help me start), while also teaching me how to use an ECAD software applicable to the industry for internships. Other ideas I had in mind for projects include building a radio from scratch, guitar pedal, amplifiers and transmitters, or any other PCB application that could help me practice circuit design. I can then move onto learning a SPICE program by simulating several circuits made by me/found online. Later on, once I have been exposed IC design and semiconductor devices through course, I can look into projects that utilize common software found in the industry. The project doesn’t necessarily have to produce something physical; as long as I am engaging with an applicable skill, the project will be useful to advance my career goals.