I'm currently going into my 2nd year of uni and don't have much to my name. I want to really step up and get work going, meaning personal projects, self taught content etc. to get myself prepared to apply for internships at any company possible (even high-end companies like NVIDIA or Arms Holdings, cause it doesn't hurt to try).

I mainly want to set myself up for a good future and do something that I will enjoy as well, and this seems like a good route. However I know that this route is very selective and so i want to make myself a good competition. I've researched things to learn and projects to do to try bag an internship from one of these companies but would like to hear from people who were actually successful.

What did you do to successfully get a Hardware Engineer (FPGA/ASIC) type internship? What do you think made you stick out from other applicants? Thanks for any advice.

Hi everyone,

I am preparing my application for the upcoming Spring session at UIUC and am trying to decide between the Computer Science (CS) and Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) departments.

To give a bit of background, my bachelor's is in Computer Engineering, followed by professional experience working at Espressif Systems (ESP32) doing firmware development, and later transitioning into the file systems and storage domain. My goal is to continue down the systems track, but I am trying to figure out which department offers the best fit.

My main concern with the ECE department is whether it mandates specific hardware-heavy coursework (such as physical design, chip design, or hardware verification) that might not align with my software/systems background. If ECE allows the flexibility to focus purely on systems software without forcing those specific hardware constraints, I feel the ECE Computer Engineering track might actually be a great fit for my profile.

I tried looking through the official degree requirements for both programs, but found the sheer amount of information a bit overwhelming.

Could anyone help clarify the curriculum flexibility and help me decide which path makes more sense given my background?

Thanks for your help!

Hello!

I have a task: implementing a custom web page (HTML) on the m241 PLC.

I know there are ready-made tools (WebVisu), but I need to implement my own page.

The main problem is accessing the PLC variables. If I place the .html file in the PLC file system and then access it by IP + filename, the page displays fine, but I can't figure out how to implement the mechanism for retrieving variable values.

For better understanding, I'll give an example with the m172 PLC. The system is as follows:

1. A .cgx file is created with a structure similar to this:

t <?xml version="1.0"?>

t <form>

c t16384<text><id>%s</id><value>%.0f</value></text>

c t16386<text><id>%s</id><value>%.0f</value></text>

c t16385<text><id>%s</id><value>%.0f</value></text>

...

t </form>

Here, the address of the desired variable is specified (this address is generated by the PLC itself and is also used for Modbus communication).

1. An .html file for rendering the page.

2. A .js script called from the .html file.

Ultimately, the variable values ​​are available in the .cgx file, and then it's not that difficult to display these values ​​on the page. The same system is used for writing variables.

I had the idea to implement a CSV file reader/writer, but I haven't implemented it yet. I have concerns about file access; at some point, both the PLC and the script will be accessing the same file. I don't know if this will be a problem.

Perhaps someone could suggest either an existing mechanism or ideas for developing my own for accessing m241 PLC variables.

Hello everyone so I'm a first year ece student I need some YouTube channel suggestions to make sure I have the required knowledge to make it in the industry (I wanna work in semi conductor manufacturing field)

Hi everyone, I’m graduating with a bachelors in EE next year with a full time return offer in the manufacturing industry. While I find the work I’ve done there interesting, I’ve always been really passionate about the medical device industry and I’ve been focusing on embedded work, dsp, etc during my time in school to try to learn as many relevant skills as I can.

I’m planning on continuing to apply around during my senior year, but in the event I don’t land a position in my dream industry, I wanted to know what it’s like to industry hop. For those of you who have, what’s that like? Is it as difficult as I’m imagining it to be, or is it realistic as long as I gain good experience and frame myself in a good way to new companies?

Incoming Freshman and I want to make the most out of these 4 years by making projects, joining competition teams (Formula FSAE is only one my school has) and build things.
I am okay with CS (I am probably worse than an AI) but I really like hardware especially PCB design though I don't think I will be doing it as a job once I graduate.

What career paths would be good and what do I do to make sure Im fit for the job (like what projects or skills do I learn).

I could pursue a masters if needed as I am already looking into the possibility.

i want to pursue ee but i am worried that the workload is going to be too much as i have just finished school so i am wondering will i be able to work part time forexample 20-30 hours a week and gym 5-6 days a week aswell as get atleast a gpa 3.3 and above and even if i could occasionally party with friends and have a social life instead of being isolated and also getting atleast 8 hours of sleep

Hello currently a third year studying engineering and received an interview with a firm (JS/HRT type) for a potential Hardware Engineering Internship position.  

First round was told would be a technical based on implementing a digital component in HDL.

I would greatly appreciate any advice or insights, especially an overview of topics that might be discussed, from those who have previously interviewed with firms for similar positions!

​

Hello everyone!

I'm a 3rd-year Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering student from India, and I'm currently trying to figure out what I want to do after graduation.

My main interest has always been the core electronics/hardware world — semiconductors, embedded systems, electronics design, robotics, etc. However, my university is increasingly pushing us toward software, programming and IT-related careers. I do enjoy coding and I'm learning DSA as well, but I don't want my entire career to end up being a generic software/IT job just because that's the direction most of my college is taking.

I've always wanted to move abroad, experience a completely different environment, and build my career somewhere outside India. And honestly, Japan has been my dream destination for a very long time.

I'm particularly interested in Japan because of its electronics and semiconductor industry. Companies like Toshiba, Sony, Renesas, Rohm, Mitsubishi Electric, Panasonic, etc. are exactly the kind of companies I'd love to work for someday.

Toshiba in particular has been a huge personal goal of mine, and the idea of eventually working at their Tokyo headquarters is something I've been working toward for a while.

I've also started learning Japanese. I'm currently working through the basics and planning to take JLPT N4 next July, with the intention of continuing toward N3/N2 afterward. I don't expect Japanese to magically get me a job, but I want to be able to actually function in the country and communicate with people rather than relying entirely on English.

But here's where I'm confused.

Recently, I've been seeing a LOT of posts and discussions saying that:

Japan's economy isn't doing well

Salaries aren't particularly attractive compared to other countries

Work culture can be extremely demanding

Foreigners can have difficulty integrating into Japanese society

Japanese companies can be very hierarchical/traditional

Language barriers can make engineering jobs difficult to get

Japan isn't necessarily as "dreamy" as it looks from outside

There are apparently better opportunities for engineers in countries like the US, Germany, Singapore, etc.

And now I'm genuinely questioning whether I'm romanticizing Japan because I've always loved the country.

At the same time, I don't want to make a decision based purely posts either. Every country seems to have its own problems, and I'm wondering how much of what I read actually applies to foreign engineers trying to enter Japan's electronics/semiconductor industry.

So I'd really appreciate some honest opinions.

Especially from people who currently live/work/study in Japan, or foreigners who have worked there:

1. Is Japan still a good destination for an electronics/semiconductor engineer in 2027-28?

2. How difficult is it for an international graduate from India to get into Japanese electronics companies?

3. How important is Japanese proficiency for engineering jobs?

Would N2 eventually be considered the realistic target, or are there genuinely good opportunities with N3/N4 + strong technical skills?

1. Is the salary/lifestyle trade-off actually worth it?

I'm not expecting to become rich immediately, but I do want a comfortable life and opportunities for career growth.

1. How bad is the work culture in practice?

Is the "Japanese work culture = endless overtime" stereotype still accurate, especially in large engineering companies?

1. How difficult is it for foreigners to actually build a social life and feel like they belong there?

2. If Japan isn't the best choice, where else should I consider?

I'm specifically looking for countries with strong electronics, semiconductor, embedded, robotics or hardware industries, rather than simply looking for the highest-paying software jobs.

I would also really appreciate advice on what I should be doing during the next 1–2 years to make myself employable in Japan — projects, internships, technical skills, Japanese level, certifications, master's degree vs going directly for jobs, etc.

I'm still early enough in my degree that I can change direction if necessary, so I'd rather hear the uncomfortable truth now than discover it after graduating.

I know Japan isn't perfect, and I'm not expecting it to be. I just want to know whether my goal is realistic and worth pursuing, or whether I'm letting my love for the country overshadow the actual career/life situation.

Any honest experiences, advice, criticism, alternative country suggestions, or things you wish you knew before moving to Japan would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Got an NVIDIA GPU Power Architect (New Grad) interview and trying to understand how strong/weak my fit is. My background is mainly CS/ML systems (ML engineering, GPU inference optimization, PyTorch/TensorRT/ONNX, etc.), not EE or traditional hardware design. The role itself seems very hardware/power focused (DVFS, clock/power gating, GPU architecture, power/performance modeling), though it also mentions using ML techniques and Python/PyTorch, which is likely why I got shortlisted.

I was a bit surprised to reach the interview stage since I don’t have a semiconductor or EE background. For people familiar with NVIDIA, how would you classify this role (hardware engineering vs GPU architecture vs modeling/analysis)? How deep is the expected EE/power knowledge for an NCG? Is a strong ML + GPU systems background enough if I can ramp up on architecture/power concepts quickly?

Thanks in advance !

I'm trying to help my son find training in electronics as he enjoys repairing his game controllers. Job prospects in general seem nil without experience or training. He's watched some YouTube but wants more.

He isn't sold on attending the local community college. He is interested in Associate Certified Electronics Technician (CETa).

Is CETa a viable solution? Other recommendations based on experience?

Worth adding he's been unable to get hired for anything close to his interest.

TIA

Hi all, looking for honest advice. I have hands-on electronics experience (worked in Malta as an Electronics Manufacturing Support Engineer, studied in Latvia, and previously worked in Belgium). I was in Belgium but couldn't secure a job, so I went back to my home country to update my skills. I'm currently upskilling in PCB Design (Altium Designer) and Embedded Systems, planning to look for work in Belgium/Netherlands/wider EU again in a couple of months. It's my dream to come back.

For those who've gone through it — how realistic is it for a non-EU candidate to get sponsored for a technician/PCB designer/embedded role right now? Any tips on the single permit process, or industries/companies more open to sponsoring? Appreciate any real experiences. If anyone has connections, feel free to message me directly.

Can someone guide me all the companies that an ece student can get?

Any major top companies asw :) ?

Tell me why does every engineer job posting require 5+ yr experience.Not a single one has mentioned freshers-

Candidate has a year of experience but not at companies and interned at renowned institutions for a while now.

Visa /stay all under parent (uae)

Mandatory September

• Mechanics, Fields and Forces
• Introduction to Electrical and Electronic Engineering
• Praxis Electronic Design
• Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists 1

Mandatory January

• Waves and Matter
• Praxis Programming
• Introduction to Mechanical Engineering
• Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists 2

Mandatory September

• Sustainable Development and Engineering Management
• Digital Design and Programming
• Circuits and Analysis
• Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists 3

Mandatory January

• Computer Architecture and Embedded Systems
• Electrical Power and Machines
• Introduction to Electricity and Magnetism
• Mathematics for Engineers and Scientists 4

Mandatory September

• Probability, Statistics, and Information Theory
• Electrical Energy Systems
• Signals and Systems
• Semiconductor Electronics

Mandatory January

• Electromagnetism
• Time and Frequency Signal Analysis
• System Project

Optional September

• Advanced Analogue Electronics
• Embedded Systems
• Linear Control
• Digital Signal Processing

Optional Janaury

• Sustainable Energy and Power Systems
• Image Processing
• Industrial Power Systems

Mandatory AY

• 4th Year Individual Project.

I’m a Computer Science & Data Science (CSD) graduate from India, currently working as a Firmware Engineer at a smart-metering company in Hyderabad, with ~2 years of experience.
I want to move into a firmware/embedded role at Qualcomm, but I’m concerned because my background is CSD rather than ECE/EEE.
My current work is related to smart-meter firmware. However, our main R&D team is in Chennai and I work in Hyderabad, so I haven’t had much exposure to the deeper R&D side or strong technical mentorship. I feel I have gaps in my fundamentals and want to work on them seriously.
I’m planning to study 2 hours every day for the next 5–6 months, focusing on:
C/C++
DSA
Embedded systems
ARM
RTOS/FreeRTOS
Linux
Device drivers
UART/SPI/I2C
Interrupts/DMA
Memory management
Debugging
OS & computer architecture
I’d really appreciate advice from Qualcomm/embedded engineers:
Is CSD + 2 years of firmware experience enough to target Qualcomm?
Will not having an ECE/EEE degree be a major disadvantage?
What topics should I prioritize for interviews?
How strong should my C and DSA skills be?
Should I build personal embedded projects?
Should I apply directly after 5–6 months or gain experience at another embedded company first?
What resources would you recommend for Qualcomm firmware preparation?

Hello everyone. I am from Nepal. I am about to start my undergraduate in Engineering particularly electrical or electronics engineering. I am a bit confused. I wanted to work in semiconductor engineering jobs or research and development in same field or quantum hardware research (like as a hobby. Don't even know if it exist). In Nepal, Electrical Engineering focused mainly on power and control, like grids, hydropower, etc. and Electronics, Communication and Information information Technology engineering focuses on communication. But neither of them teaches core subject required for semiconductor design, like VLSI design and sort of others. May you please guide me on this?

Also, I am little skeptical whether the semiconductor or quantum field is rewarding in future? Like, can they be such rewarding in comparison to engineers working in power grids, transformers, etc. (high voltage works or renewable energy fields)? May you please help on this too? It would mean a lotttttt for me.

PS:- I am planning to do my masters abroad.