In this edition of “Gigs”, RCRtv gives you an inside look at what it is like to be a trainee at Silicon Labs.
Max Palumbo, a field applications engineer trainee, explains what the interview and training processes are like and offers insight about the profession to young engineers.
“We report up through the sales organization because we work very closely with out reps, inside sales, our distributors so we’re right on the bleeding edge where technology hits the customer,” Palumbo says about the position.
As a trainee Palumbo also has a unique perspective to offer about the interview process at Silicon Labs.
He says, “it’s a lot of just conversation. Right up front, they said this is the role, this is what you’re going to be doing, this is what we expect out of you in terms of travel.”
Right now he is in the midst of the one year training program that Silicon Labs puts every new hire through.
“It’s a really unique position they put us in because we don’t actually decide if we’re going to be applications engineers or sales until a couple years in,” Palumbo explains.
He believes that the position requires more than just an education in engineering, you must also be able to explain the technology effectively.
According to Palumbo, the position requires a mix of engineering competency and people skills.
A typical day, Palumbo explains, requires a healthy dose of travel. He will be in charge of the Montreal, Canada region where he will be traveling back-and-forth from Ottawa, Quebec. His other duties will include, preparing reports and pitches for clients in Montreal and surrounding areas, as well as “doing things like design reviews, trouble shooting when they encounter bugs, looking for new designs that would be compatible with our technologies.”
As for advice for young engineer like himself, Palumbo says grades are not everything and internships are key. “You do what you have to do in class. You’re GPA isn’t the end all be all.”
He credits his time as an exchange student in Tokyo and internships with Microsoft and a startup for giving him the extra edge coming out of college.
But in the end, he says it all comes down to having a curiosity for how things work and a desire to build new things.
For postings on this and more, check out telecomcareers.net
