Interview: Naman Jain (ECE-2014)

Please state your current profile and explain your profile. If applicable, help us understand any previous profiles you’ve worked for.
I passed out from NITT with a degree in ECE in 2014. After that, I joined IIT Kanpur and did masters in VLSI and display technology. From there I got placed in Intel. From NITT, I got placed in ARM but I didn’t join there due to personal reasons.
I’m doing the front end design for Intel currently.

What do you go for after you obtain your first job? Should you learn the basics of it and continue to grow in it? Or shift to your original “dream job.
The curriculum of ECE, from 2nd to 4th year, we have been taught different components of an electronic design. 3rd sem you learn physics of electronic devices. 4th sem, small circuits. 5th sem will tell how to develop big circuits. 6th sem will tell you about real life devices. So in a way the whole curriculum is designed to help you land an electronics job.

How to make (if you need) the very important shift from the first job to next?
You need to build your resume in a way that it appeals to the HR manager. It should project you as a competent person for that job. Which college you’re from and all that will act as a filter but this is more important. Also, you should be able to justify whatever you write on your resume.

What skills should one develop to follow the career path you’ve chosen? Do include courses, software, coding, internships etc.
One needs to develop a feel for the subject by attending classes or courses. Getting hands-on experience is hard especially in fields like electronic development. The tools are really costly and so is the fabrication process.
So if one wants to follow my career path, they need to have a good imagination, a feel for the subject and really strong basics. Going for internships will add value but the work you will be doing in the industry will be quite different from the internships.
Read articles that correspond with your interests and keep yourself aware of all the happenings in the field.

What are the soft skills to be acquired in work culture?
Technical skills are very important but you should also be a team player. You should be efficient in communicating your ideas. You need to be able to gauge the need of the customer and put your ideas forth precisely and efficiently. It’s also very important to invest in cultivating good relations with your colleagues.

Why do people get bored (occasionally, even if not always) with the jobs they wanted in the first place?
When you join a team, you’ll find people from different age groups. They all have different ambitions. They might have also crossed the phase that you’re going through. They’re married with kids and have a lot of personal life which you probably don’t have at the beginning of your career.
After years in the industry, you’ll come to the conclusion that what matters is delivering the product. Not delivering your best. Because of our naïve nature, we feel that we should be delivering the best product with the very best features. We are really idealistic and when we come to the industry and realize that people are more worried about timelines, it is discouraging.
What I suggest is, people should take up projects on their own. For example, last month I submitted 3 patents. You need to engage yourself and keep yourself motivated. The kind of environment that you have in college where everyone is passionate about something, is hard to find here in the industry.

What is the extent one should go to find a balance between work satisfaction and monetary satisfaction?
It is a very personal decision. But right now, the economy is very friendly. So even if you change your mind about what you want to pursue, you have the option to.

What are some things about your career path you wish you knew in college, in retrospect?
I got AIR 62 in GATE and got placed in ARM. Due to personal reasons I decided to go to IIT Kanpur. But it was a wrong decision for me. So if I could change something, I would do masters from a college abroad like Stanford or Princeton.
Until and unless you have a strong reason to be in India, go and explore.

Is there something the T and P cell can do which does not even come under its umbrella currently, but is important?
They are preparing you for what’s needed with CPC’s. But at NITT, you have a caliber of students who dream much higher than what you’re giving. TnP needs to fan those dreams, instead of just helping us get through interviews.

What to do after getting placed, i.e how to not waste time in final year?
People should do what they’re passionate about. Be it anything from football to learning. For example after getting placed I started attending those courses which were irrelevant to my academics but those I was interested in.

How permanent is any choice of career? Do you think one should stick to a particular field or keep changing and experimenting as they grow in the industry?
You can’t restrict yourself to a particular job because that job will become obsolete in a couple of years. So you need to continuously keep growing and evolving.

How can one be sure that a certain career path is right for them? What is a good way to make that decision?
If you’re getting paid well, it means that your skills are valued and you’re good at what you do. That’s one way to make that decision. Keep interacting with veterans from your field and expand your knowledge continuously.