How I prepared for analog profile @Texas Instruments
I got selected as an analog design intern @TI through the on-campus internship drive and completed my internship in the summers of 2020. Amidst covid it was converted into a virtual internship but still it was an excellent experience for me.
After successful completion of the internship, I got the offer to join as a full time analog design engineer.
Here is the brief of the selection process and how I prepared and cracked all the tests.
This article will not only be helpful for the people targeting Texas Instruments but to all who are preparing for any company in the semiconductor industry. Interview tips and tricks given here will be of good use to anyone planning to give a professional interview in general.
Selection Procedure: As I applied through the on-campus drive, at first we were supposed to apply on the college’s portal.(Aiming for the off-campus opportunities, click here.)
The second step was resume shortlisting and the selected candidates had to appear for the test that was taken online.
In the online test, an equal number of questions were asked from both analog and digital electronics. Also it included 10 questions from quantitative aptitude.
According to the scores in each section, a list of eligible candidates was prepared for the interviews. (I was selected for the analog profile interviews)
There were three rounds of interviews and then a brief discussion with the HR. Each interview round was an elimination round.
Then Offers were made to the qualifying candidates.
Important topics: Digital Logic Design( CMOS Logic gates, hold and setup time, delay in digital circuits, MUX and decoders)
Analog Electronics( BJTs and MOSFETs common configurations(CB,CE,CC,etc.) ,Current mirror circuits, bode plots, steady state and frequency domain analysis, CMOS logic, RC circuit configurations)
Sources:
- Robert L Boylestad — Introductory Circuit Analysis
- Behzad Razavi — Design of Analog CMOS Integrated Circuits
- M. Morris Mano — Digital Design
These are the important topics as per my experience of interview with TI and Google. Note that nothing is enough. Do explore more!
Interview Tips:
- Be thorough with the concepts: It is very important for both the stages, test and interviews. The questions asked are of intermediate level but conceptual. Test questions are Multiple Choice Type and cover almost all basic topics of analog electronics taught at graduate level. Interviews are a bit intensive, approx. 30–45 minutes each. The main focus of the interviewer lies in the fact of the candidate’s understanding of the topic. Mugging up things or practicing lengthy numericals won’t help much.
- Think aloud: While pondering upon any given problem during the interview, always consider speaking up whatever you are thinking, or discuss the steps you are taking to reach the solution of the problem. It is important as it highlights your approach towards the question and reflects your thinking process, which is an important criteria of judgement. Sometimes you don’t get the answer and the interviewer gets influenced by the approach you have taken.
- Have a detailed understanding of your resume: Resume is important in any interview. And having a clear and exhaustive understanding of it is even more important. You should know each and every word, phrase and line written in your resume before you appear for any interview. In TI’s interview, questions were asked from my previous projects that were listed in my resume.
- Take Hints: Many times the interviewer himself gives hints towards the approach of the problem or whether you are going in the right direction or not. So, pay close attention to it. This reflects your ability to grasp things quickly.
- Be Honest: Last and most important point is to be honest during the interview. Say it clearly if you don’t know something and tell the interviewer what you know instead, related to the topic. If you are confused and still trying the question, that leaves an even worse impression than clearly mentioning that you don’t know. And never try to confuse or bluff with the interviewer. They guys are always smarter than us.
I have tried to give an overall understanding of the process, what is expected from the candidate and how to approach it.
Give a cheer if it is helpful for you. And in case of further queries, feel free to drop them in the comments below.
