Preparing a Job Interview for Analog IC Design positions is not easy, especially at entry-level positions where the technical questions dominate. As a fresh graduate, you need to enhance your technical and soft skills as every detail counts.
I’ve been preparing and conducting interviews from both sides, as a candidate but also as an interviewer. Trough this experience, I’ve gained valuable insights about what makes the difference to achieve a sucessful interview.
In this compilation, I summarize key recommendations and tips that I consider important for mastering your Analog Designer Job Interview.
Whether you are just starting out with job interviews or you are trying to refine your approach, these tips will help you streghten your interview skills and boost your hiring posibilities!
Contents
The 3 Most Important Aspects to Focus On
1- Highlight Your Last Project
Review and learn everything you can about your recent designs or projects. It can be your master thesis, laboratory or subject projects, etc. Learn by heart the architecture. It is the first thing they are going to ask! And also study all the theoretic aspects related.
If you don’t have any interesting project in your portfolio or your last project is old and too simple… It is a nice idea to make a new design with a report, only for your portfolio.
2- Fidelity: Illustrate Your Local Connection
Emphasize your commitment to the city or company showing any kind of connection. Emphasize Your Stability and Loyalty.
In the field of analog IC design, the learning curve is very steep. A new graduated student, would need almost 1 to 1.5 years to start to be productive. Also, the cost of the licenses and training for analog IC are very very expensive. Ironically, at the same time, there is a huge demand, on “senior” or experienced designers.
So, the last thing a company want, is to hire a junior designer, train it, make a time and money investment on someone, and after 1 or 2 years the designer moves to another company.
I’ve seen several times, how companies hire local candidates first rather than foreigners for this reason, even when the technical knowledge is worse.
3- Less critical Interviews First
The first interviews you do are likely to be the worst. Therefore, do not apply to your most preferred top-choice positions or companies right away. Instead, start with those lower on your list to gain experience and improve your interview skills.
However, this approach carries the risk of receiving an offer from a less preferred company or location before you have a chance to apply to your top choices of your list.
My recommendation is a hybrid solution to mitigate risks:
Initial Applications
Begin by applying to positions at companies or in locations that you match with but are not particularly interested in. This allows you to practice your interview skills without the pressure of your dream job on the line.
Timing Strategy
The typical timeframe from submitting an application to receiving an interview invitation, in my experience, is about 2 to 4 weeks. Imagine you have a list of 6 preferred positions and another 10 that you match with but are less interested in, apply to the less preferred ones first.
Staggered Applications
Then continue applying about 2 weeks after your initial applications, applying to your preferred positions. This way, you can ideally go through 2 or 3 practice interviews before facing the interviews for the positions you are most interested in.
This will help you to build confidence and refine your interview skills, increasing your chances of success when you apply for your top choices.
Other idea is to practice with a mock interview!!
4- Review your past Interviews
Each interview you attend is a master class, an invaluable learning experience. You will learn a lot and gain the experience to transmit technical confidence and knowledge.
By reviewing and analyzing your past interviews, you can continuously improve your performance and increase your chances of success in future interviews.
Try to keep the sheet of paper you used during the interview, this will be useful to recover the questions and topics treated on the interview. You must review all the related topics.
5- Your Presentation, Your first Impression
The first step in any job interview is to introduce yourself. You should master and practice this speech to make a strong first impression.
Your presentation must include key points such as your studies, relevant experience, your current job situation and why you’re interested in this position. Remember to customize for each interview, highlighting the experiences and skills relevant to the specific position and company.
First write down, memorize it and finally practice, practice and practice. It is nice to record yourself in video, so you have a quick feedback and you can improve your technique. Also, you can practice in front of a mirror.
You should sound natural and confident, not rehearsed. Improve your tone, pacing, and body language.
Nowadays, a part or the full candidate hiring process is made online. If you are invited to make an interview online, make sure you have a nice set-up. Everything adds up. All elements or actions contribute to a larger whole.
Even this is much more important if the position is full or partially remote.
6- Prepare Your Background
Start with a formal background. I would escape from the “digital backgrounds” and use it as a last option.
Digital backgrounds are those generated automatically that simulates that you are in a smart office. They often, shape your silhouette and hair a bit lousy, tacky, lowbrow… Also, it could mean as you have something to hide, non-transparent.
7- Utilize a Digital Writeboard
For the technical interview, it is essential to be comfortable. Analog designers draw a lot of schematics, and you are going to be asked to draw some circuits, equations, etc.
I would recommend 2 options:
Digital drawing tablet: For me, this is the best option. It gives you the ability to sketch any circuit or write any formula in seconds. If you compare with writing formulas with the mouse, Since I am using a digital drawing board I will not change
Second webcam or phone stand: Used your phone as a webcam and place it pointing to a peace of paper where you can sketch and write. Make sure, you mirror the image to show it legible!! To do that I use a tripod or phone stand to fix the phone. For the phone you may install an app like DroidCam, Camo or similar. There are thousands of tutorials online.
8- Create a Handy Cheat Sheet
Make your own cheat sheet with essential and critical formulas and architectural diagrams. This can be extremely helpful during technical interviews if you have a blackout. Even if you known all the formulas, you may be nervous and may forget specific details under the pressure of being judged in the job interview.
Having a well-organized reference can boost your confidence and double-check some affirmations with accurate information.
Self preparation
I recommend preparing the formula-sheet by yourself and don’t download any online. This way, you will know exactly what you write, where, etc. Moreover, study your cheat sheet thoroughly before the interview. The goal is to minimize your need to refer to it, using it only as a last resort.
Be Honest
Use the cheat sheet as a backup rather than a primary source of information. It should not replace your genuine knowledge and understanding of the concepts.
It should help you to avoid mistakes with topics you know, but you might forget under the pressure of the interview.
Ensure that you use it ethically and responsibly.
9- Propose a Face to face Interview Instead
Even if you receive an online interview invitation, you can always propose to go in person at their offices.
In today’s global market, online interviews are often the default. However, opting for a face-to-face interview can offer several advantages.
By visiting their offices in person, you will …
Have a Better Understanding of the Company
you will get a firsthand feel of the work environment and the company culture. You can observe the office dynamics, the general atmosphere and also meet the team you are going to work with, which can help you decide if it’s a place where you’d like to work.
Build Stronger Connections
Meeting your potential employers and team in person can help you establish a connection. Personal interactions often leave a more memorable impression than virtual meetings.
Demonstrate Compromise
Choosing to attend an interview in person shows a higher level of compromise and enthusiasm for the position. It signals that you are serious about the opportunity and willing to put in extra effort to make a good impression.
Meet the City
Expending one day or 2 days in the city or country you are going potentially to live, could you help to decide if it is your place or not.
Experience the Commute to Work
Traveling to the company’s location allows you to experience the daily commute, helping you understand your future routine.
How?
When you receive an online interview invitation, you can respond with a polite email suggesting an in-person meeting. For example:
“Thank you for the invitation to the interview. I am very excited about this opportunity and would love to meet the team in person to get a better feeling of the company and environment. If it is convenient, I would be happy to come to your offices in XXX for the interview.”
Addressing Challenging Questions
10- Discussing about Salary Expectations
I don’t like these types of questions. Nobody likes, particularly if you are a newcomer to the industry. For experienced professionals, I understand their relevance. When transitioning to a new company, it’s common for employers to inquire about your expectations, as people typically seek to advance their careers.
But, how much salary should I ask?
based on my experience of what I’ve seen:
In southern European countries (Spain, Italy, etc), in 2024, the entry level ranges 33k to 38k€ annually.
In central European countries (Germany, Austria, Francia, etc) the entry level could range 38k to 42k€.
In UK, as a entry level analog designer, you may earn 38k to 44k£.
Of course, this is completed with other benefits, such as an additional medical insurance, relocation costs, food tickets, bonus, share options, etc. As far as I see, multinational companies tend to offer a more complete benefit package than small companies.
11- Why you want to move to THIS city?
If you live in New York… why you want to work in my company located in Bratislava? In general, companies filter out people that simply apply and spam to hundreds of companies anywhere, just to try. Time is a precious and scarce resource.
If you are interested in applying for jobs in another country, include a local address and a local phone number on the CV. Additionally, if you plan to move to a specific country, update your Linkedin profile, as you are living there already.
12- Prepare for the classic HR Questions
Apart from the technical questions, which in my opinion makes more than 80% of the candidate selection weight. But you must always be ready and able to answer to the “typical” human resources questions such as:
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- Why do you want to work here?
- What do you feel more comfortable in a team work or autonomous one?
- How do you handle stress and pressure?
- Can you describe a challenging situation at work and how you handled it?
- Why are you leaving your current job?
- Do you have any questions for us?
Many companies include in their hiring process has a separated interview with HR (Human Resources). Typically they focus on checking if you fit for the company or not. The HR department only give a feedback saying if you are eligible / hirable or not.
Comparing to technical interviews, especially in the field of analog IC design, is much less difficult and challenging. So… please don’t mess up and destroy your possibilities!! Remain calm, respond thoughtfully, and be yourself.
Ending with Impactful Questions
At the end or during the interview, you will have the opportunity to ask questions. It is always good to ask something, because not doing so could indicate low interest. Moreover, I recommend preparing more than 2 or 3, because most probably, many of them might be already answered during the interview, leaving you with any prepared questions to ask at the end.
Avoid questions about benefits and working conditions in the first round, such as:
- How many vacation days do I get?
- What are the working hours?
- How many days can I work from home?
- Do I get lunch tickets?
Instead, focus on questions that demonstrate your interest in the position and the company, such as:
- What would be my role in the company?
- Who are the other members of the team?
- What does a typical day look like here in terms of meetings, lunch, etc.? Here you can indirectly see or ask about the working hours, home-office and vacations.
- Can you describe the company’s culture and work environment?
- What opportunities are there for professional development and growth?
- Trainings and internal placements.
For me a nice ending questions is always good to ask about the next hiring steps:
- What are the next steps in the interview process?
I hope this compilation of tips will help you to prepare for your next dream job. It would be greatly appreciated if you could share the topics of your recent technicals interviews!!! Additionally, feel free to ask me questions in the comment section.
Good luck and looking forward to hearing about your success! 🙂
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