Amanda n. Wegner

 

 

WITH COMPUTERS EVER MORE PRESENT IN OUR DAILY LIVES, A MYRIAD OF OPPORTUNITIES AWAIT

 

Computers are a fact of life in today’s world, both in our personal and professional lives. There are few industries that don’t rely on the processing power of the computer to help get the job done. For professionals working in the computer field—whether the company specializes in hardware or software— it’s not all algorithms, programming, and numerical analysis. not only are jobs plentiful, but also there is much variety. read on to find out what’s it like to work at leading companies Texas Instruments, google, Lexmark International, Lockheed martin, and ge Healthcare.

 

HARNESSING INNOVATION AT TEXAS INSTRUMENTS

 

Rashon Hogan was in middle school when he determined he wanted to be an engineer. “My parents were in engineering, so it was something I’d always been around,” says Hogan. “As a kid, my dad sat me down and showed me what he was working on, and we talked about how things work and how to troubleshoot. When I was in sixth grade, I realized I wanted to go to University of Central Florida (UCF) and major in engineering. I was a big fan of electronics and knew that with hardware and software, you get to see the results of your work quickly.”

 

As product engineer at Texas Instruments (TI), the brains behind many of the technologies, products, and innovations that impact our world and daily lives, Hogan supports specific devices and groups of products — from planning, design, qualification, and production to release. His role is at the intersection of design, process, manufacturing, testing, quality control, and marketing.

 

“I have a broad, yet technical view of what’s going on with a product, so I get high-level exposure to the entire process,” says Hogan, who joined the company about two years ago after networking with TI employees at a UCF alumni event.

 

His team’s current project is working on a processor designed for lower-power, high-performance applications that could be applied to something as fun as a smart watch or as vital as an airbag sensor. “It’s important to know that the part will do what it’s intended to — performing consistently ten million times a second — for the next ten years, or the product’s lifespan of operation, without mistakes,” he says.

 

In fact, greater processing power continues to be a major thrust for the industry.

 

“Semiconductors are already small and they may not get much smaller, so we’ll start to see advances in efficiency and the ability to add more data into one chip,” comments Hogan. “We’re starting to build up, not out, and a third dimension will allow for more processing power.”

 

“More processing power” is also an apt description for TI’s vibrant workplace culture.

 

“There is something about the positive attitude and atmosphere at TI that sets this company apart from others. The environment is down to earth and relaxed, but it’s still a lively community. When employees can show their personality, it brings a company to life. You also feel supported by coworkers, peers, and leaders,” says Hogan. “In my group, my supervisor encourages us to figure out new solutions and try new things — that’s how innovation grows.”

 

Innovation also grows through the company’s robust TI Diversity Network, which brings together more than 20 grassroots, employee-led diversity initiatives, open to all TIers; Hogan is a member of the New Employee Initiative and Black Employee Initiative.

 

To succeed in the type of product engineering role such as Hogan’s, “you need to have a high-level view of what’s going on,” he explains. A strong foundation and understanding of microelectronics and semiconductors is key. Being comfortable programming microcontrollers, having strong software skills, and knowing how to work on common lab equipment is also important.

 

“Strong communication skills are pertinent in this role; you need to keep everyone on your team informed and speak up about lessons learned,” says Hogan. “The secret to a better world is education, no matter which aspect. To be able to tackle a problem, you have to understand it.”

 

ENHANCING THE USERS’ EXPERIENCE AT GOOGLE

 

If you use Google Docs, Miguel Alvarez has played a part in your work.

 

Alvarez develops new features for Google Docs on mobile and web platforms, and is currently focusing on developing Google Docs for iOS.

 

“Everyday we think about new ways to make our users’ experience better. For example, we recently started to rethink our link insertion dialog inside Google Docs,” says Alvarez, a Google software engineer.

 

Research conduced by the Google Docs team found that most people searched the web or Google Drive to find the URL they wanted to insert. With that knowledge, the team decided to add the power to search the web and Google Drive directly from the link insertion dialog box so users don’t have to leave Docs to find the link they want.

 

“Everything is seamlessly integrated into the Google Docs experience,” says Alvarez.

 

With the company for three-and-a-half years, Alvarez has a bachelor’s degree in engineering in telematics from ITAM in Mexico City. He worked a short stint as a freelance software engineer before moving to Pittsburgh in 2009 to pursue a master’s degree in information system management from Carnegie Mellon. The following summer, before his degree was complete, he started the rigorous process of finding a job.

 

“I applied to as many companies as I could, looking for a software engineer position. It was a long process, and I was rejected many times,” Alvarez recalls. “Google was actually one of the last companies I interviewed for, and I was lucky enough get an offer from Google before graduating in December 2010.”

 

Citing his own experience, Alvarez advises job seekers not to “wait to be hired to start something awesome. Follow your passion and let it guide you.” For instance, he notes, many Googlers have created their own apps, games, websites, or collaborated in open-source projects for fun.

 

“Don’t do it with the objective of being acquired or getting rich,” Alvarez says. “Do it for the fun. Produce your own context to succeed: teach yourself, look for passionate people and ask them a lot of questions, attend conferences, etc. Those experiences will give you the knowledge and skills required for future interviews and opportunities. Most important, that experience will keep you hungry and excited. And it’s that passion that will always get you to the next level,” he says.

 

What Alvarez loves about the company is its culture, including its transparency and relaxed atmosphere. “Everyone I know helps each other, follows the ‘don’t be evil’ mantra, and gets what they deserve,” he says.

 

In regards to transparency, diversity is one of the ways Google practices what it preaches. Earlier this year, Google shared the demographics of its employees for the first time, “with the thinking that you can’t work to solve a problem until you can talk about it honestly and with the facts,” says Alvarez. Some of Google’s diversity programs include the BOLD and Engineering Practicum internships, which bring students from non-traditional backgrounds into the company each summer, and employee resource groups.

 

As a tech giant with 50,000 global employees, Google is serious about hiring world-class talent. To nail the interview, Alvarez says “practice, practice, practice.

 

“Practice interviewing. Do a lot of mock interviews. Ask your friends to interview you. Read books, do exercises. Interview for similar positions in other companies.” But most importantly, he says, know that failure is needed for success.

 

“You can’t skip it,” he notes. “If you don’t fail, it means you’re not trying hard enough. When you feel rejection, feel good about yourself because you’re closer to success. I got rejected so many times from other companies before interviewing for Google. And thanks to trying so many times, I got more confident and better in interviewing. Google was one of the last companies I interviewed for. By then, I had a lot of practice and that’s why I did a good job. My manager got rejected from Google multiple times, but he never gave up and kept interviewing every year. He knew failure was part of the process. Don’t settle.” 

 

PART OF THE RICH FABRIC OF DIVERSITY AT LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL

 

In many ways, Theresa “Theta” Maxino is a translator for Lexmark International.

 

“I work with stakeholders to understand what features are required in products and translate that into specs our engineers and designers can work with,” says Maxino, a firmware product own er in the company’s em bedded systems area.

 

Lexmark provides printing and imaging products, software, and more to the global marketplace. Working in research and development, Maxino is developing Lexmark’s next set of products and outlining the most important features that need to be included.

 

A native of Cebu, Philippines, Maxino is on a two-year assignment in Lexmark’s Lexington, KY headquarters as part of the company’s Global Assignments program. With 4,000 employees in the U.S. and 12,000 worldwide, international assignments are integral to ensuring the company’s success. Long-term assignments are geared toward leadership development and start-up initiatives.

 

“It’s a great program,” says Maxino, who joined Lexmark seven years ago after finishing a master’s degree in electrical engineering at Carnegie Mellon. “I’m improving my skills, and when I go back, I’ll be better able to deliver products. And I get to meet a lot of great people, too.”

 

In fact, it’s the employees and the company’s rich diversity that keeps Maxino at Lexmark. “The people at Lexmark are from all over the world, and you’re always learning something from them.”

 

The ability to work with a diverse group of people is critical to succeeding in today’s workplace, she says. Lexmark helps sustain this diversity with a full complement of diversity network groups and its executive diversity council.

 

“You need to have the ability to work well with different kinds of people, both in the workplace and in life,” says Maxino. “Working with others who don’t have the same viewpoint is important. In this age where everyone is interconnected and you work with people from all over the world, that ability will get you very far.”

 

Particularly in the fast-paced world of computer engineering, a willingness to work hard and learn, and more importantly, learn to fail, is critical.

 

“Learning to fail is not the same as failure,” says Maxino. “Learning to fail is falling down. Failure is staying down. Learn from your mistakes to make yourself better.”

 

Also, while hard skills are important in engineering, strong soft skills, including communication competence, strategic thinking, and the ability to work independently, will help you exceed. Maxino notes these skills are critical in her position in R&D.

 

This type of expertise will only grow in importance, as the world, people, and devices become ever more connected and companies work to ensure the security, privacy, and efficiency of this connectedness, she says.

 

“A lot of information is passed between devices and people, so we’ll need to develop technologies to ensure security and privacy and that the connections are seamless,” says Maxino. “This is where we’re going in computer engineering and IT, and it’s exciting work to do.”

 

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE AT LOCKHEED MARTIN

 

The future of air transportation is Dr. Sergio Torres’ purview.

 

A systems engineer for Lockheed Martin’s Information Systems and Global Solutions business, Torres is part of a team developing the next generation of the air transportation system for the U.S. and Federal Aviation Administration.

 

“We’re looking at what we can do to help controllers with automating processes to make air transportation more efficient and safe,” says Torres. “The project has several stages, each subject to tight deadlines, and we’re now laying out the very basic technical specs and infrastructure that future operational improvements connect to.”

 

Torres, who has a PhD in physics with a focus in astrophysics, is a subject matter expert in air transportation and satellite-based technology. He came to the company ten years ago after spending the first part of his career working as a researcher in academia. In doing contract work with NASA, he learned more about the area of air surveillance and navigation and that Lockheed Martin was a leader in this area.

 

“I kept an eye on Lockheed Martin to find opportunities. What luck when ten years ago, I transferred to Lockheed Martin and plugged in right away in the area I wanted to work in,” says Torres. “We are investing in the future, and we are bringing the future early. We are now at the edge of technology and solving problems for society and for the country and our customers.”

 

In addition to working on a cutting-edge project to advance the air transportation system, Torres is part of an elite group at the company: Lockheed Martin Fellows. Making up less than one percent of Lockheed Martin’s 113,000-strong workforce, Fellows are leaders not only in the company, but also in the field.

 

“A Fellow is typically a person known internationally and within the community of engineers as someone who has helped developed the field and contributed substantially to it,” Torres explains. “It is a great honor, but also a great responsibility, and a lot is expected of you. You’re typically the person others go to when there’s a problem to solve and it’s not going anywhere.”

 

To further complement his work in the field, Torres was recently awarded the Hispanic Engineering National Achievement Award Conference Award for best scientist in the Hispanic community.

 

“I was very happy to see a person with an accent like me win the award,” says Torres, who’s involved in the company’s Hispanic Leadership Council. “As a minority, you sometimes don’t have the same opportunities.”

 

To help facilitate opportunities for future engineers, he participates in STEM activities and is very engaged with kids, students, and teachers to excite interest in science in the Hispanic community.

 

It’s a two-pronged approach to succeed in the field, comments Torres. In addition to strong basic prowess in math and computer science, good communications skills are critical.

 

“You interact with clients and in the real world, they’re not all scientists or technicians.”

 

Secondly, once you have a solid base, says Torres, pay attention and identify fields that are most promising and which industries are most successful.

 

“Computer science is developing at a very fast pace and new technology is ongoing in combination with new projects,” says Torres.

 

To that end, he also insists that young professionals become subject matter experts. “Know something about something,” says Torres. “Once you have the fundamentals, have something to stand on and become an expert on something or in something that has the potential to change."

 

STAYING ATOP OF TECHNOLOGY AT GE HEALTHCARE

 

Hospitals and healthcare centers are high-tech places, and Jeffrey Martinez works to make sure his 500-strong team keeps them up and running.

 

Martinez is the imaging operations manager for GE Healthcare’s northeast zone. His team of imaging engineers works in hospitals and medical clinics, repairing everything in radiology from portable X-ray machines to MRIs and CAT scanners, on-site. He ensures they have the right training and tools to get the job done.

 

An electrical engineer, Martinez started at GE Healthcare the Monday after he graduated from DeVry University, 28 years ago.

 

But the field has vastly changed in that time.

 

“What’s really cool about GE Healthcare is the technology,” says Martinez, who began his career with the company as a field engineer. “Today, we’ve going into electronic medical records and reporting, medical data transfer, image transfer. When I started in the field in the 1980s, we had to develop films to look at images. Now that’s a thing of the past; it’s all digital, and for doctors to transfer images for consultation is as quick as hitting send. That’s what excites me about GE Healthcare.”

 

In addition to engineering expertise, Martinez points to strong communication skills as a critical component of his job.

 

“When I think back, one of the most important classes I attended at DeVry was in public speaking and communication,” says Martinez, who also coaches and mentors engineers. “Out of engineering school, I never thought I’d reflect back to those classes, but if you’re working on a critical component in an ER, such as a CAT scanner, you need to be quick and effective in your communications. You’ll have doctors, radiologists, administrators, even in some cases a COO, standing there wanting to know how long it will take to get their equipment fixed, and it’s important in how you deliver that message back while also doing the work.”

 

He also notes that a willingness to get outside your comfort zone will help you learn in every position.

 

In the field of biomedical technology, changes in the healthcare industry are driving the need for engineers to extend their skills and cross train in other technologies to maximize cost effectiveness.

 

“We’re changing the way we think in the field,” says Martinez. “Engineers are now expanding out; someone who specializes in CAT scanners is now cross-training in MRIs. That way, one engineer can come in, repair the CAT scanner, and then just walk across the hall and look at the MRI. The speed of repair to the customer is critical.”