Interview Tips - Semiconductor Industry Setting

No set of guidelines for handling an interview can guarantee the interviewee a job, primarily because no two interviewers are alike. It's but natural for one interviewer to have preferences that differ from those of another. Even the mood of the interviewer at the time of the interview counts - results may differ had the interview been done on another day. Nonetheless, there is no better way to handle an interview than to prepare for one. The aim of this write-up is to help fresh engineering grads hurdle their interviews for their first semiconductor job.

We all know the basics, i.e., be presentable, cordial, confident, etc., so these won't be dealt with here. Instead, we'll look at frequently asked questions and possible answers to these questions. It should again be emphasized that these answers may not be what some interviewers would prefer to hear, so let the interviewee be the final judge of which tips to use and which ones to leave in the closet.

I. About Yourself

Questions about yourself should be easy to answer, unless you did not accomplish your resume truthfully. You know yourself better than your interviewer, so the best that your interviewer can do is ask details about what you put in your resume. Just be honest, confident, and direct to the point so as not to bore your interviewer.

1) 'Please introduce yourself to me.' or 'Please tell me something about yourself.' are common starters. Be very prepared for this question ,because your answer to this has a big impact on the rest of the interview. Remember, don't bore your interviewer with unnecessary details, but don't be timid too. Exude pleasant confidence from the very start.

2) 'What was your greatest achievement in school? (or in life?)' may sound outdated, but this question still gets asked. You must know the answer to this as well, because groping for one gives an impression of mediocrity in school. Also, be careful not too sound outlandish, because your interviewer will easily know if you're exagerrating by asking follow-up questions.

3) 'What are your weaknesses or areas for improvement?' tests your honesty to yourself and to your interviewer, as well as your recognition of the need to continuously improve, so saying something like 'I work too hard' or 'I'm such a perfectionist' might backfire. It is also for this reason why you should think twice before saying 'no' to 'Have you failed before?'.

4) 'What is your ambition in life' and 'Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?' need utmost balance between sounding like an achiever and sounding not too arrogant. Remember, interviewers are people too, so telling them that you want their job will not likely get you the job, unless the interviewer is interviewing you to be his or her replacement. Knowing your goal and how to get there realistically would be good, so say this confidently, and with your feet on the ground.

5) 'Do you believe in labor unions?' Never, ever, say a strong 'yes' to this if you're asking for a semiconductor industry job. Most semiconductor companies are allergic to this topic, but some interviewers may try to pry out your outlook on this. If you're raring to defend an ideology in response to this question, then the semiconductor environment may not be for you.

6) 'Do you have plans of living abroad?' None, right? Or not in the next 5 years, is it not? Semiconductor companies will spend a lot of money to train you, so telling them that you're planning to immigrate next year will almost surely end your interview, unless they're hiring you for something short-term and special.

7) 'Are you willing to be assigned overseas for a long time?' This is a real question - they will really send you away for weeks or months of training. Thus, if you don't have the heart to leave your baby alone, think of a really good reason why they should still hire you even if they can't give you the overseas training that you need.

8) 'Are you willing to sign a contract of tenure every time you undergo training?' Say 'yes' if you really love the company and won't mind staying for long. Otherwise, it might be better to know more specifics about the contract before you answer. Politely ask them how long you'll need to stay for every month of training. Only you can decide if their response is fair or not.

9) 'Can you work on Sundays?' or 'Can you render overtime everyday?' If you can't, then don't lie. Perhaps your religion forbids you from working on Saturdays, or you have civic duties on Sundays. Be honest about such things. Offer something in return though, e.g., tell them you're willing to work on Sundays even if Saturdays aren't good for you. By the way, if you really can't work on weekends occasionally for whatever reason, then a semiconductor job is not for you.

10) 'Do you have any health problems?' Can you lift heavy objects or stand over long periods or stay up really late? Can you withstand the extreme pressure of supporting the demanding production schedule? Again, don't lie (honesty to this question may even save your life if you have a heart ailment). If your health problem has an impact on your job, then they'll see it sooner or later anyway. If it has no impact, then your interviewer may even appreciate your honesty.

11) 'What can you contribute to this company?' Don't just say 'I'll be a good employee.' Be specific. Thus, you'll need to do a little research in advance on what you're applying for. Know what tasks lie ahead, and drumbeat on how your skills and knowledge will contribute to the organization.

12) 'Sell yourself to me.' or 'Tell us why we should hire you instead of the other applicants.' is your interviewer's signal that he's about to wrap up the interview. Your answer should be a brief yet complete summary of what and how you can contribute to the company. Consistency with your answers to previous questions is important.

II. Technical Questions

If you're applying for an engineering position, then expect some, if not loads of, technical questions. Brush up on the basics. Anticipate potential questions and read your books again. Your interviewer doesn't expect you to answer all his/her technical questions, but he/she will certainly be most impressed by the applicant with the most correct answers. Below are some typical questions that get asked for a position pertaining to electronics. Look up the answers to them yourself.

1) 'What is a semiconductor?' Needless to say, you have to be able to answer this.

2) 'What is a bipolar transistor?' or an NPN transistor, or a PNP transistor, or a JFET, or a MOSFET, or ... well, you get the idea.

3) 'Can you explain to me how a diode works? What does 'depletion region' mean? How high is the potential barrier of a silicon diode? Well done. Now, how does a transistor work?

4) 'Please draw a Vce-Ic curve.' or a diode curve, or the current/voltage curve of a resistor, or an open circuit, or a short circuit...draw...draw... draw. And one more thing, please label your drawings properly and explain them to me.

5) 'Please draw a circuit using a transistor as a switch.' Explanation needed, as usual.

6) 'Can you explain how a computer works?'

7) 'Can you explain how a microprocessor works?' How does a microprocessor know whether the next byte is an instruction or data? What is the function of an ALU?

8) 'What is an op-amp?' What are the characteristics of an ideal op-amp?

9) 'Can you draw a circuit using an op-amp as a summer?' or as an integrator, or as a differentiator, etc...

10) 'Can I build an 'AND' gate from 'OR' and 'NOT' gates? or an 'OR' gate from 'NAND' gates? or this gate from these gates?

11) 'Can you analyze what's the function of this circuit?' or 'Can you tell me why this circuit will not work?'

12) Can you express the output voltage of this circuit in terms of the input voltage? Please show your math one step at a time.

13) Can you tell me more or less what this computer program does (showing a print-out)?

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