Cracking the Internship Code: EE Students Share Insider Tips for Success

Internships are an essential stepping stone for engineering students, offering hands-on experience, exposure to industry challenges, opportunities to build professional networks and the potential to lead to full time jobs. For second-year MS students at Columbia’s Electrical Engineering Department, the summer internship hunt was both thrilling and daunting. As they prepare to enter the workforce, many are eager to share the wisdom they gained from securing their internships and excelling in these roles.

On Friday, Sept. 13, ten of our Master’s EE/CE second year students, who interned at leading companies like Apple, Nvidia, and Tesla, reflected on their unique journeys, at the “Speed Networking” event hosted by EE Career Services. 

“I believe that alumni and our soon-to-be-alumni serve as valuable resources for our students and I’m always grateful for their support,” says Jennifer Lee, Director of Career Placement for the EE department, who has been organizing this event for the past two years. “Networking plays such a significant role in the job search process, especially in the current hiring environment, so this event provides students with the opportunity to network with future industry professionals.”

From tips on perfecting resumes to strategies for networking with hiring managers, they provide a valuable insider’s guide to landing that coveted role and making the most of your internship experience. Whether you're just starting your search or preparing to embark on your own internship, their stories will inspire and guide you along the way.

Swati Hans 

Class: MSEE, 2nd Year  

Bio: Swati interned with Samsung SARC-ACL on the Automotive GPU team, where she gained experience in functional safety standards and GPU development.  

Internship Experience Tips:  

- Interviewed with Samsung SARC-ACL in October 2023, received an offer within three weeks.  

- Found the position through LinkedIn, applied independently without a referral.  

- Recommends updating resumes for each specific role, focusing on keywords.  

- Suggests securing referrals early and following up diligently with recruiters and hiring managers.  

- Gained in-depth knowledge of functional safety ISO 26262 standards and GPUs during her internship.  

Thoughts:   

"Network actively and update your resume based on the job you're applying for. It's crucial to keep following up with recruiters."

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Lars Fischer  

Class: MSEE, 2nd Year  

Bio: Lars interned at Nvidia in Formal Verification and will be returning full-time in January 2025.

Internship Experience Tips:  

- Interned with Nvidia in Formal Verification for Summer 2024.  

- Focus on reaching out to relevant professionals rather than random connections on LinkedIn.  

- Believes referrals don’t help much, but targeting hiring managers directly does.  

- Tailor resumes for specific positions and include current, relevant projects.  

Thoughts: 

"Don’t waste time reaching out to random people on LinkedIn. Instead, focus on fewer, more relevant contacts, and always target your resume for the exact position."

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Amarnath B. Rajashekar  

Class: MSEE, 2nd Year  

Bio: Amarnath interned with Apple’s DRAM Team in Cupertino, focusing on optimizing DRAM calibration time.

Internship Experience Tips:  

- Worked on optimizing DRAM calibration time to improve system performance.  

- Gained insight into memory subsystems and the bottlenecks of SoC-DRAM interfaces in AI and LLM contexts.  

- Encourages keeping an open mind and exploring diverse coursework.  

- Recommends starting internship applications early and staying active on LinkedIn.  

Thoughts: 

"Explore courses outside your comfort zone – they may lead to unexpected opportunities. Start your internship search early, ideally within the first month."

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Manas Pange 

Class: MSEE, 2nd Year  

Bio: Manas interned with the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) working on ASIC design for machine learning.

Internship Experience Tips:  

- Interned with SLAC on synthesizing a CNN model for high-energy physics using a 28nm technology node.  

- Contributed to physical design tasks and optimized for area and latency requirements.  

- Advises reaching out to Columbia seniors and alumni for referrals and interview preparation.  

- Recommends maintaining multiple versions of resumes to highlight relevant projects for each role.  

Thoughts:  

"Reach out to Columbia alumni for referrals and help with interview prep. Keep track of your applications and maintain multiple versions of your resume."

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Apurva Patel  

Class: MSEE, 2nd Year  

Bio: Apurva interned with Nokia of America as an AI/ML Standards Intern, focusing on industry standards for AI/ML technologies.

Internship Experience Tips:  

- Encourages students to stay determined and not rely on AI tools for keyword optimization in resumes.  

- Diversify your projects and seek real-world use cases from professors that align with industry trends.  

- Emphasizes maintaining health and well-being while pursuing internship goals.  

Thoughts:  

"Don’t rely on AI tools for your resume. Instead, diversify your projects and find real-world problems to solve. That internship is important, but so is your well-being."

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Meera Ramprasad  

Class: MSEE, 2nd Year  

Bio: Meera spent her summer at Texas Instruments working on analog phase-locked loops for FMCW radar systems.

Internship Experience Tips:  

- Designed oscillator and slicer blocks for Analog Phase Locked Loops in TI’s FMCW Radar division.  

- Worked on behavioral modeling, circuit design, and verification tasks.  

- Suggests starting early in the application process and tailoring resumes for each role.  

Thoughts:  

"Start early and make a tailored resume for every role you’re targeting. Be vigilant and consistent with your job search."

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Ava Kim  

Class: MSEE, 2nd Year  

Bio: Ava interned at Apple as an Analog CAD intern, working on tools related to power intent attributes in analog and mixed signal circuits.

Internship Experience Tips:  

- Created tools to analyze analog and mixed signal topologies.

- Worked with Python, C++, and Perl to validate tools and processes.  

- Recommends proactive networking and targeting hiring managers during recruitment.  

Thoughts:  

"Focus on proactive networking and showing genuine interest in roles, especially with hiring managers. It’s far more productive than just applying on career websites."

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Harsh Benahalkar 

Class: MSEE, 2nd Year  

Bio: Harsh interned with Oden Technologies, focusing on real-time translation systems for Natural Language and query languages.

Internship Experience Tips:  

- Built a real-time Natural Language to custom query language translation system for Oden Technologies.  

- Gained experience with LLM research, data synthesis, and deployment on the Cloud.  

- Suggests building portfolios and attending online and offline events for networking.  

Thoughts: 

"Build a portfolio showcasing your projects and skills. Network actively by attending events, and always keep your resume and LinkedIn profile up-to-date."

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Gaurav Agarwal  

Class: MSEE, 2nd Year  

Bio: Gaurav worked at Tesla on developing safety-critical firmware for the Cybertruck’s Electronic Parking Brakes.

Internship Experience Tips:  

- Worked on post-crash safety-critical firmware for Tesla’s Cybertruck.  

- Used C and Python to develop firmware solutions.  

- Recommends applying early and networking with people from different disciplines.  

Thoughts: 

"Start applying early, and don’t underestimate the power of networking across different disciplines. Your connections could open unexpected doors."

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Vassilis Panousopoulos  

Class: MS CE, 2nd Year  

Bio: Vassilis interned as an ASIC Design Engineer at Apple, focusing on front-end design flows and process automation.

Internship Experience Tips:  

- Worked on RTL Lint, CDC, and synthesis in Apple's Silicon Engineering Group.  

- Contributed to IP enhancement and process automation using Python and Perl.  

- Recommends leveraging Columbia’s alumni network for networking and job opportunities.  

Thoughts: 

"Leverage Columbia’s alumni network. Connect with graduates, express interest in their work, and see if they know someone hiring. Build strong relationships with peers and professors."

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Xi Wang

Class: MSEE, 2nd Year

Bio: Wang interned with Skyworks as a mixed-signal and analog circuit designer on timing team. 

Internship Experience Tips:  

- Keep applying on LinkedIn focusing on your specific expertise, instead of applying for all EE general jobs

- Received the offer from Skyworks within a week with two rounds of interviews. The internship started from May 2024 to Aug. 2024

- Worked on analog circuit design and schematic-level simulations.

Thoughts:

“Find your niche area.”