SBT

Electrical and computer science engineers are some of the most well-educated people in any field and it can take some individuals six or more years for to earn the necessary degrees before entering into the semiconductor workforce. Yet despite having impressive academic credentials, most engineers only begin getting their feet wet once they get “hands-on” with the technology, learning the ins and outs of design flows, verification, tapeout, and validation. According to some leaders, it’s working in a commercial setting that provides some of the best learning opportunities which strengthen engineers and develops the resiliency they need for long-term success in our field. Richard Fung CEO and co-founder of The Six Semiconductor is one of them. Richard earned his BSEE from The University of Toronto and then earned his MSEE while working at AMD. He and his colleagues established their skills in environments suited for on-the-job learning, and Richard remarked that those were formative years for him as a young engineer. Today, he leads The Six Semiconductor with five of his previous colleagues and they all share a similar mindset when it comes to hiring -  find people with strong fundamentals and a willingness to learn. Yet it hasn’t always been that way at TSS. Richard reflected that in the early days of building the team, “we would hire based on academic credentials but the personality was not right, and overall it was more negative than positive.” It’s a lesson that many leaders learn the hard way because they tend to put credentials ahead of personality. This often happens because it can be scary to take a chance on someone who hasn’t proven themselves in the real world yet, so academics become a benchmark to measure against. But according to Richard, what’s changed is that while they do evaluate talent based on competency, deciding based on personality carries more weight now. In his view, engineers with strong fundamentals can be taught as long as they have a desire to learn. He explained, “When we hire someone with the right mindset, who is willing to learn and willing to share… overall in a few years they become the better engineer.” Commercial projects will always carry risks if mistakes are made, but it’s through making mistakes that engineers will feel nurtured and challenge themselves to learn and grow. According to Richard, “real-life engineering is not like studying in school. Studying in school, you have a fixed answer. Solving real-life problems, you’re looking for solutions that don’t currently have answers.” We celebrate leaders like Richard who take this confident approach to building teams. Even though every hiring decision carries some risk, their philosophy of taking calculated risks is proving to be worth it. Do YOU share this mindset? We’d love to hear your story of a similar hiring decision so feel free to share it in the comments. #semiconductorindustry #hiring #recruiting

The semiconductor industry has faced a key challenge for decades and it’s not about the end of Moore’s Law, it’s the decreasing number of engineers graduating from university with electrical engineering degrees. According to a survey conducted by Deloitte, there will be an additional 1,000,000 skilled employees needed in our industry worldwide by 2030, across disciplines ranging from fab technicians to design engineers. With the ongoing decline of students graduating with at least their BSEE, this presents a major obstacle for semiconductor organizations, especially startups. It’s a challenge that Ricky Lau, CTO and co-founder at The Six Semiconductor (TSS) is very familiar with. Rickey has spent his entire career in the industry, beginning with the legendary ATI Technologies, then moving to AMD before co-founding TSS. During a recent trip to TSS’s headquarters, Ricky explained that when he was enrolled at his alma mater the University of Toronto a graduating class might have a couple hundred EE students. Nowadays, there may be as few as 30 or 40. One of the causes behind this seismic shift has been the rise of lucrative software programming jobs that have attracted students to become programmers, hoping to develop the next app that becomes a global phenomenon. Other issues that might not be as obvious include: ➡️Many young people report that the semiconductor industry is “invisible” to them and they haven’t heard of it before; a classic marketing and awareness problem. ➡️There’s low access to STEM curriculum in lower grade levels, especially in underrepresented communities that may harbor the next generation’s best talent pools. ➡️There has been a lack of industry-academia partnerships to co-develop curriculum and increase the number of programs that can create inroads into the industry.. The world’s largest semiconductor companies are working collectively to solve these problems over time, yet time is a resource that that startups like TSS don’t have in abundance, so they have to take a different approach. How does TSS do it? They’ve developed a strong internship program that exposes aspiring electrical engineers to the many different aspects of their design flow: from architecture to validation. This raises their awareness and confidence on engineering topics, making them more well-rounded and insightful about where they want to contribute. Many of TSS’ interns return as full-time employees after graduation, and those team members have become integral contributors, helping drive their success. It’s a model that clearly works! We’re encouraged by the leaders at TSS and their approach to solving their talent challenges of today while focusing on developing engineers who will become the leaders of tomorrow. What other strategies have YOU seen working in our industry? #semiconductorindustry #talentacquisition #electricalengineering

Some of the world’s most inspiring companies create innovations in semiconductor technology that affect how we work, live, and play. That's why we feel it's a privilege to feature the voices of leaders from our industry in our monthly video podcast series - The C Suite Spotlight. Join us each month as our President Justin Kinsey talks with leaders from some of the industry’s most groundbreaking startups. You’ll hear insights from people such as: Shrijeet Mukherjee of Enfabrica 劉峻誠Albert Liu of Kneron Ty Garibay of Condor Computing Corporation Charlie Hong-Men Su 蘇泓萌 of Andes Technology Corporation Shashi Kiran Chilappagari of DeGirum Corp. And you'll also get to hear the perspectives of leaders from semiconductor ecosystem and investor communities, like those of: Calista Redmond from RISC-V International and Srini Ananth of Intel Capital We’re passionate about the semiconductor industry and it’s an honor to connect and engage with leaders who share our excitement! We have a great second half of the year lined up, so be sure to subscribe to the channel so you don’t miss a single episode. #semiconductorindustry #startups #leadership

Unfortunately, the recruiting industry has earned itself a tarnished reputation, particularly among semiconductor professionals. People in our industry have become skeptical of recruiters for reasons like being sent messages about jobs for the completely wrong skill sets (like software development), receiving poor communication, and even being ghosted. These experiences can give people the impression that recruiters are just focused on their gain, however the truth is that many recruiters genuinely care about their candidates' career development as much as they care about their clients' outcomes. Building authentic relationships and making connections leads to stronger teams and companies, which often results in groundbreaking technologies being developed and that gives recruiters a sense of pride and accomplishment. At SBT, we believe in providing people a different experience, from our first outreach to a potential candidates to their ultimate decision to join a company… or not. While they may seem elementary, here are some of qualities we have found to be effective in fostering trust and making thoseautthentic connections:: ➡️Personalized Outreach: Sending tailored messages that connect a candidate’s skills with the client's technology, goals, and culture shows diligence and genuine interest in creating meaningful career opportunities. ➡️Focusing on Priorities: Understanding each candidate's unique career and life goals, whether it means climbing the ladder or achieving greater work-life balance, allows us to make recommendations that truly benefit them. ➡️Intimate Client Knowledge: Giving detailed information about the role, company mission, technology, and business helps candidates grasp the client’s vision and goals. ➡️Transparent Communication: While sharing the excitement of potential opportunities, we also disclose the “hard truths” about the role and company, enabling candidates to make informed decisions. ➡️Interview Support: We offer resources and guidance to help candidates prepare for interviews, ensuring the support is balanced, insightful, and not overly prescriptive. ➡️Clear Communication: Keeping candidates informed about their status, providing them feedback, and clarifying their next steps is crucial. Even updates like “no news yet” are important to maintain transparency. Recruiting is ultimately about relationships and helping people, so by giving personalized, transparent, and professional attention, we believe we can shift our industry’s perception of recruiters. So, if our values resonate with you, we might be the right team to help you advance your career. If you’re considering your next career step, or curious about what else may be out there, contact one of our recruiting team. They will gladly set up a conversation and show you how recruiting can feel different. 📞 602-866-9600 ✉️ [email protected] #semiconductorindustry #recruiting #recruiters

If you’re a talented semiconductor engineer, you’re accustomed to being pursued by recruiters. Our industry has faced a talent shortage for years and as a result, skilled engineers get messages daily from recruiters asking them to look at new opportunities. Being introduced to a role with the potential for career growth can be exciting, but pursuing it comes with inherent challenges that can leave many engineers feeling isolated, frustrated, and de-energized. In our 35 years of experience recruiting in the semiconductor industry, we’ve heard myriad concerns that engineers have about pursuing new roles and we decided to share the top 7 that we get most frequently: 1. Scheduling conflicts: It feels like there’s never a perfect time to interview because you’re either in the middle of a project or will be starting another one soon and the idea of using PTO to interview makes you cringe. 2. High competition: The semiconductor industry is competitive and it’s not uncommon to find yourself vying for a position against multiple qualified candidates for a single role. 3. Lack of transparency: You're likely used to working with complex technologies but ambiguity is your Kryptonite. Lack of transparency from hiring managers makes it difficult to know whether your experience is a good match for their technology roadmap. 4. Misaligned expectations: It can be disheartening to find that hiring managers are looking for skills and qualifications that are inconsistent with the job description or you discover that the position has far less depth than you had hoped. 5. Poor communication - Companies that are slow to respond with interview feedback, or worse, don't even bother to communicate at all can be deflating and make you feel like your time was wasted. 6. Difficulty finding a culture fit: You're likely passionate about your work but it can be hard to be completely yourself when both sides expect performance, especially during technical interviews. 7. Opportunities for growth: From the outside looking in, it can be difficult to tell if the potential employer offers you the same career advancement opportunities as you might find at your current company. By calling attention to these challenges upfront, semiconductor engineers can foster transparency in their relationships with recruiters and help themselves navigate the job market to find a role that meets their needs and expectations. Fortunately, we at SBT understand these challenges, and we've developed a specialized approach to help engineers navigate the job exploration process calmly, taking one step at a time until they are sure they want to accept a role or not. So if you’re an engineer considering a new challenge, better work-life balance, or a more fulfilling career, we're here to help. Contact our seasoned recruiting team today to learn more: 📞 602-866-9600 ✉️ [email protected] #semiconductorindustry #recruiting #careergrowth

Summer ushers in feelings of patriotism and gratitude for the opportunities available in America, especially opportunities for good jobs like those that are becoming abundant in the semiconductor manufacturing sector. Yet despite all the growth in the semiconductor sector, companies are still struggling to find enough talented engineers, scientists, and technicians to staff the new manufacturing sites they expect to come online within the next 2-3 years. This talent shortfall requires industry, state and federal governments, and academic institutions to work together to create unique solutions. Fortunately, programs are being developed and some are focused on training and hiring veterans. Veterans are seen as a key population for filling the current and projected future gap in qualified workers. Their diverse skillsets and discipline make them ideal candidates for the rigor of the semiconductor industry, provided they’re given proper tools and training to make the transition. “We have gone through a massive program of re-skilling veterans for the industry, and we are starting to populate the talent pipeline,” said Ajit Manocha, CEO of SEMI. One semiconductor company with a strong commitment to helping veterans enter the industry is Integra Technologies Inc. Integra works with over 100 programs through their Veterans Hiring Pledge, and hopes this ongoing effort will help them staff the 2,500 new jobs being created in their $2 billion Wichita, KS facility, which Integra hopes to complete in a couple of years. In addition to existing programs, the CHIPS and Science Act sparked a new wave of partnerships between industry and academia. For example, veterans can apply for the 12-week Microelectronics and Nanomanufacturing Certificate Program (MNCP), funded by the National Science Foundation, and led by Pennsylvania State University. The MNCP program began with four regional nodes — Arizona, California, Georgia, and Virginia — then expanded to include New York, Ohio, and Texas. Each node has a community college partnered with a research institute and chip industry companies. There also needs to be a focus on raising awareness about the opportunities available to veterans. Recruiting them often requires hands-on, community-led efforts, including job fairs, advertising, and direct outreach. Our vision for this sector of our industry is that companies can meet their workforce needs by providing career paths for veterans and offering them well-paid, meaningful work that long careers are built on. Yet we recognize some companies lack the resources to engage in the partnerships described above. When urgent needs arise for critical manufacturing or process engineering leadership, we stand ready to help companies find the right talent and create strong teams. Contact our recruiting leadership to learn how we can help your company with these types of needs. 📞 602-866-9600 ✉️[email protected] #semiconductorindustry #veterans #talentacquisition

Have you ever wanted to explore the wisdom of some of the semiconductor industry’s most successful leaders? Well each month, our President Justin Kinsey does EXACTLY that. Introducing The C Suite Spotlight - our monthly video podcast featuring interviews with executives and founders of startups and top companies making an impact on semiconductors and technology. Some of Justin’s amazing guests have included: Richard Fung, Co-founder and CEO of The Six Semiconductor, a leader in developing PHY IP for advanced memory that makes advanced AI possible. Calista Redmond, CEO of RISC-V International, the premier non-profit organization that is advancing the RISC-V ISA worldwide through ecosystem development and education opportunities. Raymond Chik, CEO of Kapik Integration and Co-Founder of Untether AI, one of the early and top startups in ultra-low power AI chips for inference applications Shrijeet Mukherjee, CDO and co-founder of Enfabrica, a brilliant startup that is revolutionizing high-speed interconnect fabrics for data centers to enable the next generation of AI. Join us each month as we share new episodes with new guests and give yourself a front-row seat to hear their incredible insights! There are three ways to watch: ▶️ YouTube channel - https://lnkd.in/gKXJcbhQ (don’t forget to subscribe 🔔) ▶️ Website - https://lnkd.in/g7PQCZtk ▶️ Justin’s LinkedIn profile - https://lnkd.in/gc74rGDb (for short-form videos and stories) We’re honored every time one of our esteemed guests joins the Spotlight and shares their knowledge. Do you want to nominate YOUR executive or founder to be a guest on the C Suite Spotlight? Send us an email to [email protected] with the subject “C Suite Nominee” and we’ll take a look!

As recruiters, we often hear the phrase, "I’m not actively looking for anything new right now." and we LOVE it! This brings us joy because the best and brightest engineers and leaders are FOCUSED. They’re too busy developing next-generation technologies that will transform our lives to be updating their resumes or job hunting. With that being said, we do meet a SHOCKING number of engineers and leaders who haven’t updated their resumes in years. You might think, “It makes sense if they’re not looking.” But there are reasons beyond job hunting why keeping your resume updated is valuable. Here are our top seven reasons to keep your resume current: 1. Networking: Attending conferences, meetups, and networking events is crucial for engineers. An updated resume allows you to quickly share it with potential project collaborators and investors interested in your company’s next big idea. 2. Patents, Papers, and Projects: As you develop new technology, your skills and accomplishments grow, along with your credentials like patents and publications. An updated resume reflects these achievements and showcases your professional growth. 3. Internal Career Advancement: As your responsibilities and achievements increase, an updated resume helps you highlight your progress to company leadership, positioning you for internal advancement opportunities. 4. Capturing Accomplishments: Engineers often have heavy workloads and may not have time to reflect on their accomplishments. Updating your resume regularly ensures you capture achievements before they fade from memory. 5. Professional Development: Staying updated with industry trends is vital. Many engineers continue their education through courses or certifications during employment. An updated resume demonstrates your commitment to continuous learning. 6. Collaboration and Partnerships: Engineers frequently collaborate on projects. An updated resume can be easily shared to showcase your credibility, which builds trust with potential partners or collaborators. 7. Confidence Boost: An updated resume can give you a sense of accomplishment and confidence in your career progression. It's a great way to measure how far you’ve come. In conclusion, updating your resume isn’t just about preparing for your next job opportunity. It's about showcasing your growth, expertise, and accomplishments. In our ever-changing technology landscape, it’s wise to be prepared for whatever comes your way. So, what are you waiting for? Take the first step and update your resume with your most recent achievements. Then, work backward and tackle the project in small stages. Once your resume is polished, your future self will thank you. #semiconductorindustry #resumes #careergoals

In the complex, fast-paced world of semiconductor design, electrical engineers have many exciting paths to choose from! Starting in their undergrad, aspiring EEs will gain exposure to the fundamentals of analog, mixed-signal and digital design, enabling them to experience different type of circuits and explore the advantages of each. Budding engineers and seasoned professionals alike typically figure out that they care about the end APPLICATION of their products as much as they care about the transistors underneath it all. So, they’ll pursue roles and career opportunities where they can follow their interests and ultimately see the products they create out “in the real world”. For some professionals, designing custom ASICs can offer an unrivalled level of satisfaction and a nonstop stream of fresh engineering challenges. Custom ASICs, (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits), are chips designed for a specific application or task. Developing them requires a deep understanding of markets, applications, and customer use cases and the very nature of these chips requires substantial design effort, teams that can work harmoniously together, and leveraging various skillsets  to compose various blocks of a larger chip that have to work seamlessly together. For engineers who care about what their designs can provide to the customer, there are many advantages of custom ASICs, including: Tailored Precision: Designed for specific applications, they provide optimized functionality and performance tailored to unique requirements, unlike generic chips. Efficiency: They excel in power efficiency, reducing power consumption and optimizing performance for specific tasks, crucial for applications like automotive systems. IP Protection: Their specialized nature makes reverse engineering difficult, offering enhanced intellectual property protection compared to standard components. Competitive Edge: They enable products with improved efficiency, reduced size, and the capability to execute proprietary algorithms, providing customers with a competitive advantage in the market. Time-to-Market Efficiency: By integrating multiple functions into a single chip and simplifying product design, they can shrink time to market, delivering optimized products faster. Custom ASIC design represents not just a technical endeavor, but a strategic investment in partnerships and a focus on the future of co-designed technologies. It's a field that combines creativity, expertise, and collaboration. We currently work with a client that is a leader in the field of custom ASIC design for some of the world’s largest end applications and we would be thrilled to share about their opportunities with engineers who are curious. Reach out to us for a conversation and one of our experienced recruiting team will be glad to engage with you! 📞 602-866-9600 📨 [email protected] #semiconductorindustry #asics #recruiting

Since the CHIPS and Science Act was introduced in 2020, large semiconductor companies like Intel, TSMC, and Micron have been racing to build new fabs to help reshore US semiconductor manufacturing. The prospect of tens of thousands of new jobs is exciting to us! But the reality is the US semiconductor sector has been losing employees for years, and that even extends to non-manufacturing roles. A recent study conducted by McKinsey highlighted that if measures aren’t taken to make our industry more attractive to younger people, this talent gap could become as large as 100,000 unfilled roles by 2030. What we found interesting in the McKinsey report is that multiple factors contribute to the growing talent shortage, each worthy of reviewing. We’ll share a link to the report in the comments so you can evaluate for yourself, but here are the key takeaways: ➡️There’s an Ongoing Shift in Required Skills - With the ramp of interest in Artificial Intelligence over the past two years, the industry is skewing more toward skills in AI/ML and applications. This is pulling engineers away from core engineering roles like system architecture, SoC and ASIC design. ➡️The Industry Has Low Awareness and Branding - College students surveyed showed an overall lack of enthusiasm for semiconductor companies, especially when contrasted against consumer-oriented tech brands. Also, a surprising 60% of executives believe that semiconductor companies have weak brands. ➡️More Employees Are Looking to “Change Ships” - A significant number of employees in semiconductors, 53%, are considering leaving their current jobs within the next three to six months, hoping to find more satisfaction elsewhere. The main reasons cited include a lack of career development and advancement opportunities and inflexible work environments. We’ve been involved in the semiconductor industry since SBT was founded in 1989, and our focus has been helping talented engineers find their next steps and helping leaders build world-class teams. So when we read data like this, it’s disappointing because we're passionate about this industry. As recruiters, we know it’s NOT easy for people leaders to develop and retain great team members, let alone recruit them in the first place. But there is hope that the semiconductor industry can start “reversing the tide” on this outflow, and actually start adding newcomers. Among the strategies shared in the McKinsey study are: 1. Tackling reasons for attrition 2. Identifying untapped talent pools 3. Enhancing storytelling related to semiconductors 4. Reimagining workforce productivity 5. Drawing on outsourced labor to manage shortages We applaud the dedicated leaders who are working on solutions to strengthen our industry! If you're looking for help to find a key person to replace someone you’ve lost or to help you grow your team, we stand ready to support you. Reach out to us today to discuss how we can partner: 📞 602-866-9600 📨 [email protected]