I remember as if it were yesterday, the moment when I had to choose my first job. I was terrified thinking about what the corporate world would bring: Stress? Fearsome bosses? Lack of satisfaction and monotony? Pressure to work overtime? An annoying and/or unfriendly team?

Well, none of the above, it seems. Courtesy of Tremend, my first and only job experience has been nothing short of incredible so far.

The thing that got me the job

Probably every student’s nightmare, when starting the search for a job or an internship, is the process of writing the resume, especially since you have little to no prior working experience. Luckily for me, I had an ace up my sleeve: a project I worked on during my student years, for which I wrote a simple processor model. This one easy-to-do, yet important aspect landed me a job interview invitation at Tremend, and soon after a paid internship offer for joining them as an ASIC Verification Engineer – a role I have never heard about before. It sounded exciting and challenging, so I accepted it.

How was the job interview process

The interview was divided into two stages: one with Tremend’s manager and one with the client. I was a little nervous at first, but my mom, who has been listening to the entire discussion, assured me I did just fine. 

Then I got the call and was invited to the second interview, which went amazing. Light-hearted and engaging, I was sure I nailed it. And I was right. All that was needed to get started was to sign the contract and receive the employee welcome kit.

My first day of Internship as an ASIC Verification Engineer

I knew I was in the right place from the first day. All of us interns were warmly welcomed by the Engineering Managers and the HR team. Everyone was so nice, friendly, and eager to help us grow into full-fledged engineers. Remember my worries mentioned at the beginning of this article? Well, they were all for nothing.

Meeting my mentor was another element of ridiculous luck. Elena, who is a tremendous ASIC Verification Engineer, and I clicked instantly. After a brief discussion, we created the learning strategy for my professional growth. Each day had its own “check-in” and “check-out” times for deciding what I would study that day and asking questions.

First quest: study hard during the training period, and ace Tremend Verification Lab

The learning system we put in place worked tremendously for me. Starting that day, I had a direction, and on top of that, at the end of the day, Elena answered 99% of my questions.

I really appreciated that the training process was at my own pace. I barely felt any pressure, which was essential for my ability to assimilate what I was learning. I started with the ASIC World website (great lecture, by the way!), then moved on to the client’s materials, which were more detailed and challenging, but nothing I couldn’t handle. Especially with the guidance from Elena and Cristina, another amazing and resourceful member of the ASIC Verification team here at Tremend. I learned about the Verification Environment’s structure, as well as best practices and rules to follow in the client’s methodology.

Cristina is our team leader and wisest mentor, not to mention her unwavering patience. Her presence became more significant as the internship program progressed to more sophisticated content. When Elena had her doubts, Cristina filled in the gaps, and regarding minor issues, I asked my internship mates for help. That way, we’d have another reason to engage as a team with a common goal: to complete our training.

The lectures had concluded and only the final step remained – Tremend Verification Lab, our own little device for verifying and locating the bugs that the client’s team left for us. After a lot of effort, I found my first bug! I explained the situation to Elena, but my explanations weren’t spot on about the issue. It’s kind of a specific language you must use, which I got accustomed to after uncovering the following bugs. She always congratulated me, which boosted my confidence.

I finished the training period and had to move on to bigger things, which was great, but it also made me kind of sad that the innocence of being a trainee was slowly coming to an end.

The next challenge: joining my first real project

I was thrilled to know that I would work on the project alongside Cristina. I had the privilege of being the right hand of an incredibly knowledgeable expert who could explain to me in layman’s terms what other English-speaking team members might not have been able to convey to a complete novice.

My first task came after a theoretical introduction to the product we were working on. I had to look for features that were not triggered in the code, find out what was causing these issues, and eventually, fix them or talk with the team about the best course of action.

It was kind of a trial by fire. Not in the sense that I was pressed to finish it in record time, but because I had to ask how and why left and right, given my lack of knowledge about anything project-related at the time. E-mails on top of e-mails, messages, phone calls, reminders, and everything else.

All in all, it helped me get a grip on the code, and it introduced me to my team and other people involved in the project. It was also an opportunity to work with the client’s powerful tools, which I now use on other projects.

The right team will make your learning experience insightful and fun

Tremend’s semiconductors team is exceptional. Tremend’s semiconductors team is exceptional. We basically have two teams: one at the client, and one within the company – that would be us. Our main focus is on delivering things to the client’s team. But beyond our daily tasks, we also like to have fun together and engage in a variety of activities like game nights, team gatherings, or discussions over coffee in the morning. The best part is that these things came naturally, and they only helped us build stronger bonds.

It probably helps that everyone is young, but even among our wiser and more experienced colleagues, you never feel a nomenclature or an age barrier. Everyone seems to have equal input based on their ability, which makes me feel very comfortable at work because there isn’t much of a bloated structure or the fear of saying something wrong.

By Cristina’s side and with a genuine, funny, engaging, and helpful team, I can confidently say I hit the jackpot. The team leaders always make sure we have all the help we need and that we do not become stuck or frustrated with our current tasks. This combination of good people and good practices allows me to confidently state that I’m barely ever stressed at work because I know I always have a great and supportive team I can rely on.

Wrap up

I truly feel I am in the right place at this time. With teammates that I hold dear to my heart, challenging but manageable tasks, comprehensive perks, and promising future opportunities, I look forward to spreading this great culture so that other students can have such a positive first job experience.