How to get a job at Nvidia?

drunkboy

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Dec 4, 2006
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I want to be associated with GPU architecture as a profession.
I am 17 (finished school,entering computer science&engineering).
I really doubt we would be doing much about GPU architechture in the course.
I would really like to know your suggestions.
Thanks in advance.
 

TabrisDarkPeace

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Jan 11, 2006
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'Electrical Engineering' right ?

Just keep sending them CV's, etc and ask for some feedback (eg: What do other staff have qualification and experience wise, what are their backgrounds, nationalities, and pay).

You might reconsider.
 

weskurtz81

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You might want to get a double major, engineering and business, you can be involved in the industry, but the business side may be more profitable. Also, engineers who are fluent in english are in higher demand in the US these days because of the large numbers of foreign engineers who are not fluent english speakers. This all all opinion though, gathered from my own research from people in different industries.

wes
 

mpjesse

Splendid
The likelihood of you "jumping right in" with nVidia in an engineering job is very unlikely. That's like going from Highschool football directly to pro football. Though you may be able to score an intership or something when you're done w/ your bachelors or masters, but you'll probably need to start working for a small company.

Remember that nVidia and ATI are the premier chip makers in the world right now and everyone wants to work for them. Get your feet wet with a little graphics IP company or some other lesser known company that makes video chips for cell phones or something like that. Basically get some experience under your belt.

I doubt nVidia or ATI is hiring engineers straight out of college.

Take a look at this nVidia job posting for example:
http://careers.nvidia.com/pljb/global_jsp/applicant/DisplayJob/JobDetails.jsp?display=1&pljbHome=/nvidia/nvidiaemployment/applicant/index.jsp&id=879

"Minimum 4 years of industry experience"

Sorry bud, but that's not someone out of college. All the other postings are the same.

Weskurtz had a good suggestion about getting a business degree too. Those are usually easier to get into and can pay a lot more.
 

Jazzman1284

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The likelihood of you "jumping right in" with nVidia in an engineering job is very unlikely. That's like going from Highschool football directly to pro football. Though you may be able to score an intership or something when you're done w/ your bachelors or masters, but you'll probably need to start working for a small company.

Remember that nVidia and ATI are the premier chip makers in the world right now and everyone wants to work for them. Get your feet wet with a little graphics IP company or some other lesser known company that makes video chips for cell phones or something like that. Basically get some experience under your belt.

I doubt nVidia or ATI is hiring engineers straight out of college.

Take a look at this nVidia job posting for example:
http://careers.nvidia.com/pljb/global_jsp/applicant/DisplayJob/JobDetails.jsp?display=1&pljbHome=/nvidia/nvidiaemployment/applicant/index.jsp&id=879

"Minimum 4 years of industry experience"

Sorry bud, but that's not someone out of college. All the other postings are the same.

Weskurtz had a good suggestion about getting a business degree too. Those are usually easier to get into and can pay a lot more.


Actually they do hire right out of college. I'm a Mechanical Engineering senior at the University of Michigan, and NVidia interviewed earlier this fall on campus for full time and possibly for interns (between junior and senior year), but I can't remember. I didn't talk to them, b/c I’m not going into that type of work, but they were hiring at all degree levels (BS, MS, PhD) and several majors (CS, EE, CE, and even ME). I do know that they had pretty high requirements.

Moral of the story: You can get a job at a company like this right out of school, if you go to a well respected institution, have good grades, and have some experience (internships, student project teams, etc.).
 
You're not going to be working on new design right out of school, you're going to be testing other people's work.

You won't be on the design and implementation teams unless you've done something special while in school, in which case you don't need advice on how to get a job, only advice on how to handle the interview nV already setup for you.

There's a difference between 'working at nV' and being on the team designing the chips. Like was mentioned the best thing is to prove yourself first, then apply.

As for a dual degree, engineering and business is pointless, however engineering and physics like an R&D engineer I know from Univ, is a very sweet combination for this stuff, especially considering the aplication of that physics now beyond just the materials application.
 

MBrookins

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I doubt nVidia or ATI is hiring engineers straight out of college.

I don't know where people get this type of information. Nvidia does hire engineers strait out of school. However they generally do not do design work in the first few years. I would say your first step is to go to school and get an engineering degree. Forget the Business degree if you want to work for a engineering company that makes computer parts and want to double major the second one to have is Electrical Engineering or physics. ( I would argue Electrical Engineering is the first one you should have but that is a different story)

Secondly you are not going to find the entry level positions on Nvidia's web site. They will be given to the best CO-OP students. So, beginning your sophomore year start applying for internships. You probably wont get any. Don't get discouraged by putting in your application you have the chance to interview if someone chooses. It also means that the Hiring Manager has seen your application. This builds familiarity and will better your chances next year. I know it doesn't sound like it will work but it helps. It also helps to know someone who works for the company. I have a friend who works for Nvidia and got an internship through a guy at church.

The third thing I will tell you is that a masters degree is not always needed although it can help you land a job. I find the most important thing while in an interviewing a young engineer is a willingness to learn. show that and you are halfway to that job. It takes three to five years to make a competent engineer and 20 to make a great engineer.

While I'm at it will give you one more piece of advice if you do go for a masters degree and want to design immediately. You should specialize in High frequency Board design. There just aren't enough good ones out there. (and the really good ones are retiring and dieing way too fast)
 

Bluefinger

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If you want to jump into any big business, it pays to have experience. I want to enter the computer games industry, but to get in the decent companies, some experience and a portfolio on what you specialise on (modelling, programming, design, etc) is required, along with a decent degree. I'm aiming to get into an internship so to fill in that experience requirement, and also to help me build my portfolio.

For you, its good to read around, and there's some good advice already being given here. As long as you keep trying and aim for that goal no matter what, you'll probably get into the computer chip industry (though not necessarily with nvidia, its always good to keep your options a little more open than just with one company).
 

drummerdude

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computer engineering is the right major for you. thats what im in now. my one professor worked for nvidia over the summer. i think she worked on drivers or something for them. all the work she did dealt with assembly. and so far i have had one class dealing with one assembly language and more to come in the nxt couple semesters.
 

MBrookins

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computer engineering is the right major for you. thats what im in now. my one professor worked for nvidia over the summer. i think she worked on drivers or something for them. all the work she did dealt with assembly. and so far i have had one class dealing with one assembly language and more to come in the nxt couple semesters.

Your right if he wants to work on drivers and do software or even some test stuff CE is the correct degree. However if he wants to design video cards he is better of with a double major in EE and Physics or just a degree in EE. It has been my experience that a EE has a better understanding of the Analog and small signal models of transistors and also the effects of sending high frequency waves across transmission lines that causes signal degradation. All of which are important in the design phase. In the end the choice of degree is based upon what you want to do. The other thing to be careful of is thinking you are going to love working for a certain company. You may find you hate or love something that drives you away from what you currently think you are going to do.
 

mpjesse

Splendid
I doubt nVidia or ATI is hiring engineers straight out of college.

I don't know where people get this type of information. Nvidia does hire engineers strait out of school. However they generally do not do design work in the first few years. I would say your first step is to go to school and get an engineering degree. Forget the Business degree if you want to work for a engineering company that makes computer parts and want to double major the second one to have is Electrical Engineering or physics. ( I would argue Electrical Engineering is the first one you should have but that is a different story)

Secondly you are not going to find the entry level positions on Nvidia's web site. They will be given to the best CO-OP students. So, beginning your sophomore year start applying for internships. You probably wont get any. Don't get discouraged by putting in your application you have the chance to interview if someone chooses. It also means that the Hiring Manager has seen your application. This builds familiarity and will better your chances next year. I know it doesn't sound like it will work but it helps. It also helps to know someone who works for the company. I have a friend who works for Nvidia and got an internship through a guy at church.

The third thing I will tell you is that a masters degree is not always needed although it can help you land a job. I find the most important thing while in an interviewing a young engineer is a willingness to learn. show that and you are halfway to that job. It takes three to five years to make a competent engineer and 20 to make a great engineer.

While I'm at it will give you one more piece of advice if you do go for a masters degree and want to design immediately. You should specialize in High frequency Board design. There just aren't enough good ones out there. (and the really good ones are retiring and dieing way too fast)

Did you idiots read my post? I said nVidia may hire interns. Christ. Everyone hires interns.

All I'm saying is he needs to be realistic. nVidia is not going to hire someone right out of college to work on their latest products. AMD does that. <runs away>