mercsilent in 
Computer Engineering at Purdue University
Transitioning to Hardware side of Computer Engineering
current junior @ purdue university studying computer engineering. i've done one swe internship last summer and will be doing another swe one this upcoming summer. my courses have a very solid amount of hardware and i find it very very interesting. i'd love to work in hardware/semiconductor/chip design but with two swe internship once i graduate i wont have any experience on that side. how can i gain experience to see if i truly like hardware in the corporate world?
Just apply to hardware positions with compe degree?
do a hardware type masters degree?
any suggestions? appreciate it!
2
1339
Sort by:
eightysixerSoftware Engineer
Just apply to hardware roles. Make sure your resume emphasizes your hardware course work and any hardware-related work you do in your internships. CompEng is a bit of a hardware/software mixed degree at most schools anyway, this is totally reasonable if your course work backs this up.
I did IT/help desk for an internship, decided I hated that, took a SWE role instead. And that's the story I sold in interviews: I tried that, I know that isn't what I want to do for a career, I want to do this instead.
If a 4+1 masters with a hardware concentration is an option though, you should seriously consider it. A masters degree goes much farther in the hardware side than the software side, and 4+1 is a very cost-effective means to get one.
About
Public
Software Engineer
Members
81,228