New Startup looking to expand rapidly!

I am working with a cutting edge start up in the Boston area that is working in the Virtualization/Cloud Computing arena. They have very good funding in place and are planning on adding roughly 28 people by the end of 2009. Right now, the most critical positions are Kernel Developers with Hypervisor experience. Below is a job description and please feel free to contact me directly.

Looking for someone who has a deep understanding of the Linux kernel and understands the interactions between a paravirtualized kernel and the hypervisor. The work involves porting & developing kernel level software in a virtualized (XEN) environment. Experience with x86/x86_64 task switching and x86/x86_64 memory management is required. Experience with the internals of XEN or other hypervisor technology is an advantage.

Ross@hightechnh.com

Bad news for the Semiconductor industry

TSMC is reporting a hiring freeze. Applied Materials cutting 1800 jobs. National Semiconductor cutting 5% of their workforce. How much longer will it last??

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/18/business/chip.php

New Digital ASIC positions in MA!!

I have several brand new Digital ASIC roles with a client in MA. This is a solid, public company with a great reputation! Below are the detailed descriptions, please feel free to forward your resume directly to me at ross@hightechnh.com

Location: Westford, MA

Summary

The Westford office seeks an experienced (BS +10, MS +8 years) Networking Architect (System/ASIC) to work on the next generation of high speed networking products. Experience with networking related designs and specific experience with QOS, queuing, and scheduling is required.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include system architecture, ASIC definition, micro-architecture, and project leadership. This position will require a modest amount of travel to Sunnyvale to interact and collaborate with other corporate architects. Additional responsibilities include Verilog RTL coding and synthesis, working closely with Design and Verification engineers to ensure design quality and involvement with PD engineers to ensure solid implementation and timing closure.

Will be a primary member of a team responsible for executing project deliverables and processes necessary to successfully specify, develop, and release to production highly integrated ASICs.

Primary interfaces include architecture, marketing, design, verification, product & test engineering, and other hardware and software development groups. Must have previous experience in organizations with custom / semi-custom CMOS ASIC designs. Experience required in RTL coding, verification, gate level simulation, and associated tools. Experience in physical design (place and route, static timing analysis, package selection and design for test) is a plus.

Job Requirements

Qualifications

We are looking for a positive, energetic candidate who would welcome the challenge of working for a leading edge, growing company. The position will involve close, consultative working relationships with engineers from other teams. An outgoing personality and a collaborative spirit is required.

Required skills include:

• Design Experience

System and ASIC architecture for networking products
Knowledge of ASIC development tools, physical design tools, and
programming languages, QOS, packet queuing, and scheduling experience

Other desirable skills

SystemC, Vera, or equivalent
C/C++
Scripting with Perl and/or TCL
Large ASIC floorplanning and timing closure
Exceptional written & verbal communication skills

The Silicon Development group develops high-speed, multi-million gate ASICs for routers, firewalls, and other networking products. To deliver on-time and error-free, high performing, scalable, lowest cost, power efficient SILICON that is widely-deployable and beats the competition.

Location: Westford, MA

Summary

The Westford office seeks an experienced (BS +6, MS +4 years) ASIC design engineer on the next generation of high speed networking products. Experience with networking related designs is preferred.

The engineer in this position will be responsible for designing and verifying sections within our multi-million+ gate next-generation SOCs. These high performance designs will be part of the next generation of high performance network infrastructure systems.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include Verilog RTL coding and synthesis, working closely with other design and verification engineers to ensure design quality and with PD engineers to ensure routable implementation and timing closure.

Candidate will be part of a team responsible for executing project deliverables and processes necessary to successfully specify, develop, and release to production highly integrated ASICs.

Primary interfaces include architecture, design, verification, product & test engineering, and other hardware and software development groups. Must have previous experience in organizations with custom / semi-custom CMOS ASIC designs. Experience required in RTL coding, formal verification, gate level simulation, debug and associated tasks. Experience in physical design (place and route, static timing analysis, package selection and design for test) is a plus.

Additional responsibilities
RTL development from concept to production
Participate in review of design implementation for optimal design tradeoffs and
coding styles
Ensure completed assignments meet project deadlines and departmental and
corporate goals
Participate in methodology improvement

Requirements

Qualifications

We are looking for positive, energetic candidates who would welcome the challenge of working for a leading edge, growing company. The position will involve close, consultative working relationships with engineers from other teams. An outgoing personality and a collaborative spirit is required.

Required skills include
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field
Knowledge of ASIC development tools, physical design tools, and
programming languages
Verilog, Synopsys
Ability to speak, listen and write effectively
Ability to work well with others, across geographical boundaries

Other desirable skills
SystemC, or equivalent
C/C++
Scripting with Perl and/or TCL
Large ASIC floor-planning and timing closure

Location: Westford, MA

Summary

The Westford office seeks an experienced (BS +6, MS +4 years) ASIC design verification engineer on the next generation of high speed networking products. Experience with networking related designs is preferred.

The engineer in this position will be responsible for verifying sections within our multi-million+ gate next-generation SOCs. These high performance designs will be part of the next generation of high performance network infrastructure systems.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include writing test plans, building verification test benches, and writing / executing / debugging tests and working closely with system architects and design engineers to ensure design quality.

Candidate will be part of a team responsible for executing project deliverables and processes necessary to successfully specify, develop, and release to production highly integrated ASICs.

Primary interfaces include architecture, design, verification, product & test engineering, and other hardware and software development groups. Must have previous experience in organizations with custom / semi-custom CMOS ASIC designs. Experience required in RTL coding, verification, gate level simulation, and associated tools. Experience in physical design (place and route, static timing analysis, package selection and design for test) is a plus.

Additional responsibilities
Responsible for design verification from concept to production
Develop detailed and comprehensive test plans
Develop verification infrastructure
Timely execution of test plans
Participate in review of design verification coding and coverage metrics
Ensure completed assignments meet project deadlines and departmental and corporate goals
Participate in methodology improvements

Requirements

We are looking for positive, energetic candidates who would welcome the challenge of working for a leading edge, growing company. The position will involve close, consultative working relationships with engineers from other teams. An outgoing personality and a collaborative spirit is required.

Required skills include
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field
Knowledge of ASIC verification tools, scripting and programming languages
Must be fluent in Verilog, C, and C++
SystemC knowledge is a plus
Ability to speak, listen and write effectively
Ability to work well with others, across geographical boundaries

Any interested parties, please forward your resume to me directly at ross@hightechnh.com

Lack of posts, inactivity!

I follow the traffic to this blog Religiously. I thank all of those people or "returning visitors" for continuing to visit this site. You may have noticed that as of late my posts have declined in frequency, content and quality. Here's the deal.... I recently registered a new domain, www.themadrecruiter.com and have been diligently working on getting this site up and running, but I want to get it right. It's going to take some time because I am incorporating flash, streaming video, industry specific discussions and live chat, as well as the ability to post "video resumes!" I ask that you please be patient but at the same time know that I am still "recruiting" full time and have many great opportunities.
I understand that the markets are crashing, cash is tight, investors have lost over 3 TRILLION dollars in the last year! However, the fact of the matter is that companies are still hiring!! I have numerous positions for verification engineers, product engineers, applications engineers, test engineers, etc!! Problem is that none of these roles are for new college grads. I need people with 5+ years experience specifically in the semiconductor/photonics industry..
I will continue to do my best to keep you all up to date with recent job orders and the latest "inside" news that you may not get anywhere else. But let me assure you that when my new website is up and running, it will be the most comprehensive, cutting edge, innovative and "outside the box" website you have seen! It's going to take some time, so please bear with me..

If you would like notification when this new site is active, please e-mail me with your contact info at ross@hightechnh.com or leave me a comment with your e-mail below..

3 new positions with my client in southern NH

These are three freshly created positions with my client in southern, NH. Please contact me directly if you are interested in hearing more or seeing a full job description.

1: The firmware/software engineer will mainly do, on a day-to-day basis, SOFTWARE

- write code for microcontrollers and develop "RF tuning" algorithm

- write code to control RF test equipment (spectrum analyzer, vector analyzer)

- develop graphic interfaces

- needs to be very responsive

2: The electronics engineer will mainly do, on a day-to-day basis, HARDWARE

- develop boards with microcontrollers, DC/DC converters, ADC, from schematic to board layout and test in the lab

- develop test setups

- write firmware and software to control the microprocessors and other equipment

For both of these positions, familiarity with wireless market (maily GSM, CDMA, UMTS) is important

3: Product Engineer/Test Engineer
-Talk with contractors and suppliers
-Define the most cost effective solutions for test
- Coordinate with departments to make sure things are getting done on schedule
- Must have a good understanding of Silicon
(This is best described as a "Product Engineer" with Test experience.

Intersil Acquires Kenet!!

It is being reported that Intersil has acquired Kenet for an undisclosed amount. Full report:

MILPITAS, CA, September 30, 2008 – Intersil Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select: ISIL), a world leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance analog solutions, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Kenet, Incorporated, a privately-held, fabless semiconductor company with leading technology in the design and manufacture of high speed, extremely low power data converters.

Kenet’s innovative FemtoCharge® CMOS technology yields high performance and ultra-low power analog-to-digital converters in an extremely small die area. The size and power advantages of Kenet’s data converters enable increased functionality in a variety of industrial and communications products such as portable digital oscilloscopes and software defined radios.

“Intersil remains committed to key strategic acquisitions to broaden our product portfolio,” said Dave Bell, Intersil’s Chief Executive Officer. “Kenet has developed the world’s highest performance analog-to-digital converters with power consumption at a fraction of those currently on the market. This gives Intersil important technology leadership and access to many previously un-served markets.”

“We are very pleased to be a part of the Intersil family,” said Phill LoPresti, Kenet’s Chief Executive Officer. “Having access to Intersil’s global resources will accelerate our entrance into the data converter market and provides an innovative technology platform for many new products.”

The boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved the merger. The acquisition adds an additional two million dollars of operating expenses per quarter, and is expected to become accretive in 2010. Intersil may record a one-time charge to operating income for purchased in-process research and development expenses when the closing occurs. The amount of that charge, if any, has not yet been determined. Closing of the merger is expected to be completed within days. Signal Hill acted as advisors for Kenet on the transaction.

New positions opened with my client in San Jose

I was just contacted by the Sr. Director Engineering for one of my clients in the Bay area. His team is in need of several Verification Engineers including team leads.. I need someone with 10+ years experience who has experience in "verification infrastructure development." C, C++ based transactors or generator/checker development. I am interested in talking with any verification engineers that have this type of experience and are interested in hearing more! Please contact me directly at ross@hightechnh.com

Lots and Lots of hiring!!

Forget the news.... Turn off CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, etc..... This is not the next "great depression!!!" We will not be eating from the same chicken for two weeks! This is simply a bust for the financial services sector. (A great buying opportunity in my view!) But for other industries, they are thriving. Semiconductors, optics, precious metals, alternative energy, household products and others....
As a technical recruiter/headhunter for nearly 12 years now, I have seen the ups and downs. I saw the dot com bust of the late 90's. I've seen the rebound. Our economy works in cycles. I guarantee that I'll be here for the next boom, will you? Are you positioned to take advantage of the next great opportunity?

Below you will find a list of the client companies I am currently working with that are actively seeking qualified candidates. I have immediate access to the hiring Managers and Directors that give me rapid feedback on all candidate submissions. If you are interested in hearing more about any of these roles, please feel free to contact me directly.

AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) Boxborough, MA- 4 Verification Engineers and 3 Circuit Designers
International Rectifier, Rhode Island- IC Design Engineer-Power (Cadence tools)
Infinera, San Jose, CA- Verification Engineer with Packet Processing background
Linear Technologies, Chelmsford, MA- Analog IC Designers (5+) Switching regulators and Controllers
Triquint Semiconductor, MA- RF Designers with GaAs, MMIC design experience
Start-up in Woburn- Analog IC Design (ADC's, DAC's)

Ross Cooper 603-893-9486

I found a great blog and you should check it out!

I came across a great blog that is all about empowering the employee. It is one of the few interactive blogs that deals specifically with your job and career.
Alan L. Sklover has devoted his 25 years of professional life to counseling and representing employees worldwide on how to negotiate and navigate for job security and career success.

As a noted authority on workplace negotiations, Alan has appeared on many media outlets, including CNN, CNBC, National Public Radio, Bloomberg Business Radio, and Court TV. He is frequently quoted by such leading publications as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week Magazine, Money Magazine, and The New York Post.

Alan is also the author of a number of books and articles, including the most popular text on severance negotiating, “Fired, Downsized, or Laid Off – What Your Employer Does Not Want You to Know About How to Fight Back.” (H.Holt, Publ., 2000)

Alan Sklover and this Blogsite are supported daily by the efforts of Sheree Donath, Alan’s Law Firm Partner, and Phyllis Iturriaga (a.k.a. The Boss), his Executive Assistant.

Please take some time and visit his blog here.

Giving Notice- 6 Things To Do To Prepare To Leave

This article is reprinted with permission.

After days, weeks, months or longer of interviewing, you have received a job offer that meets your needs and have decided to give notice to your employer and resign your current job.

1. Get your job offer in writing. Having the offer in writing is both your legal protection against an employer should they make an attempt to deceive you with the terms of the offer AND your protection against you having made a mistake in hearing the offer. The letter should include both your new salary and position title within it. Some will provide a benefits summary; most large firms will not provide that until employee orientation during your initial phase of employment with their firm.

2. Meet with your boss for a few minutes and tell them personally and provide a written letter of resignation. “May I get a minute with you uttered on a Friday,” has started more discussions about resignation and sent many employers into unhappy weekends and managers into anxiety attacks about how to replace someone than almost any other question.

3. Give two weeks notice. Sometimes three weeks is the right thing to do, but remember, your new job is waiting for you and if you’ve told them you’ll be there in two weeks, do not adjust your start date to accommodate the job you’re leaving. After all, if you died tomorrow, they would still survive without you.

4. Your letter of resignation should be simple.

Dear ____________,

I have decided to resign my position with Mega Company effective today. My last day of employment will be _____________.

Thank you for the opportunity to have worked with you and to have learned from you. (OPTIONAL SENTENCE TO FOLLOW). Please respect me and my decision by not attempting to make a counter offer.

Sincerely,

Your name

5. If you are asked for reason you are leaving, do not be hypercritical and answer simply. “I believe that this opportunity will further my career goals,” is acceptable. If you want to go into details, do not discuss any slights that you received. Focus on objective things, rather than on your (emotional) reactions to decisions. You do not need to disclose the name of the firm you are going to work for although there is nothing wrong about doing so.

6. For most people, do not consider accepting a counteroffer. How did you “suddenly” become worth more money? Because your departure inconveniences your employer. As a result, they will have to delay plans or have work assigned to others less capable and will be adversely impacted. For most people, a counteroffer only addresses and corrects the financial failings of their job and does nothing to improve their job.

Resigning well will allow you to complete your final week(s) of employment well and head to your new job with confidence and certainty.

Permission to reprint given by:

Jeff Altman

Concepts in Staffing

© 2005 all rights reserved.

Financial Crisis and our "Mental Recession"

WOW! Dow down 500+ points yesterday. A number we haven't seen since 9/11/01. First came Bean Stearns, now Lehman Bros. and AIG. Let's not forget about the Fannie and Freddie bailout. I didn't realize it was the Governments job to bail out troubled companies (we'll save that rant for another day!)

So where does this leave us? Are start-ups still going to be able to get the cash infusions they need to expand and continue growing? Are the rules for borrowing that money going to change?

With all this bad news, it's been said that we are in a "mental recession." The economy is growing at 3.3% (source,) unemployment is at a low 5.7% (source,) companies are hiring educated, qualified candidates as fast today as ever before. Fact of the matter is that we are NOT in a recession. We are simply being inundated with bad news after bad news in the housing/financial markets. Nobody is talking about how the solar industry is booming (First Solar, Inc. is up over 100% in the last year.) Fertilizer companies are also booming, just look at Potash (POT) up 100% in the last year. This is just to name a few industries and I think if we look hard enough we are going to continue to see these types of gains in many other industries as well. Why do we keep beating a dead horse? The housing/financial markets are in complete turmoil and things are only going to get worse before they get better. I GET IT!! Why don't we start talking about those industries that are doing well? Why don't the media outlets focus on some of the positive news coming out of the economy?

AMD Employee charged with stealing from Intel

It is being reported today that a former AMD employee has been charged by the FBI for stealing top secret information relating to future chip designs from Intel Corp. Biswahoman Pani who left Intel on June 11, 2008 (but started work at AMD on June 2nd) admitted using his Intel laptop to access the files on the chipmaker’s network out of curiosity during an FBI interview late in July, after it raided his home and found 19 CAD designs and more than 100 other Intel documents. It should be noted that AMD has since terminated Mr. Pani and is cooperating fully with the FBI's investigation. FBI charges said AMD had no involvement in and had not condoned Pani’s actions.

So this begs several questions.
1: Why wasn't Pani's access to these sensitive documents removed when he gave notice?
2: He allegedly printed these documents. How can we be sure there aren't additional copies?
3: How can we be sure that none of these documents were passed along to someone else?

Lots and Lots of Hiring!

Below you will find a list of the client companies I am currently working with that are actively seeking qualified candidates. I have immediate access to the hiring Managers and Directors that give me rapid feedback on all candidate submissions. If you are interested in hearing more about any of these roles, please feel free to contact me directly.

AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) Boxborough, MA- 4 Verification Engineers and 3 Circuit Designers
International Rectifier, Rhode Island- IC Design Engineer-Power (Cadence tools)
Infinera, San Jose, CA- Verification Engineer with Packet Processing background
Linear Technologies, Chelmsford, MA- Analog IC Designers (5+) Switching regulators and Controllers
Triquint Semiconductor, MA- RF Designers with GaAs, MMIC design experience
Start-up in Woburn- Analog IC Design (ADC's, DAC's)

Ross Cooper 603-893-9486

Major Hiring push in Boston area!

Boston area microprocessor company hiring!

I have been contacted by a major player in the microprocessor space that is seeking 4 verification engineers in the Boston area. I am also looking for board level designers that have experience doing boards with microcontrollers in Nashua, NH.

Despite the leaks of bad news coming from the semiconductor industry, we are clearly still in a candidate driven market. We are position rich and talent poor. Companies Nationwide are actively seeking qualified candidates to fill circuit and board level design positions, test and verification. There is just not enough qualified talent to go around!! Please feel free to contact me directly if you would like to hear about any positions specific toy our skill set. Ross Cooper 603-893-9486

New Group forming with HOT Woburn, MA Startup

I am in need of several key designers for a new group at my pre-IPO start-up client in Woburn, MA.

1- Lead Analog IC Designer. You will lead a small team of 2-5 designers and be capable of tackling ADC designs and help with upgrades. You will also be proficient in the lab and have good debugging skills

2- RF Designer. Experience with low noise broadband amplifiers, filters, possibly some MMIC design and exposure to small technology nodes.

3- Systems Designer. This is for high level communications systems. Must be proficient in System architecture. Ideal background would consist of cable tv, ie: Set top boxes.

4- Verification Engineer. Will be responsible for behavioral models, analyze architecture, block specs, drive test benches. Currently using Cadence tools. Any exposure to 65nm is very helpful!

To be considered for any of these roles, please send your resume directly to me at ross@hightechnh.com

My first Keeper Striper

2 new positions with a very exciting start-up in MA

I am working with a very exciting start up company in MA that is a leader in providing optical thermal imaging camera engines. This is a great opportunity to get involved with a cutting edge technology with superior design and management teams!!

I am currently looking for an Applications Engineer with 5 or more years experience in the "thermal imaging industry." Please submit your resume to me here.

I am also looking for a seasoned, experienced systems/PCB/FPGA design engineer. My client has a CMOS sensor that outputs to LVDS. You will take the LVDS and put it in the front end of an Altera FPGA. Must have experience with PCB design, FPGA design and DSP.. Again, please submit your resume directly to me here.

New Verification role in Sunnyvale, CA

I am looking for a functional verification candidate for a client of mine in Sunnyvale, CA that has experience with VCS, C, C++ specifically for networking stuff (SONET.) This candidate will develop protocol generators and/or checkers and insert them into Verilog. They will be responsible for developing the whole checkers infrastructure..
This is a very exciting public company that is going through a major hiring push in both design and verification... Please contact me directly to hear more.. ross@hightechnh.com

Getting the most out of your resume

First, keep it short and to the point! A good resume should be no more than 2 pages at the most. It is important to point out not only what you did, but how well you did it. In other words, instead of writing "designed 13nm circuit" you could put something along the lines of "design a 13nm circuit with first pass success." By just adding these couple of words you can greatly increase your chances of landing that next position! Next, USE SPELLCHECK!! What does it take, 30 seconds to check a document?? Not only do typos and misspellings make you look foolish, but it makes the job of your recruiter that much harder. When we have to spend a half hour fixing your resume so that it is acceptable to send to hiring managers, it takes time away from the other things we could be doing on your behalf. If you need professional help writing a very good resume, please Click Here!

Closing the interview

Closing the Interview

If you are interested in the position, ASK FOR IT! You must make a definitive, qualified statement that:

1. I can do the job.
2. Here is why I know I can do the job.
3. I want the job.

Avoid making general statements that do not commit your feelings such as:

1. It looks very interesting.
2. Very nice people.
3. I think I can do it.
4. I might be able to solve your problems.

Keep in mind that your statement must be positive and definitive.

If, after the interview, your decision has not been made and you wish some time to think it over, be courteous and tactful in asking for that time. However, make sure you set a definite date when you can provide that answer. In many cases, the employer may want to communicate with other members of his team before making a decision. Do not be discouraged if a direct offer is not made or a specific salary discussed.

Even in that situation, try to set a specific date when these matters can be discussed further. When the interview is coming to a close, keep in mind that there are two questions uppermost in the employer's mind:

1. Why are you interested in this company?
2. What can you offer that company?

   Confirm with the interviewer that you have answered both of these questions to his satisfaction, and thank him for the interview, his time, and his consideration.

Analog Devices! looking for your comments!

Quite frankly, this is a laughable matter... 12 years ago when I started my recruiting career, I couldn't get an ADI employee to talk with me.. I would call and they would quite literally say, "not interested" and hang up on me. Those same people today are CALLING ME!!! Unhappy, underpaid, management sucks, work is monotonous, bored, etc, etc.... What happened???? Under this post there is a "comment" space... Please leave me your comments if you have any insight here.. I value your feedback and look forward to what YOU have to say!

Rumors and Things I think I think

What is going to happen with the Sigmatel merger with Freescale?? From what I hear, the "chip design" segments are going to stay in tact. That is, all Engineers working in the "chip design" areas are safe...... For now! However, my question is this, how is the "big company" mentality going to affect those that are used to being at a smaller, less "policy and procedure" driven environment?? We'll just have to see how it plays out. Stay tuned, because there will surely be more news to come.....

A little birdie told me......

Skyworks Solutions is looking for "amplifier designers" and "discrete multi chip module designers."
NEC is seeking an analog/mixed signal designer for "Power Management IC's."
Broadcom in Andover, MA is looking for a "hands-on" ASIC Design Manager
Sigmatel is seeking a software architect for digital picture frames
Sensata is looking for an Electrical Engineer for arc detection products
Teradyne is looking for a Test development engineer

If you are interested in hearing more about any of these positions and want to be presented directly to the hiring manager, please submit your resume to me here.

Is your resume getting the attention it deserves? If you want help creating a powerful resume that WILL get results Click Here!

Double Digit growth for IC's in 2008??

Tokyo -- Gazing into their crystal balls, executives from major Japanese chip companies see a similar pattern developing in the IC industry: a flat market in 2007, followed by a double-digit upturn in 2008. Executives from NEC Electronics Corp., Renesas Technology Corp. and Toshiba Corp. separately pegged growth at 5 percent or less for the worldwide semiconductor market in 2007.

NEC Electronics and Toshiba also projected that the worldwide IC market could grow by 10 percent or more in 2008, but Renesas indicated that it foresees the market remaining cloudy next year.

The DRAM market continues to be in a major slump. NAND and NOR flash prices are soft, while ASICs, FPGAs, microcontrollers and microprocessors are a mixed bag.

Citing other positive factors, Yamaguchi said that the automotive and wireless markets are growing and that the game-console chip business is booming at NEC Electronics and other manufacturers. The chip maker supplies a custom device for Nintendo Ltd.'s popular Wii game console.

What better time than now to have a recruiter keep you up to date on the latest positions available?? If you would like to submit a confidential resume, please click here.

Interview questions to expect as well as ask!

Interview Questions to Expect

1. Why do you want to change jobs or why did you leave your last job?
2. What do you identify as your most significant accomplishment in your last job?
3. How many hours do you normally work per week.
4. What did you like and dislike about your last job?
5. How did you get along with your superiors and subordinates?
6. Can you be demanding of your subordinates?
7. How would you evaluate the company you were with last?
8. What were its competitive strengths and weaknesses?
9. What would you like to tell me about yourself?
10. What best qualifies you for the available position?
11. How long will it take you to start making a significant contribution?
12. How do you feel about our company - its size, industry, and competitive position?
13. What interests you most about the available position?
14. How would you structure this job or organize your department?
15. What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
16. What is your job potential?
17. What are your career goals?
18. Do you want to own your own business?
19. How long will you stay with us? Are you willing to relocate?
20. What control or financial data would you want and why? How would you establish your primary inside and outside lines of communication?
21. Were you a good student?
22. Have you kept up in your field? How?
23. What do you do in your spare time?
24. At what age do you want to retire?
25. What did your father do? Your Mother?
26. What do your brothers and sisters do?
27. Do you participate in civic affairs?
28. What professional associations do you belong to?
29. What is your credit standing?
30. What are your personal likes and dislikes? How many children do you have?
31. Would you describe your family as a close one?
32. How aggressive are you?
33. What motivates you to work?
34. Is money a strong incentive for you?
35. Would you rather work alone or in a team?
36. What do you look for when hiring people?
37. Have you ever fired anyone?
38. What do you think of the current economic and political situation?
39. Will you sign a non-compete agreement or employment contract?
40. What salary do you expect to receive?
41. What was your salary in your last job?
42. Why should we hire you?
43. Do you want the job?

Interview Questions to Ask

1. What is the first problem that needs the attention of the person you hire?
2. What other problems need attention now?
3. What has been done about any of these to date?
4. How has this job been performed in the past?
5. Why is it now vacant?
6. Do you have a written job description for this position?
7. What are its major responsibilities?
8. What authority would I have? How would you define its scope?
9. What are the company's five-year sales and profit projections?
10. What needs to be done to reach these projections?
11. What are the company's major strengths and weaknesses in the manufacturing process?
12. What are its strengths and weaknesses in its products and its competitive positions?
13. Whom do you identify as your major competitors? What is your market share?
14. What are their strengths and weaknesses?
15. How do you view the future for your industry?
16. Do you have any plans for new products, services or acquisitions?
17. Might this company be sold or acquired?
18. What is the company's current financial strength?
19. What can you tell me about the individual to whom I would report?
20. What can you tell me about other persons in key positions?
21. What can you tell me about the subordinates I would have?
22. How would you define your management philosophy?
23. Are employees afforded an opportunity for continuing education?
24. What are you looking for in the person who will fill this job?
25. Where could this position lead?
26. Is there a training and indoctrination program? Please describe.

For professional help is writing a resume that is guaranteed to produce results, please Click Here!

New verification position at a Boston area Startup

We are seeking an experienced hardware-oriented (i.e. Verilog, System Verilog) ASIC verification engineer to collaboratively work with our design team and help execute our verification plans.

Key Competencies:

• Languages: Verilog, System Verilog, Perl or C

• Extensive experience writing and debugging self-checking testbenches for extremely large (>5M+ gates) chip designs

• Chip-level verification experience

• Experience with Assertions and Code Coverage

• Experience with signal-processing chips, and/or SoC, (wireless or video experience a plus)

If you are interested in applying for this position, please submit your resume here.

The "in person interview." A continuation of the "phone interview."

The Interview

You have two main goals in the interview situation:

1. Demonstrate to the employer that you can make a positive contribution to their organization (taking into consideration their investments in your salary and your training time),
2. Demonstrate to the employer that you will be a compatible member of their team. Bear in mind that both you and the employer are selling and evaluating each other.

Listed below are general guidelines for interview conduct:

1. Plan to arrive a few minutes early - late arrival for a job interview is never excusable.
2. If presented with an application, fill it out neatly and completely even if you have brought your personal resume. Unwillingness to fill out the application, or writing in of "see resume" may disqualify you from some positions immediately.
3. Shake hands firmly and greet the interviewer with his or her surname - if not sure of the pronunciation, please ask the interviewer to repeat their name.
4. It is your responsibility to establish an immediate level of rapport so that you may communicate comfortably.
5. Direct the interviewer to detail the duties of the position early in the interview so that you can relate your background and skills to their needs.
6. Make sure that your positive traits are communicated to the interviewer in a factual and sincere manner.
7. Emphasize your strong points and minimize your liabilities.
8. Respond to each question in a thoughtful, truthful, concise and complete manner.
9. Be aware of your posture and body language - they communicate attitudes and impressions.
10. Never close the door on opportunity - always conduct yourself as if you were determined to get the position you are discussing.
11. Manage the interview, do not take charge but establish equal status; not subordinate, not dominant.
12. Keep a list of all the people you talk with, their titles and the correct spelling of their names. You will need these to write thank you letters after the interview.

Coming up next I will cover "Interview questions to expect." Stay Tuned!

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The most exciting start up I have ever come across!!

I am working with a start up company in MA that is quite literally the most exciting company I have ever had the pleasure of being engaged with... This company is truly going to revolutionize the industries of imaging (near term) and solar power (longer term.) They are a photonics materials company that is working on a technology that is a "brand new fundamental technology platform." Most start ups out there have a "tweak" of a current technology that promises to be "faster" or have a better "performance/power ratio." They are all competing in a fierce and fast moving industry. THIS company holds all of the patents for all of the uses of it's proprietary technology. They promise to be as revolutionary as Microsoft was in comparison to DOS. (For those of you who remember what DOS was!) In the next 10 months, I will have 20+ positions to fill but for right now, I am in need of very good people with experience in the areas of device physics and materials science.. Here is a quick description of the device physicist I am looking for:

Qualifications:
To perform this job successfully, the ideal candidate will have experience developing photonic semiconductor devices for commercial products and government programs. A working knowledge of advanced analytical techniques to model and predict electro-optic performance is required. Hands on design and test of imaging devices and design tools with good communication skills to present results and to transfer technology to internal and external teams is essential. Practical experience with materials science, heterojunctions, compound semiconductors, QWIPS, CCDs and CMOS imagers preferred.

Education or Experience: MSEE or MS Physics required (Ph.D. preferred) with over 6 years commercial design experience. Experience with electro-optic modeling tools (Silvaco, Supreme, Pisces) and device design tools required. Use of mathematical and statistical analysis tools preferred.

If this position is of interest to you, please submit your resume here.

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New grads and those who need help writing that PERFECT resume!!

Did you know that the typical hiring manager looks at your resume for less than 30 seconds before deciding if they want to take the first step and initiate a dialogue? That's right! 30 SECONDS!!! With so many qualified candidates pursuing the same position, it is more critical than ever to be sure that YOUR resume catches the eyes of the hiring manager!! First and foremost- ditch the cover letter! Secondly, keep your resume to 2 pages at the very most! Hiring managers are not looking for a life story, they are looking for specific keywords that are applicable to the job that you are pursuing. There is a service that I would highly recommend to new college grads and those who need professional help in designing a resume that WILL get attention. If you are interested in taking the first step to securing that dream job Click Here!

I found this great PC system cleaner! You can scan your system for free!!

Has your system been running slow lately?? Have you checked to see if you have spyware that you're not aware of? I found this great tool that will scan your system to check for errors absolutely free... Take a look for yourself.
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New position: Sr. Materials and Optics Engineer in MA.

Job Title: Sr. Engineer Materials and Optics
Department: Photonics
Reports To: R&D Director

Definition:
Work within a small research team to investigate and characterize properties of novel semiconductor optical materials. You will be designing, implementing, and analyzing experiments aimed at understanding fundamental material and optical device properties with a focus on photodetection.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Develop optical and electronic apparatus for test and analysis of device performance and characterization. Hands-on use of a wide range of laboratory equipment including; high-power lasers, vacuum equipment, and semiconductor processing equipment. Must have the ability to use critical analysis techniques to identify important experimental trends and set direction for further investigation. Utilize knowledge of solid-state device physics to help guide the group’s research and product directions. Communicate design and process improvements to production group.

Qualifications:
To perform this job successfully you must have extensive knowledge in optical engineering and optical or photonic materials. Working knowledge of material science and semiconductor processing techniques. Must be comfortable working hands-on with a wide range of optical, electronic, and semiconductor processing equipment. Requires high degree of independent problem solving, strong communication, presentation and teamwork skills. Proficiency with optical design and semiconductor modeling software, such as Silvaco, is desired. Limited travel to vendors and customers required.

Education or Experience:
Advanced degree in EE, Physics, or Material Science required with over 3 years industry experience. Demonstrated experience working with emerging technologies is a must. Direct experience with photometric measurement systems and short-pulsed lasers (nanosecond to femtosecond) is preferred. Familiarity with analytic software such as Mathematica or Matlab is a plus.

To submit your resume, please click here

The Telephone Interview

So many people just don't understand the purpose of the "Initial Telephone Interview!" Allow me to help you!!

More often than not - the first contact you will have with a potential employer will be a telephone interview. Employers use the telephone interview for several reasons:

1. It saves time. An employer can spend one half hour to an hour on the phone instead of 2 hours for an in person interview.
2. The employer wants to be sure you have the skills to do a certain job before paying for transportation and lodging to have you visit his/her workplace.

You Have Three Main Objectives for this Call

1. Give the employer enough information about your background so that he/she knows you can do the job.
2. Get enough information about the company so that you can decide whether or not you are interested in the job.
3. Finally - assuming you have an interest in this position, get a face to face interview - no one was ever hired solely as the result of a telephone interview! You must ASK to come in and meet with the team.

Before the Call

1. Gather supporting material and have it ready by the phone
   1) Your resume.
   2) Any performance reviews you may have.
   3) list of questions you would like to have answered.
   4) MOST IMPORTANT - a list of the "keys to the job" (see below) and your linkage to those keys - you should get this from your consultant.
2. Know your strengths and weaknesses: How will you answer the question - What are your three strong points (why should I hire you?) and what are your three weaknesses (why shouldn't I hire you?). Rehearse your answers with your recruiter.
3. Salary - Have your salary and expected salary review/raise date available.
4. Have your schedule for the next few weeks in front of you. If the interviewer wants to schedule a face to face interview you will need to know when you are available.
5. Choose a time/place away from kids - doorbells - barking dogs or the UPS man.

Keys to the Position

These keys will be the things that the employer needs the most. For examples, a recent position filled by High Tech Opportunities called for a candidate to:

1. Provide Technical Support for the entire ASIC Design Cycle - Pre-sales to Sign off.
2. Recommend technology, implementation, test strategy and verification approach to customers.
3. Perform engineering work (ASIC Design) as a service to customers.

During the Call

1. Call the interviewer by his/her first name - it establishes a mutual level of respect.
2. Be up for the call - whenever possible stand up! You will be less nervous and sound more excited about the position.
3. Keep the phone from direct contact with your mouth.
4. Have your notes ready - but no script - maybe with one exception to be covered later.
5. You, the candidate, should be talking 80% of the time.
6. After the introduction and small talk pull out the "keys to the job" and address each one of them.
   
   You would begin....
   
   "John/Mary I understand you are looking for someone to provide technical support to customers doing ASIC design! Let me tell you what I've done in that area!"
   
   After you have addressed each key - cross it out and go on to the next one.
   
   "I also understand you are looking for someone to recommend technology implementation and test strategy to customers! For XYZ Company I.........."
   
   After you have covered all the keys - it's your turn to ask the questions.
   
   One question that should always be asked is "John/Mary what is your career background - how did you get to be a manager at XYZ Company?
   
   Another good question is "What needs to be done to make an immediate impact at your company?"

Do Not Ask About:

1. Salary
2. Benefits
3. Working hours - on this call!

   This is not the time. Hopefully your recruiter will have answered those questions already. If asked what salary it would take to get you to come to work for their company - Do not give a figure - it is too early and you do not have enough information yet. Simply answer "it is really too early in the process to determine that" and ask another question. If asked about your current salary, answer honestly. Be sure to mention if any significant factors are in play such as a stock option vesting period, salary bonus or salary review. Those things are better discussed early rather than having them come up as a surprise later on.

Closing the Conversation

After you have given the employer enough information so that they know you have the qualifications for the position, and after you have enough information about the company so that you feel you have some interest in the position move toward the following script.

"Mary/John, I understand you're busy and there is only so much we can measure on the phone. I hope I've given you enough information to realize that I have the qualifications for this position. Based on what you've shared with me, I think we should meet - what would be a convenient time?"

Then stop talking!

If there is a problem it will come out here. If an interview is scheduled, Congratulations! You can move on to the next chapter, Preparation for the Face to Face Interview! If the employer declines to set an interview date - ask them where they feel you were lacking. Maybe it was simply a misunderstanding or failure to give them the right information. After clearing this up - ask for the interview again!

Tomorrow, we will take a closer look at the "face-to-face interview."

To view all of my current positions, please click here.

This is a test

Well, here we go! The first blog in the life of Ross Cooper A.K.A. "The Mad Recruiter." I am going to keep this short and sweet tonight as I would rather take the time to figure out the "settings" and "layout" and all the other intricacies that come with this blogging thing! However, in the very near future, you will find the most up to date and late breaking "inside news" on start up companies, open positions, layoffs, IPO's, and everything else semiconductor "AS IT HAPPENS!!"

If you are a semiconductor professional, this is quite frankly, the blog that cannot be missed!!!

At present, I have some VERY exciting positions with leading companies that are seeking top notch talent.. Please check out my latest listings here: http://hightechnh.com/candidates-job-listings.htm