Interning as a radio frequency designer amplifies career options for engineering student

How does a graduate student at the University of Calgary take their research training and apply it to the job market? Through experiential learning, of course.

The Faculty of Graduate Studies’ new Transformative Talent Internship provides opportunities for graduate students to experience a potential career track. These internships build on the transferable skills developed during a graduate degree.

Tushar Sharma is a PhD candidate in the Schulich School of Engineering. With the encouragement of his graduate supervisor, Fadhel Ghannouchi, he is doing an internship and shared his experience with UToday.

Q: Tell us a bit about your Transformative Talent Internship.

A: I am interning as a research and development radio frequency designer at NXP Semiconductors in Chandler, Arizona.  My Advanced Design Team here is known for high-efficiency radio frequency power amplifier (PA) solutions for cellular infrastructure. We are using a combination of theoretical mathematics, simulations, and laboratory instruments to characterize high-efficiency Pas with multiband and broadband capability.

Q: How did you find this internship?

A: In 2015, I attended the International Microwave Symposium and went to a workshop hosted by Freescale Semiconductors (now NXP). Then when I visited their exhibition booth, I met two senior people who guided me in the process. Meeting them there provided me the first insight about NXP and their opportunities for internships.

Q: What skills did you bring from your graduate program to this internship and what skills are you building while you’re there?

A: When I look back on the past two years of hard work, it has been a beautiful journey where I got a chance to enhance my technical skill set, subject knowledge, and leadership skills. My studies equipped me with the appropriate skill set to analyze, build logical understanding, and come up with solutions to existing problems.

This industry internship opened my vision and thought process to a next level. I’ve taken the fundamental research concepts and learned a lot more about teamwork and collaboration. I’ve widened my scope to understand the problems that industry is trying to solve. It’s given me exposure to all the areas around my research. I’ve gained more hands-on experience. I’ve also become familiar with the simulation software tools used in industry, and calibration techniques and measurement tools that we don’t have access to at the university.

Q: How has your internship experience affected your career aspirations?

A: Before coming for my internship, my interest of choosing a career path swung between academics and industry. I really like teaching. But I’m now more oriented toward industry. They are doing cool stuff. It’s a dynamic research environment when you’re working for customers. It’s demand driven. There are new challenges every day. 

For more information on the Transformative Talent Internship and eligibility to participate, visit the website.