May 7, 2008 Howto get a embedded system job and what i want to do for that.

Posted in Embedded System, General tagged Embedded System, job search at 10:20 a m by asprakash I think recently I am getting more queries related this topic. I would like to share my suggestions with all the freshers in embedded system. W e have already discussed about it. But still the freshers are not getting any cl ear idea about, howto get a job in embedded system. Hope this thread will helpfu l for them to understand first, what the industries are expecting from them. I r equest you to post all your comments here, if you have any. Please also note tha t, the given points are only my personal suggestion; There is no intention to fo rce you to take any decision based on my inputs. Dont do/think =========== * Entry for freshers in embedded system is really easy * I will get a job immediately, coz I have an embedded system certification from the great -ABC- institution. * I have fully fitted for embedded system field. Coz I have completed all the mo dules including, C,C++,Unix, Device drivers, Micro controllers and RTOS. Oh .I am great. What do you want more . * If I cant get any job in this field, then I can just put an 1+ yr fake experie nce and apply for job. The recruiter will accept my CV. Then I will get a job ea sily. Oh I am really so brilliant . * If I add one or two projects [especially some rtos projects like vxworks ]in m y resume then i can easily get an job. * I have 80% marks in all the certificates. The interviewer will accept me for t his embedded system field. * I have done a embedded system project in a big MNC embedded systems company. S o i am eligible for getting a job. Then What I want to do/Think? ======================== * Whatever it may be, You should learn from in-depth. For hardware engineers, le arn from flipflop, micro processor .etc. For software engineers, learn from compil ers, linkers, OS concepts .etc. * Do some real time projects from what you have learnt. For example, you have 6 modules in a course, try to do minimum one project for each module by your own a nd the project should be related with industries use or from latest technologies . * Try to utilize your lab facilities. Especially your lab hardwares. Hack it, wh atever you want. Or how much you are ready to spend for fun. Try to buy one chea p embedded development board. You can surely learn a lot from it. * Learn the Linux OS for embedded system. Coz it has good future in embedded sys tem and in India. Moreover, Linux is exactly suitable for embedded system field rather than the M$ windows. Another reason is, you can hack the linux from top to bottom. Bcoz its open source and no need to depending on any proprietary soft wares. So that you can learn more and get more real time experience. * Plan to buy a hardware board like ARM 7/9/11/Cortex (if you are planing to lea rn OS level embedded systems) or Microcontroller boards like Arduino. You can ge t the hardware from Rs.2000/- to Rs.10,000 based on the configuration. Using thi s boards, you can feel the real time experience for porting, cross compilation, linux, emb linux, rtlinux and other rtos. If you got will these experience, you can surely cross the technical interview. * You should sharp your language skills like C,C++,Java .etc. Language is very imp ortant for s/w embedded system engineers. * Try to contribute to some international forums, mailing lists and magazines li ke www.linuxdevices.com, www.embedded.com. So that you can update your knowledge

in this field and really understand whats happening in the current embedded fie ld on industries side. * Try to contribute some embedded system open source projects already available in internet. Go through the site, www.sourceforge.net and search for embedded sy stem project. you will get thousands of project related embedded system. Definit ely, you will get nice experience on this field. Beagleboard, Pandaboard, Arduin o,.etc are some of the widely used embedded open source boards. What are the available chances for getting a job in this field =========================================== (1) Select an embedded system company in your college placements. Avoid the s/w companies like CTS, Infosys etc, if you have a confident to get a job in embedded field/company. (2) If you dont have the placements, send your resumes for selected embedded sys tem companies, even you are an fresher. Insist your full of interest in embedded system along with an covering letter. DO NOT SEND YOUR CV AS AN JUNG/SPAM OR CC T O ALL THE COMPANIES. ITS AN BAD ATTITUDE. (3) After 6 months you got finished your degree, you may join with some embedded system course. During this 6 months, you can try for freshers job. You may get some placements through your training institute. But this is not guarantee. Its depends the institution and your capability. Howevr, the course is not necessary for embedded system, if you have capable to learn by your own with full of self confident. My personal opinion is, I wont suggest you to do a course. Coz, in I ndia most of the institutions are not teaching good in embedded systems. They ar e only targeting on you money. Or cross check the institutions capability and th eir facilities before you are going to join with them. (4) If you have done some good projects followed by the what to do steps, you have more chance to get a job in this field. (5) If your intention is only for getting a job in this field, then dont look bi g MNC companies & big salary. You have lots of small embedded companies are ther e. For entry level, small companies are best to learn a lot in this field rather than the big companes. so your first preference should be small/startup compani es. (6) Suppose you cant get a job in this field after one year, now you can put 1+ yr fake experience with reasonable projects. I did not suggest this idea in prev ious topic. But here I am suggesting you; Bcoz some time it will work. But its n ot guarantee and more risky. At the same time, you should have all capability to manage the technical stuffs equivalent to 1+ yr experience person. Interviewer can easily identify you; But he/she may prefer you, due to some reasons. First o ne is, you have the capability to manage the technical stuff without exp. Second , they are forced to recruit a person for emergency and ready to give an chance for you. Better, go to www.sourecforge.net or http://code.google.com/; search an embedded systems project which is suitable for you; If possible participate in that project, voluntarily. Or atleast download the source code; learn everything first and then put this project in your CV. (7) Last but not least, keep on trying ,even you failed in many interviews. I wish you all the best for your best career in Embedded Systems .