After noticing that Intel made Glassdoor.com’s Top 50 Best Places to Work list, I wanted to dig a little deeper to find out how our home-grown leaders fare against this, and as it turns out the result is as top-notch as their technologies!
Both ARM and Imagination Technologies, two of the UK’s biggest success stories, scored a fantastic 3.7 and 3.6 respectively, showing they can give Intel’s impressive 4.0 a run for its money in the coming years.
An ARM employee said “It is great to work for a very successful company at the forefront of the tech and communications industry.” (They are) “Increasingly involved in new markets - servers, internet of things etc - which brings lots of opportunities for personal growth and development. The company strongly promotes a healthy work culture whether work/life balance, work environment, general health and well-being and respect for your peers.”
A view that is fully supported by ARM’s exceptionally well run promotion program, and the fact that many of their engineers spend their entire careers there very happily. Imagination, the relative ‘youngster’ of the two, embraces its recent success by remaining true to their young, friendly atmosphere, allowing their engineers to flourish as they choose, with the full backing of the company;
“Friendly people, exciting company philosophy, it is really interesting to work there. The company is leader on the GPU for mobiles market, and so the projects are amazing. Not too much pressure from the hierarchy, we can feel really involved in the company achievements.”
(Engineers at Imagination) “Develop leading technology across multiple fields so there are numerous interesting projects to be part of / learn about. Growing very rapidly so opportunities for career development as teams have to scale. Very exciting times as the company becomes more well-known and talked about. Invests heavily in its employees so it’s not a company people want to leave.”
Well done Britain, we do love working here!
Thursday 11 July 2013
Thursday 4 July 2013
Advice on recruiting - from recruiters
If it is new to you then the ‘snapping wolves’ of highly motivated recruitment consultants trying to find their next placement can be a daunting world to enter. Regular calls, emails and these days texts regarding everything from relevant or irrelevant job specs, CV tips, general enquiries or even interview requests ‘out of the blue’ can give you the feeling that you are not the one deciding your destiny. It is pretty easy to become swamped, the process to fall out of control and leave you feeling you are driftwood caught in the tidal ebb and flow of job hunting.
As an industry we have to recognise that whilst everyone is actively providing advice on CV writing, interview techniques, offer negotiation and acceptance, resignation submission – in fact every step of the process once you have engaged - advice on how best to manage your own application process is harder to come by. So how do you get the ‘wolves’ working as a pack of sled dogs driving you towards a goal that you have decided upon?
Here are some basic tips for you to initiate and hopefully help to avoid the pitfalls:
1) Diarise: This is an invaluable step to visualising, tracking and understanding your process and progress. It does not take much of your time to maintain a spreadsheet of the date, client name, position, consultant and agency responsible as well as how that opportunity is progressing for you. You need to know where you are!
2) Control: At all costs you want to avoid your personal details (CV) being submitted to clients without your permission. The idea that having your CV spread as far and wide as possible will bring you more opportunities is simply wrong and from a client’s perspective receiving the same CV from multiple channels for multiple different roles within their organisation can cast doubts over even the most apparently suitable of CVs. Better the approach of the sniper’s rifle targeting the perfect role than a machine gun approach hoping to find a target! Make it very clear that none of your selected agencies are to submit your details to any client / vacancy without first gaining your permission for that specific opportunity. It is your process and your responsibility to select the roles and clients that you feel are appropriate.
3) Tricks: a couple of scenarios to look out for:
“Our client wishes to remain anonymous at this stage” – this can be a hard one to manage, you have to rely on your own judgement and the strength of your relationship / level of trust you have with the recruiter concerned. Just bear in mind that you could be giving that agent carte-blanche to send your details to any (or every) company they know.
“Congratulations, we have secured you an interview with…” – but it’s with a client or opportunity that you have not previously discussed. Don’t be dazzled by the fact there’s an interview on offer – has this consultant / agency followed your instructions, should they benefit from working in such a manner? Why not decline the offer of an interview through that company and contact a consultant you do trust, explain the situation and request their assistance? They will gladly help, contact the client to explain and will manage the process for you with your best interests in mind. You are rewarding the person you trust and you will have the confidence that they are treating you as an individual, and not just a CV!
So the key message is that it is your career, your future so it is your responsibility to manage the process. By taking control, tracking the process, selecting specialist agencies and managing how they work, you will ensure that your chosen direction is the one that is followed.
As an industry we have to recognise that whilst everyone is actively providing advice on CV writing, interview techniques, offer negotiation and acceptance, resignation submission – in fact every step of the process once you have engaged - advice on how best to manage your own application process is harder to come by. So how do you get the ‘wolves’ working as a pack of sled dogs driving you towards a goal that you have decided upon?
Here are some basic tips for you to initiate and hopefully help to avoid the pitfalls:
1) Diarise: This is an invaluable step to visualising, tracking and understanding your process and progress. It does not take much of your time to maintain a spreadsheet of the date, client name, position, consultant and agency responsible as well as how that opportunity is progressing for you. You need to know where you are!
2) Control: At all costs you want to avoid your personal details (CV) being submitted to clients without your permission. The idea that having your CV spread as far and wide as possible will bring you more opportunities is simply wrong and from a client’s perspective receiving the same CV from multiple channels for multiple different roles within their organisation can cast doubts over even the most apparently suitable of CVs. Better the approach of the sniper’s rifle targeting the perfect role than a machine gun approach hoping to find a target! Make it very clear that none of your selected agencies are to submit your details to any client / vacancy without first gaining your permission for that specific opportunity. It is your process and your responsibility to select the roles and clients that you feel are appropriate.
3) Tricks: a couple of scenarios to look out for:
“Our client wishes to remain anonymous at this stage” – this can be a hard one to manage, you have to rely on your own judgement and the strength of your relationship / level of trust you have with the recruiter concerned. Just bear in mind that you could be giving that agent carte-blanche to send your details to any (or every) company they know.
“Congratulations, we have secured you an interview with…” – but it’s with a client or opportunity that you have not previously discussed. Don’t be dazzled by the fact there’s an interview on offer – has this consultant / agency followed your instructions, should they benefit from working in such a manner? Why not decline the offer of an interview through that company and contact a consultant you do trust, explain the situation and request their assistance? They will gladly help, contact the client to explain and will manage the process for you with your best interests in mind. You are rewarding the person you trust and you will have the confidence that they are treating you as an individual, and not just a CV!
So the key message is that it is your career, your future so it is your responsibility to manage the process. By taking control, tracking the process, selecting specialist agencies and managing how they work, you will ensure that your chosen direction is the one that is followed.
Monday 10 June 2013
GSA Executive Forum
Last week, IC Resources exhibited at the GSA Executive Forum in Munich. The format this year emphasised panel discussions and a “fireside chat” between Joep van Buerden, the CEO of CSR and Rick Clemmer, the CEO of NXP. Therefore there was plenty of good debate and discussion. The presentation by Henri Seydoux, the founder and CEO of Parrot, was particularly well received and entertaining. Nothing like a UFO-esque tablet-controlled helicopter to intrigue a group of tech execs!
The mood seemed the most buoyant for the last 2-3 years, with the majority of equipment suppliers and service companies feeling optimistic about the 2nd half of 2013.
Oh and Paul Malisse of IMEC won a bottle of very fine (we hope) single malt whiskey in our prize draw…next one at Cambridge Wireless’ International event at the end of the month….
IC Resources is a trusted business partner to a wide range of semiconductor companies around the world, ranging from international blue chips (Intel, Broadcom, TI, Qualcomm, Infineon, ARM, TSMC, etc) to pure start ups.
GSA's mission is to accelerate the growth and increase the return on invested capital of the global semiconductor industry by fostering a more effective ecosystem through collaboration, integration and innovation.
The mood seemed the most buoyant for the last 2-3 years, with the majority of equipment suppliers and service companies feeling optimistic about the 2nd half of 2013.
Oh and Paul Malisse of IMEC won a bottle of very fine (we hope) single malt whiskey in our prize draw…next one at Cambridge Wireless’ International event at the end of the month….
IC Resources is a trusted business partner to a wide range of semiconductor companies around the world, ranging from international blue chips (Intel, Broadcom, TI, Qualcomm, Infineon, ARM, TSMC, etc) to pure start ups.
GSA's mission is to accelerate the growth and increase the return on invested capital of the global semiconductor industry by fostering a more effective ecosystem through collaboration, integration and innovation.
Tuesday 7 May 2013
Reaching the Gods of Semiconductor Equipment
Looking at the Semiconductor Equipment Sales over the last 5 years is akin to plotting a roller coaster ride. We’ve gone from the highest of highs and been hurtled towards the floor at maximum velocity! But we climbed out of the depths and now find ourselves looking back down with relief on where we were, but still striving to get to the elevated heights we’ve reached in the past.
This is, in the main, a harmonious and co-operative industry (which is why we enjoy being part of it so much!) We assisted one another out of the 2008/2009 chasm, where unfortunately some stayed, but as an industry we overcame the crisis and now look forward (we hope) to another healthy climb upwards.
We’re at an interesting point. Mt Semicon’s crown is hidden by cloud, and we cannot currently see the top. Finding profit below 20 nm and / or in 3D structures may mean we take two different paths to get there! The good news is that with TSMC’s new fab, Intel’s new Haswell Chips, and many fab/foundries poised for an upgrade, many of us are still striving to stand alongside our very own Gods, Messrs Shockley, Kilby and Moore (nominations still open for inclusion in the pantheon). And of course to do this, our clients have begun that search for labour - for the skills needed to bring their company beyond the clouds and into the sunlight on the mountain peak. Do you have the skills to make that last climb? Are you the final element needed by an ambitious team of climbers to reach the top?
Share your thoughts with us…
Friday 26 April 2013
The UK ASIC market: not-so-little Britain
How times have changed from a few years ago!
The ASIC market in the UK has come a long way from the murkiness of 2009, and, happily, we’ve since seen the demand for top-notch ASIC / SoC designers increasing year on year.
This has, in large part, been as a result of the enormous success of “home grown” powerhouses such as Imagination and ARM. But success breeds success, therefore in recent years we’ve seen an energising trend with foreign companies recognising and tapping into UK design competencies and setting up shop on our shores; NVIDIA's acquisition of Icera and Samsung’s purchase of part of CSR being two recent high profile examples. This has resulted in a lively market in areas from telecommunications and wireless communications to digital media to GPU computing.
There’s no doubt that the silicon landscape in the UK has changed; we’re now seeing strong UK-owned market leaders intermingled with myriad overseas investors; many of whom are calling for experts in RTL Design, Verification and Physical Design.
All this makes for a very optimistic outlook for the rest of the year!
The ASIC market in the UK has come a long way from the murkiness of 2009, and, happily, we’ve since seen the demand for top-notch ASIC / SoC designers increasing year on year.
This has, in large part, been as a result of the enormous success of “home grown” powerhouses such as Imagination and ARM. But success breeds success, therefore in recent years we’ve seen an energising trend with foreign companies recognising and tapping into UK design competencies and setting up shop on our shores; NVIDIA's acquisition of Icera and Samsung’s purchase of part of CSR being two recent high profile examples. This has resulted in a lively market in areas from telecommunications and wireless communications to digital media to GPU computing.
There’s no doubt that the silicon landscape in the UK has changed; we’re now seeing strong UK-owned market leaders intermingled with myriad overseas investors; many of whom are calling for experts in RTL Design, Verification and Physical Design.
All this makes for a very optimistic outlook for the rest of the year!
Thursday 25 April 2013
The Rise of Formal Verification
In the past, Formal Verification was something often discussed and rarely implemented, pushed aside for simulation based techniques. With only a select few specialists in this area the technology that has been around for over a decade looked set to sit on the bench, despite its obvious advantages in reducing the time and cost of ASIC design, when compared to standard functional verification techniques.
Here at IC Resources, we have noticed a shift in this trend in recent years, with a huge rise in the demand for engineers with formal verification experience, and indeed for specialist engineers concentrating solely on formal verification and its development. So where did this come from?
A definite source has been the growing number of researchers concentrating on formal methods, who have joined companies with the specific intention of expanding the use of these techniques to improve functional verification, and succeeding! With the rising complexity of IC designs, formal verification is now more important than ever, and looks set to become a standard part of all future verification plans. Hooray!
Click on the links below to view all the formal verification opportunities available today, and get involved!
Formal Verification & Validation Engineer - London
Formal Verification R&D Engineer - Cambridge
Principal Verification Engineer - Cambridge
Digital Design Verification Engineer - Bristol
Staff Verification Engineer - Sheffield
Senior Verification Engineer - Munich
Here at IC Resources, we have noticed a shift in this trend in recent years, with a huge rise in the demand for engineers with formal verification experience, and indeed for specialist engineers concentrating solely on formal verification and its development. So where did this come from?
A definite source has been the growing number of researchers concentrating on formal methods, who have joined companies with the specific intention of expanding the use of these techniques to improve functional verification, and succeeding! With the rising complexity of IC designs, formal verification is now more important than ever, and looks set to become a standard part of all future verification plans. Hooray!
Click on the links below to view all the formal verification opportunities available today, and get involved!
Formal Verification & Validation Engineer - London
Formal Verification R&D Engineer - Cambridge
Principal Verification Engineer - Cambridge
Digital Design Verification Engineer - Bristol
Staff Verification Engineer - Sheffield
Senior Verification Engineer - Munich
Tuesday 23 April 2013
Good news for IC companies in the UK
Late last year, Neil Dickins (a founder of IC Resources) worked closely with NMI to submit two detailed reports to government about skills shortages in our sector.
This work has resulted in IC Design Engineering and IC Test Engineering appearing on the Skills Shortage List, which makes obtaining visas for such professionals a quicker and easier process.
Hopefully this will help the UK to convince foreign companies / investors thinking about setting up new design centres that the UK is the right place to do business.
Any questions, please contact us asap.
This work has resulted in IC Design Engineering and IC Test Engineering appearing on the Skills Shortage List, which makes obtaining visas for such professionals a quicker and easier process.
Hopefully this will help the UK to convince foreign companies / investors thinking about setting up new design centres that the UK is the right place to do business.
Any questions, please contact us asap.
Tuesday 12 February 2013
First Time Attending Global Semiconductor Forum (GSF)
IC Resources is one of the sponsors of this year’s GSF event, taking place 13-15 March in Shanghai.
Neil Dickins, one of IC Resources’ founders and directors, is looking forward to networking with some of the semiconductor community’s leading lights. This is clearly a critical and in some ways uncertain time for the IC manufacturing sector, with Moore’s Law stretched to breaking point and the commercial benefits of moving to smaller nodes being questioned in many quarters. What is certain (based on the impressive speaker list) is that this year’s conference will offer up questions, answers and insights from a range of individuals who are the forefront of our industry.
IC Resources has a dedicated China division, therefore Neil will be interested to discuss commercial requirements (sales / marketing semiconductor jobs) throughout greater China, as well as commercial and technical semiconductor jobs throughout Europe.
IC Resources is one of the world’s leading semiconductor recruitment organisations; a number of our senior consultants originally hail from within the semiconductor industry.
Neil Dickins, one of IC Resources’ founders and directors, is looking forward to networking with some of the semiconductor community’s leading lights. This is clearly a critical and in some ways uncertain time for the IC manufacturing sector, with Moore’s Law stretched to breaking point and the commercial benefits of moving to smaller nodes being questioned in many quarters. What is certain (based on the impressive speaker list) is that this year’s conference will offer up questions, answers and insights from a range of individuals who are the forefront of our industry.
IC Resources has a dedicated China division, therefore Neil will be interested to discuss commercial requirements (sales / marketing semiconductor jobs) throughout greater China, as well as commercial and technical semiconductor jobs throughout Europe.
IC Resources is one of the world’s leading semiconductor recruitment organisations; a number of our senior consultants originally hail from within the semiconductor industry.
Thursday 3 January 2013
UKESF’s Scholar of the Year Award
One of IC Resources’ primary clients, CSR, was recently indirectly recognised in an award presented by the NMI.
Rares-Mihai Popa received the UKESF’s Scholar of the Year award at this year’s NMI annual extravaganza….Rares-Mihai, of University of Edinburgh, was sponsored by CSR for his work experience, where he contributed to a number of IC design related projects for CSR.
Rares-Mihai Popa received the UKESF’s Scholar of the Year award at this year’s NMI annual extravaganza….Rares-Mihai, of University of Edinburgh, was sponsored by CSR for his work experience, where he contributed to a number of IC design related projects for CSR.
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| Rares-Mihai Popa receives UKESF scholar award from Derek Boyd, CEO, NMI and Neil Dickins, IC Group |
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