Beyond the Specs: Finding Your Career Path

A new year brings time to reflect and plan what you are going to do differently. One of the key areas of reflection, for me, is about my career goals and aspirations for the next year.

I’ve always been focused on planning my career and finding the right path for me. Growing up, I was playing different types of sports, singing, and dancing, all with one goal in mind: to figure out what I enjoyed most. I always had the mindset that I didn’t have to be an expert in everything, but I should give it all a try. I loved having different hobbies and skills and learning new things.

It's not surprising, then, that when I graduated university with a Bachelor of Engineering in Telecommunication, I was focused on my next steps.

My first internship was focused on communication systems, where I worked on testing communication equipment for environmental endurance. However, I realized quickly that it wasn’t what I was passionate about, so when an opportunity to move into the semiconductors team opened, I took it. In hindsight, that shifted my career direction dramatically. But that wasn’t a sought-after plan; it was just me trying to find my passions, like when I was growing up.

Navigating your career journey when you are just starting out could be tricky; the first few years are all about learning and exposure.

After my internship ended, I found myself working for a service company. This provided a lot of opportunities to grow my skillset and become an expert in layout and memory, but it still wasn’t enough. I wanted to work at a product-based company to gain a broader perspective on the product and customers, and see the bigger picture and strategy come to life.

I was proactive in my career management, focused on becoming a strong technical leader. For me, that meant having in-depth knowledge of the projects the company was working on, as well as an understanding of the industry in general. I took every opportunity to work alongside other teams, contribute my knowledge and expand my skillset.

Curiosity and exploration have always been my strong suits. Even when I was young, I always needed to know how things worked. So when it came to learning about new technologies or projects, I kept going back to reading, researching and talking to colleagues. I wasn’t waiting for the opportunities; I was creating them.

Since joining Marvell in 2019, I've had plenty of opportunities for growth. Recently, I transitioned from a people-leader role into a technical-leader role. It was always a goal of mine to be a strong technical lead, stay on top of new technologies, and contribute my in-depth knowledge and my vast experience.

Throughout my career, I’ve been mentoring interns, new team members and recent grads. My biggest career advice for them has always been to explore different roles, research the different options they have, stay curious, look at opportunities from a broader perspective, identify their true strengths and interests, and work to excel towards them. Because when you truly enjoy your job, your challenges are still enjoyable.

And most of all, if you want to make an impact in the industry, pure engineering is not enough. You have to build your skillset—both technical and non-technical—and your expertise. Utilize your resources, be proactive, and look for opportunities to expand your knowledge.