I left Broadcom last year. A third party headhunter recently approached me for a position at Broadcom. I was of course open about going back and two phone interviews were scheduled. One with the director and one with the lead. They both insisted on getting details about the current project I’m working on at my current employer. I politely reminded them of my NDA and that I could not dive into details. The director guy seemed to understand but the second phone interviewer got upset about it. What the heck do they expect?! I know Broadcom also has NDAs and I’m not supposed to go around and give away details about their projects in my job interviews. What the heck is wrong with these guys?! At the end of the second phone interview, I said if I could ask a bit about the job duties of this particular position and the guy mocked me: oh I don’t know if I can give you top secret information. I had to politely remind him I was not asking about the details of his project and that I was asking about the job itself to see if it was in line with my career goals. What a freaking jerk!! Current TC: $235K
So, whats on your resume that cause them to interview you? Should be talking about that.
What I do for a living is on my resume. I am HW design verification guy. I develop and code verification IPs. That’s enough to talk about in an interview. All already in production chips I worked on are on my resume. But not the current one. How long have you been in hi tech? I hope you know what an NDA is and confidentially agreement is. You’re not supposed to mention details about your current project on your resume and on social media. Are you sure you have taken those mandatory trainings at Broadcom? I know they do have those trainings that you’re supposed to take every year.
What part of my question asking you to talk about your current project? All I am asking is : Do you know why they want to interview you? Usually it is certain skillsets. Is there a way to show you know the stuff? By not talking about your current project? I am an analog designer. I dont really expect top trade secret in interview. Either the interviewee can answer my questions, or he/she can do the talking and convince me he/she knows the stuff.
Project name is secret at Intel, except the one that is announced to public.
Yup. I also do work at Intel now. My second time around at Intel. The project I’m working on is classified top secret. So I cannot even mention anything at all about it. Not just the name of it. These guys at Broadcom also have to take similar trainings every year. I am surprised both these guys insisted on details of the chip I’m working on. It makes me think they’re fishing for info about what Intel is up to. Considering that both companies directly compete against each other, that is a possibility. If they were fishing, I’m starting to think the US gov’t is not talking out of their rear end when they accuse Hock Tan of stealing US 5G technology for the Chinese.
^You have to believe that China is a real threat. That analysis isn't just from a politician, but from our independent federal intelligence agencies. Half of their job is security clearances, which is literally protecting the nation's information
Please open the interviewer so that Hock can order audit those guys
What do you mean by opening the interviewer? I don’t work at Broadcom anymore.
Did you put your current project on your resume? If you put it in but not be able to talk about it in detail. Then it kinda defeat the point.
Nope. There’s no mentioning of the project at all. There’s no name of the project there. There’s no explanation of what the project does. None of that. I am not that dumb to get myself into trouble with my current employer. I’ve been in this business for 18 years. Nothing about the project can be mentioned until it reaches production and becomes public knowledge.