6 YOE in PDV/PD and some CAD on the side. My concern is; most PD jobs are being outsourced to India. The closest match to my experience would be either CAD (which I hate) or DV (which I don't have experience in). So my question is, if I wanted to switch to DV, will anyone want me or even interview me in the first place? How can I make such a switch if I wanted to? Is it possible? Or should I just continue in my PD/PDV area?
Absolutely.
Can you elaborate? Based on what skills would a DV manager pick me up instead of an actual DV engineer?
Try for an internal move.
I second the above comment. Try internal move and get some experience before you change company. Outside companies will always weigh in the direct experience
What to do if my company doesn't do DV at my location? So internal transfer wouldn't be possible
In that case, you can try external companies but you need to move through referral or try remote design center. 1) prepare well on System Verilog 2) if you can use your internal resources for UVM, get your hands on to the training material
Why not RTL
I had the same question.
RTL design? I don't really like design, and I feel like I will never know enough RTL to be a designer (similar to analog circuit designer perhaps where you need masters or PhD?). What do you think?
Agree with all comments, try internal move with referral. PD and DV are poles apart. I enjoyed both. DV has more experience to architecture, equally taxing. Need more software skills, system verilog, python, grep/awk mastery. PD as you know if different, need to know how to hack tools to converge on your design.
how was your WLB in PD vs DV? Assuming you did both at the same company
There is no difference in WLB. one is more execution centric (PD) where there is constant exposure to top management close to tapein. DV is more how you can time yourself to spend time and read architecture then validate it. You need to understand rtl same or even better than the rtl designer if you are to validate it and find bugs. I guess exposure to top management in DV comes when there are bug escapees to silicon.
What's your motivation to switch? That can help folks direct you
Job availability In faang and elsewhere. My location has just 1-2 major silicon companies that have some PD roles. While several others that do DV.
Leetcode and leave all those behind
How are things in the chip industry nowadays? I left about 10 years ago because I was concerned about the outsourcing to India pressure and I didn’t see a lot of room to grow. But since then amd and nvidia and a few others have been killing it. Is there some fat on the land now?
What did you switch to and how did you qualify for that switch? The Industry is not bad now, plenty of jobs but mostly in DV and systems design, barely in PD. Pays lowest in tech tho
I switched out to MEP/construction industry so I could live somewhere without a tech industry (SFL) and had to do a lot of relearning. Not something I’d recommend. Looking for next steps, though I don’t miss the chip industry.
@OP Outsourcing to india and LCOL countries is true for companies like intel, but we have all seen the result of it (- no hopeful products, no stock growth, etc). Engineers in India change companies more often than even SW folks in Silicon Valley and hence the low quality products. Of course process is another issue with intel. The bottom line is, if you leave intel aside, there is a lot of hiring going on in PD domain in other coMpanies (- even SW firms like FB, MSFT,...) are into making chips and I know lot of PD folks with offers from those companies. If moving PD jobs to india is the only concern you have then don’t worry. I am sure companies have learnt a lesson from intel not to move jobs to LCOL just to save few bucks (and as a result loose market share)
Yes because that’s the one thing Intel did wrong just now
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Yes, you could switch, look for a nice referral and prepare well
How would you even get an interview if you don't have a referral? What do you have to teach yourself? Would you have to downgrade your salary and level?