Hello,
I am a third year student, but interested in FPGAs and linking my futurewith this area of electronics. To have a point of view of my future, I'vebrowsed some job search pages using "FPGA" in search field. However almostall of the offers are for "FPGA seniors", experience not less that ~5years. How can I gain this experience if it is almost impossible to getemployed?

FPGA course in my uni is only on major degree studies, so I am doing a"self-education" and learning FPGA design by myself, however PACMANimplementation or something like that only gives experience on the syntaxitself, but not the real problems encountered every day. I have someopinions:
- Search for intern programs at various companies that use FPGAs (its alsovery hard to find, because many companies ask if You are eligible to workin USA. If not - chances are minimum (I am from Lithuania, EU)).
- Try to find a job when you get paid by pay-per-module (however, I did notfind anything like this).
- The last chance I think I could do is to contact the company itself, askfor the ability to work for free, since I need experience and if everythinggoes OK, maybe they will employ me in the future. But how long the studentcould work qualitatively without being paid if the task is really hard andtakes a long time? The result could end up with nothing: no experience andno work done.

Tell me Your opinions :)

	   
					
---------------------------------------		
Posted through http://www.FPGARelated.com

On Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:23:11 -0500,
"Socrates"
<socconf@n_o_s_p_a_m.gmail.com> wrote:

>Hello,
>I am a third year student, but interested in FPGAs and linking my future
>with this area of electronics. To have a point of view of my future, I've
>browsed some job search pages using "FPGA" in search field. However almost
>all of the offers are for "FPGA seniors", experience not less that ~5
>years. How can I gain this experience if it is almost impossible to get
>employed?
>
>FPGA course in my uni is only on major degree studies, so I am doing a
>"self-education" and learning FPGA design by myself, however PACMAN
>implementation or something like that only gives experience on the syntax
>itself, but not the real problems encountered every day. I have some
>opinions:
>- Search for intern programs at various companies that use FPGAs (its also
>very hard to find, because many companies ask if You are eligible to work
>in USA. If not - chances are minimum (I am from Lithuania, EU)).
>- Try to find a job when you get paid by pay-per-module (however, I did not
>find anything like this).
>- The last chance I think I could do is to contact the company itself, ask
>for the ability to work for free, since I need experience and if everything
>goes OK, maybe they will employ me in the future. But how long the student
>could work qualitatively without being paid if the task is really hard and
>takes a long time? The result could end up with nothing: no experience and
>no work done.
>
>Tell me Your opinions :)

Get some development boards and actually build a few things. Over here,
http://digilent.us/ and http://www.knjn.com/ are two sources, although I
see that KNJN does have an EU outlet now, over at
http://www.knjn.com/eu/ShopBoards_USB2.html

At any rate, build a few real things and not just syntax exercises.
Document some of the successes (and problems, with how you solved them!)
on a blog that you could point potential employers to.

As regards experience, yes employers would love to get somebody with a
few years but those folks are not always available. If you enjoy
"playing with" FPGAs enough that you work with them for the fun and the
challenge then that may be enough to get an employer to take a look.

Once you have done a few personal projects, go ahead and apply to some
of those "5 years experience" positions. Be honest about what you've
done and are doing; you're likely to get at least some positive
responses.

-- 
Rich Webb     Norfolk, VA

>Get some development boards and actually
build a few things. Over here,
>http://digilent.us/ and http://www.knjn.com/ are two sources, although I
>see that KNJN does have an EU outlet now, over at
>http://www.knjn.com/eu/ShopBoards_USB2.html
>
>At any rate, build a few real things and not just syntax exercises.
>Document some of the successes (and problems, with how you solved them!)
>on a blog that you could point potential employers to.
>
>As regards experience, yes employers would love to get somebody with a
>few years but those folks are not always available. If you enjoy
>"playing with" FPGAs enough that you work with them for the fun and the
>challenge then that may be enough to get an employer to take a look.
>
>Once you have done a few personal projects, go ahead and apply to some
>of those "5 years experience" positions. Be honest about what you've
>done and are doing; you're likely to get at least some positive
>responses.
>
>-- 
>Rich Webb     Norfolk, VA
>

Hello, thanks for response!
I've already got a Spartan-3E kit, now developing my own DDR controller(since MIG is device dependent) and my next task is to do a MAC forexternal PHY on the board then send packets using UDP. I will post myexperiences on my blog surely, but the idea that I could go for the jobthat requires 5 years experience really worth taking a try :) 
If we look to the future: the student is able to use memory(sdram,ddram,bram,etc), LAN, VGA, then what? Buy a n-thousand worthdevboard with PCI-E and other useful stuff? It is too expensive then...	  
					
---------------------------------------		
Posted through http://www.FPGARelated.com

On Jun 2, 3:08=A0pm, "Socrates"
<socconf@n_o_s_p_a_m.n_o_s_p_a_m.gmail.com> wrote:
> >Get some development boards and actually build a few things. Over here,
> >http://digilent.us/andhttp://www.knjn.com/are two sources, although I
> >see that KNJN does have an EU outlet now, over at
> >http://www.knjn.com/eu/ShopBoards_USB2.html
>
> >At any rate, build a few real things and not just syntax exercises.
> >Document some of the successes (and problems, with how you solved them!)
> >on a blog that you could point potential employers to.
>
> >As regards experience, yes employers would love to get somebody with a
> >few years but those folks are not always available. If you enjoy
> >"playing with" FPGAs enough that you work with them for the fun and
the
> >challenge then that may be enough to get an employer to take a look.
>
> >Once you have done a few personal projects, go ahead and apply to some
> >of those "5 years experience" positions. Be honest about what you've
> >done and are doing; you're likely to get at least some positive
> >responses.
>
> >--
> >Rich Webb =A0 =A0 Norfolk, VA
>
> Hello, thanks for response!
> I've already got a Spartan-3E kit, now developing my own DDR controller
> (since MIG is device dependent) and my next task is to do a MAC for
> external PHY on the board then send packets using UDP. I will post my
> experiences on my blog surely, but the idea that I could go for the job
> that requires 5 years experience really worth taking a try :)
> If we look to the future: the student is able to use memory
> (sdram,ddram,bram,etc), LAN, VGA, then what? Buy a n-thousand worth
> devboard with PCI-E and other useful stuff? It is too expensive then... =
=A0
>
> --------------------------------------- =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0
> Posted throughhttp://www.FPGARelated.com

Do not restrict your search to the US market. Getting the appropriate
visa is extremely difficult, borderline impossible.
But as a citizen of the EU, you can try in many countries: Germany,
Scandinavia, Netherlands, and the UK  (most of which accept English as
a working language.
US Immigration has put up an enormous hurdle, but luckily, FPGAs are
being used all over the world, as you can detect in this newsgroup.
Good luck!
Peter Alfke

Socrates
<socconf@n_o_s_p_a_m.n_o_s_p_a_m.gmail.com> wrote:
>>Get some development boards and actually build a few things. Over here,
>>http://digilent.us/ and http://www.knjn.com/ are two sources, although I
>>see that KNJN does have an EU outlet now, over at
>>http://www.knjn.com/eu/ShopBoards_USB2.html
(snip)
 
> Hello, thanks for response!
> I've already got a Spartan-3E kit, now developing my own DDR controller
> (since MIG is device dependent) and my next task is to do a MAC for
> external PHY on the board then send packets using UDP. I will post my
> experiences on my blog surely, but the idea that I could go for the job
> that requires 5 years experience really worth taking a try :) 

If you do those projects, you should be ready to apply for some
FPGA related positions.  Maybe not for one that requires the
five years experience, but maybe as an assistent to such a
position.   Then after a few years, you will have enough experience
and the company will know you well.

> If we look to the future: the student is able to use memory
> (sdram,ddram,bram,etc), LAN, VGA, then what? Buy a n-thousand worth
> devboard with PCI-E and other useful stuff? It is too expensive then...   

If you develop the DDR and MAC from scratch you should be in
good shape.  I believe that there are some around that could be
adapted for use with a little less work than starting from nothing.

Most important is to learn to think in terms of hardware, and
not as software.  

-- glen

On Jun 3, 2:23=A0am, "Socrates"
<socconf@n_o_s_p_a_m.gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello,
> I am a third year student, but interested in FPGAs and linking my future
> with this area of electronics. To have a point of view of my future, I've
> browsed some job search pages using "FPGA" in search field. However almos=
t
> all of the offers are for "FPGA seniors", experience not less that ~5
> years. How can I gain this experience if it is almost impossible to get
> employed?
>
> FPGA course in my uni is only on major degree studies, so I am doing a
> "self-education" and learning FPGA design by myself, however PACMAN
> implementation or something like that only gives experience on the syntax
> itself, but not the real problems encountered every day. I have some
> opinions:
> - Search for intern programs at various companies that use FPGAs (its als=
o
> very hard to find, because many companies ask if You are eligible to work
> in USA. If not - chances are minimum (I am from Lithuania, EU)).
> - Try to find a job when you get paid by pay-per-module (however, I did n=
ot
> find anything like this).
> - The last chance I think I could do is to contact the company itself, as=
k
> for the ability to work for free, since I need experience and if everythi=
ng
> goes OK, maybe they will employ me in the future. But how long the studen=
t
> could work qualitatively without being paid if the task is really hard an=
d
> takes a long time? The result could end up with nothing: no experience an=
d
> no work done.
>
> Tell me Your opinions :)
>
> --------------------------------------- =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0
> Posted throughhttp://www.FPGARelated.com

A good jumping stone is www.opencores.org. Publish your work there,
and may be somebody will like what you do and hire you.

When we hire fresh grads, we always ask for samples of their work.

You have to also try to understand where companies come from.
Lots of grads are absolutely clueless. Often times to a point that
is is scary. They do the course work, but can't think outside the
box they have studied. That makes it very tough for companies.

You seem to be more advanced. Show people what you can do,
and I am sure you won't have a problem finding a job.

Cheers,
rudi

>A good jumping stone is www.opencores.org.
Publish your work there,
>and may be somebody will like what you do and hire you.
>
>When we hire fresh grads, we always ask for samples of their work.
>
>You have to also try to understand where companies come from.
>Lots of grads are absolutely clueless. Often times to a point that
>is is scary. They do the course work, but can't think outside the
>box they have studied. That makes it very tough for companies.
>
>You seem to be more advanced. Show people what you can do,
>and I am sure you won't have a problem finding a job.
>
>Cheers,
>rudi
>

So it is worth to show my projects on various sites, then add links to myresume? Actually its interesting if the employer will take a look or not :)What about internships in various companies? For example if such a companylike Siemens offers an internship, but that is not related to FPGAs, is itworth of spending a year in that company? It will be one year wasted forFPGA experience, but on the other hand experience in huge company is alsointeresting. Which one weights more on the employment scales?	   
					
---------------------------------------		
Posted through http://www.FPGARelated.com

On 6/3/2010 9:01 AM, Socrates wrote:
>> A good jumping stone is www.opencores.org. Publish your work there,
>> and may be somebody will like what you do and hire you.
>>
>> When we hire fresh grads, we always ask for samples of their work.
>>
>> You have to also try to understand where companies come from.
>> Lots of grads are absolutely clueless. Often times to a point that
>> is is scary. They do the course work, but can't think outside the
>> box they have studied. That makes it very tough for companies.
>>
>> You seem to be more advanced. Show people what you can do,
>> and I am sure you won't have a problem finding a job.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> rudi
>>
>
> So it is worth to show my projects on various sites, then add links to my
> resume? Actually its interesting if the employer will take a look or not :)
> What about internships in various companies? For example if such a company
> like Siemens offers an internship, but that is not related to FPGAs, is it
> worth of spending a year in that company? It will be one year wasted for
> FPGA experience, but on the other hand experience in huge company is also
> interesting. Which one weights more on the employment scales?	
> 					
> ---------------------------------------		
> Posted through http://www.FPGARelated.com

I'd never hire anyone who says "I know FPGAs and that's it."  All 
engineering experience translates, as does anything that causes you to 
think.  I've worked on DC/DC converter circuits that were best 
understood by analogy to a mechanical transmission.  As a bare minimum 
you'll be an infinitely better FPGA designer if you've got the foggiest 
clue of what the rest of the circuit is doing.

If you're offered an internship in any engineering field, take it. 
Experience is always better than none.

-- 
Rob Gaddi, Highland Technology
Email address is currently out of order

>I'd never hire anyone who says "I know
FPGAs and that's it."  All 
>engineering experience translates, as does anything that causes you to 
>think.  I've worked on DC/DC converter circuits that were best 
>understood by analogy to a mechanical transmission.  As a bare minimum 
>you'll be an infinitely better FPGA designer if you've got the foggiest 
>clue of what the rest of the circuit is doing.
>
>If you're offered an internship in any engineering field, take it. 
>Experience is always better than none.
>
>-- 
>Rob Gaddi, Highland Technology
>Email address is currently out of order
>

Ok, thanks for everyone, I have a good point of view now :)	   
					
---------------------------------------		
Posted through http://www.FPGARelated.com

"Socrates"
<socconf@n_o_s_p_a_m.gmail.com> wrote:

>Hello,
>I am a third year student, but interested in FPGAs and linking my future
>with this area of electronics. To have a point of view of my future, I've
>browsed some job search pages using "FPGA" in search field. However almost
>all of the offers are for "FPGA seniors", experience not less that ~5
>years. How can I gain this experience if it is almost impossible to get
>employed?

Do some sensible hobby projects. If your projects have enough body
they will make up for a lot of experience.

-- 
Failure does not prove something is impossible, failure simply
indicates you are not using the right tools...
nico@nctdevpuntnl (punt=.)
--------------------------------------------------------------