Job at Intel/AMD

[Clanscorpia]

I've always known I've wanted a job in computers but at first I didn't know what in but I think I finally figured it out, I'd like to become a microprocessor engineer at Intel or AMD. I'm planning on going to the University of Waterloo in Canada (America is expensive AF) but I'm not sure what courses to take. I'm less than 16 but I think when you start early you have a better chance of success. What do you guys think I need to learn and take to land one of these jobs and what can I do to prepare? Thanks guys

[PlayStation 2]

Are you officially the youngest forumer?

That being said, I don't know what to say for your case.

[Juanse]

Probably a carrer on engineering electronics, programing or software try to search on their website, generally companys say what they are looking for

[Kobathor]

That field is already super over saturated, with lots of enthusiastic 20 year olds wanting jobs at Intel/AMD.

 

It'll be super hard, and you might not even land a job at either. But, if you really want it, and do what's necessary to get it.. Somebody's gotta hire you.

[Clanscorpia]

Thats what I mean, what can I take to get the best chance of getting in? I don't want to get in to say I am, this is my dream job.

[Dabombinable]

TBH, AMD really can't afford anyone else, and you'd need a lot of experience (aka years) before Intel would consider you for a position.

[pagani123]

i would say wait till high school to make a final decision on where your going to collage and what your going to do. but it never hurts to study up on a subject that you enjoy.some of the more in depth things could be a bit over your head (i dont know you so i may be wrong). i would say the job your looking at would be computer hardware engineer there are a lot of sites that will tell you what you need to study to become what ever job your looking for.

[Clanscorpia]

I'm planning on going to Waterloo as it is the best engineering school in Canada, I wouldn't mind University of Toronto but I'd prefer Waterloo.

[pagani123]

TBH, AMD really can't afford anyone else, and you'd need a lot of experience (aka years) before Intel would consider you for a position.

he is 12 a lot can change in a decade 

[dcb-z]

12 is awfully early to decide what you'll be. Your 'dream job' or planned major will likely change several times, especially once you reach high school or college. I went from wanting to be a biomedical engineer to robotics engineer to computer hardware engineer to, currently, computer system analyst. Keep your mind open to other career fields that may interest you.

[Dabombinable]

he is 12 a lot can change in a decade 

Only if Zen beats Haswell in all areas at a lower price point....

[Swndlr]

Willing to bet lots that what you wanna do and where you wanna go in life will change drastically in the coming years... Youre only 12, not saying its a bad thing, but youre not even in high school yet.

[Belgarathian]

Ask a course adviser at the university/college/high school

 

They should be able to help you plan your career aspirations! 

[dcb-z]

Willing to bet lots that what you wanna do and where you wanna go in life will change drastically in the coming years... Youre only 12, not saying its a bad thing, but youre not even in high school yet.

Pretty much this. And you may be able to have a good opportunity to get hands-on with what you want to do for a career and realize you actually don't want to do it. That's what happened to me: I joined my school's robotics team and when it got to the part where we built robots, I realized it was way too much work for me and I didn't have the creative mind to build a robot myself. Instead I learned how to code the robot and left the building to the people who were more creative than I.

 

I also decided against engineering when I saw how much math I'd need for some of the disciplines. I happen to hate math and pretty much cheated my way through all the math parts of my classwork.

[Briggsy]

One thing to remember is that school doesn't prepare you to be good at a job, it just prepares you to learn once you get a job - most of your actual training is done in a live environment, where you start at the bottom and gradually work your way up, depending on how good you are. The best advice you'll get, is to find someone either local or online you can talk to (i.e. twitter or something) that already has the job you want, and tell them you want to do what they do, be enthusiastic and don't take no for an answer - its not just what you know, but who you know that will get you in the door. What you do once you are in the door is on you.

[yamileon]

I've always known I've wanted a job in computers but at first I didn't know what in but I think I finally figured it out, I'd like to become a microprocessor engineer at Intel or AMD. I'm planning on going to the University of Waterloo in Canada (America is expensive AF) but I'm not sure what courses to take. I'm less than 16 but I think when you start early you have a better chance of success. What do you guys think I need to learn and take to land one of these jobs and what can I do to prepare? Thanks guys

your best bet would be to look for a computer science course that is heavily based on physics and maths with an internship.....

 

oh and as for working at intel mehh idk from what ive heard from their employees at their facility in dublin the pay and hours arent that good  

[AMDisTheBEST]

I may consider working at AMD once I receive my computer engineering degree. I am more interested in developing apps for android and IOS though. 

 

Internship is always the key. They are essential for networking which in turn is essential for landing ion a job. I don't have much experience myself. Currently just a high school senior atm. I know this much at least.

[dalekphalm]

I've always known I've wanted a job in computers but at first I didn't know what in but I think I finally figured it out, I'd like to become a microprocessor engineer at Intel or AMD. I'm planning on going to the University of Waterloo in Canada (America is expensive AF) but I'm not sure what courses to take. I'm less than 16 but I think when you start early you have a better chance of success. What do you guys think I need to learn and take to land one of these jobs and what can I do to prepare? Thanks guys

For High School courses, take as many of the advanced math courses your school offers as you can squeeze in - stuff like Calculus, statistics, etc.

 

Also take Physics, grade's 11 and 12, University Level.

 

Furthermore, take Computer Science every year of high school that is offered (Most schools generally offer grade 10 to 12, some offer 9 to 12).

 

If your school has any electronics, electrical electronics, or engineering courses, take those too.

 

As for University itself, you should be taking the Computer Engineering program to start:

https://uwaterloo.ca/find-out-more/programs/computer-engineering

 

You may also consider doing a bachelors in Computer Science first, but that would only be if you are really dedicated to taking university.

 

After completing the Bachelors in Computer Engineering, you can start searching for job prospects immediately, but if you really want to "one-up" the other entry-level candidates, you could consider getting a Masters Degree in Computer Engineering.

 

When it comes to what the companies like Intel and AMD actually want, job experience is obviously the highest on the list. They often hire recent grads for entry-level positions, but it'll be extremely competitive. Having a higher degree of education, or having that extra couple years of in field engineering experience can make the difference.

[cakez]

Are you officially the youngest forumer?

That being said, I don't know what to say for your case.

I'm 11

[TopDollar]

College majors for a career like that are going to mostly be Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Electrical Engineering. What you do in high school isn't really going to make a difference unless you don't get the grades to get into the university you want. The job market for engineering isn't saturated. If you go to a school with an accredited engineering program and graduate with reasonable grades, you won't have too much trouble finding a job. Starting salary is between $50k-70k USD with decently high earning potential.

 

Source: I'm an engineer who graduated about 1-1/2 years ago; had no issue finding a job.

[AMDisTheBEST]

After taxes, wage is down to just 30k+. *sigh*

[TopDollar]

After taxes, wage is down to just 30k+. *sigh*

You would be surprised how much $30,000 *net* income actually is for a single person (depending on where you live of course).

[byalexandr]

You're 12. You still have at least 3-4 more years before you need to start thinking about your career. Enjoy your early years while you have them

[AMDisTheBEST]

You would be surprised how much $30,000 *net* income actually is for a single person (depending on where you live of course).

I live in NYC, and a store manager earns more than that here. You have no idea of the cost of living in the city.

[TopDollar]

For High School courses, take as many of the advanced math courses your school offers as you can squeeze in - stuff like Calculus, statistics, etc.

 

Also take Physics, grade's 11 and 12, University Level.

 

Furthermore, take Computer Science every year of high school that is offered (Most schools generally offer grade 10 to 12, some offer 9 to 12).

 

If your school has any electronics, electrical electronics, or engineering courses, take those too.

 

As for University itself, you should be taking the Computer Engineering program to start:

https://uwaterloo.ca/find-out-more/programs/computer-engineering

 

You may also consider doing a bachelors in Computer Science first, but that would only be if you are really dedicated to taking university.

 

After completing the Bachelors in Computer Engineering, you can start searching for job prospects immediately, but if you really want to "one-up" the other entry-level candidates, you could consider getting a Masters Degree in Computer Engineering.

 

When it comes to what the companies like Intel and AMD actually want, job experience is obviously the highest on the list. They often hire recent grads for entry-level positions, but it'll be extremely competitive. Having a higher degree of education, or having that extra couple years of in field engineering experience can make the difference.

This is good information as well. Would have been really sweet if my high school had offered any sort of computer science type stuff. Would have taken it in a heart beat. I did take about 30 college credits in high school and transfer them when I went to college though.

 

One of the best ways to get in field engineering experience is either multiple internships (engineering internships are paid ~$16-$22 per hour btw), or what I did was work for a company for an entire semester as a co-op.