Just as many interns are starting their summer internships, hiring for next summer’s interns isn’t far away. The recruitment process for internships at semiconductor company Marvell started already … in August.
I look at hundreds, if not thousands, of resumes every recruiting season to fill internships. At Marvell, as many as 400+ interns will be coming this summer, with degrees spanning Electrical and Computer Engineering to Economics, from 13 countries, 100+ universities – for 33 Marvell sites.
Understanding the Screening Process
Our technical managers play a crucial role in the initial screening process. When we post an internship position, we often receive 100-150 applications that meet the minimum qualifications. We then look at the source of these applications. Did they come through campus recruitment, employee referrals, or other channels? We’re inclined to give priority to students we formed a relationship with on campus. A great way to get in front of the Marvell recruiters and the technical teams doing the hiring is to attend career fairs and company presentations including info sessions and technical talks.
Popular Roles and Qualifications
One of the most sought-after roles at Marvell has been on our design teams from the RTL Design process through the verification and validation areas. Applicants who are moved forward typically have experience in some hardware description languages (HDL) like Verilog or general-purpose scripting languages like PERL. Marvell recognizes that students at even the top electrical engineering programs don’t get exposure to something like 5nm or 3nm chip design. We look to a variety of courses to support our hiring decisions such as Computer Architecture and logic-related coursework.
Another hot area, of course, is with AI. We look for experience in various Python libraries and a strong hardware background. For a recent AI role, we posted the job for just three weeks and received 1,500 applications. This shows how competitive the market is and how much excitement surrounds Marvell products.
The Role of AI and ATS in Recruitment
There’s a misconception that the industry is very advanced in using AI for recruitment. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) don’t always work as people expect them to and tend to lag in technological improvements – especially at large enterprises like Marvell. They don’t necessarily find exact matches for the ideal candidates. Instead, think of ATS as narrowing down the pool of applicants based on a combination of skills.
While some AI tools can analyze resumes and provide summaries, at Marvell, we have been conservative about protecting data. I’ve seen students do all kinds of wild things lately like using size one font – or white text on a white background – to copy and paste in the job description, thinking that will help some advanced keyword matcher. With our resumes being manually reviewed, this simply looks sloppy.
Cover Letters and Thank You Notes
Given the high volume of applications we receive, cover letters aren’t always that helpful unless they convey something unique that a resume cannot. For technical roles, especially in engineering, you don’t need to spend much time preparing a cover letter. However, thank you notes can be a real differentiator. Forwarding these to hiring managers can make a significant impact. Some candidates reflect on the most challenging interview questions or explain their thought process during the interview, creating a genuine connection.
Making an Impression in Interviews
At the end of the day, candidates need to stand out. Asking insightful questions at the end of the interview can show that you’ve done your research. Avoid cliché questions like, “What’s the day in the life of an intern?” Or “Is there anything stopping you from hiring me?” Instead, ask something specific about the company or the team you’re applying to, so you show you’ve done your research. [we can cut this if it needs to be short
Understanding the Recruitment Timeline
Our recruitment process starts in May/June when our University Relations team works with senior leaders across Marvell to plan our staffing needs. Then in August, in the U.S., recruiters get the job requisitions, and we aim to get as many initial offers out by Halloween as possible. Managers want to extend offers as quickly as possible, and the best ones take an active role in the recruiting process. They often review resumes with us – or even ahead of us – making the process smoother.
What We Look for in Candidates
The top three things we’re looking for are a quality candidate, genuine interest in the role, and alignment to Marvell as a whole. Our goal is to hire 100 percent of our interns globally for full-time positions once they graduate, contingent on their performance and our business needs. It’s something that makes Marvell unique and attractive to interns since finding a job as a junior engineer after graduating is not always easy.
We offer competitive compensation and unique, interesting work.
I hope these insights help you understand our recruitment process better and prepare you for your journey in the tech industry. Don’t forget to check out early career opportunities at Marvell at marvell.com/company/careers/university-recruiting.html. Good luck!
