A Tale from Two Cities: Hear from Two Cadence Interns

Here at Cadence, we welcome students from universities around the world to any number of our 20+ campuses globally. Joining teams across all solutions and services throughout the company, these talented, helpful interns jump in to immediately work on real projects alongside Cadence employees and make an impact during their short time here. And over the course of their internships, they connect with cross-functional teams, meet new friends, develop strengths, and build lasting networks.  

As our recruiting team begins meeting with candidates for next summer’s intern program (hear from our recruiters here), we’re taking an opportunity to find out what a summer internship at Cadence is like first-hand. Before they headed back to campus, we sat down with two recent interns and asked them to share what they learned and what tips they have for future interns.  

(And if you’re interested in learning more about life as an intern, check out our Intern and New Grad page and don’t forget to visit our University Careers page to see open intern roles.) 

Ankush Hommerich-Dutt 
University: California Institute of Technology 
Office: San Jose, California 
Role: Software Engineer, System Design and Verification Special Projects Team 
Project: FPGA hardware acceleration for convolutional neural network inference. Specifically, the process of extracting and optimizing the network from high-level frameworks for the FPGA architecture, including designing the FPGA hardware architecture itself, and then programming the architecture for inference. 
 
What did you know about Cadence before applying to intern here? Did your views change afterwards? 
I didn't know much about the EDA industry at all before coming to Cadence, and so I really was unfamiliar with the details of what Cadence did, but I feel like I understand a lot more about the industry now and how Cadence plays a role in the technology sector.  

What's something you learned during your internship that you'll take with you? 
Well, I knew a lot of software coming into the internship but not much about hardware, and I left the company knowing a lot more about the semiconductor industry in general and more computer engineering concepts. I also learned more soft skills like how to manage time, how to avoid stress, and how an industry company is organized (because I had a lot of previous experience in academia but none in industry). 
 
Any tips for future interns? 
Never feel ashamed to ask questions and ask for clarification, even if you think you sound stupid. Your mentor/team will understand that you are an intern and that your main role is to learn. 

Ariana Yousafzai 
University: Rutgers University 
Office: Chelmsford, Massachusetts 
Role: Digital Marketing Intern, Corporate Marketing 
Project: Digital marketing for Cadence’s Automotive Solution. I was able to work on Google Ads, Google Analytics, and search engine optimization. In addition, I was able to work on some video production and long-term marketing campaign planning. 

What did you know about Cadence before applying to intern here? Did your views change afterwards? 
Prior to applying, I knew that Cadence was a large company with an international presence. With this thought in mind, I had expected for my experience at Cadence to be very overwhelming and impersonal. Now having completed my internship, I can happily say that I was proven wrong. Each and every individual who I had the privilege of working with over the summer made sure to make me feel welcomed and informed. Not once did I feel hesitant to ask a question or propose an idea, and for that I will be eternally grateful. 

What’s something you learned during the summer that you’ll take with you? 
My Cadence experience taught me the importance of communication. I found that people are generally very open to hearing new ideas and proposals from others; however, clearly communicating one's vision is critical in execution. Small tasks, such as scheduling meetings and planning for them accordingly became routine for me so I could effectively update team members on my projects' progress. 
 
Looking back on your internship, is there a moment or memory that stands out? 
I was honored to attend the Automotive Design Summit in San Jose, which was an invaluable networking and learning opportunity. 

What will you be doing after your internship? 
Now, I am back at school in New Jersey! I am studying Biomathematics and Cognitive Science, and hope to apply my interests in marketing, big data, and the human mind to the growing field of UX Research.