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As we send off the last of our 2019 Summer Interns (read more about their experience here) and say goodbye to summer, our recruiting team is already turning their attention to finding the next group of college hires and interns to join the Cadence team.

As they prepare to go on the road, visiting college campuses nationwide, we sat down to find out exactly what they are looking for in a candidate and how students can stand out.

What general resume tips do you have for students?

“Be sure to convey how you have used the skills you've learned in school, even if your project experience is only academic,” says director of talent acquisition Craig Myers. “Taking classes is great but showing potential employers how you apply your knowledge is essential.”

And it may seem obvious, but several of our recruiters echoed staff recruiter Brian Abucay’s advice. “Make sure to have one or more people proofread your resume,” he says. “It's easy to overlook a spelling or grammar mistake here and there.”

Above all, make sure your resume is tailored to fit the job you’re applying for. Ken Smith, technical recruiter, suggests to “look at the job description and requirements and ensure that your resume highlights at least the top three requirements for the role.”

What makes a candidate's resume stand out?

Senior principal recruiter Jayne Matsuda likes to see what types of school or personal projects students have worked on. “It gives us a brief look into what they are truly interested in doing in their career,” she says.

A generic list of duties or job responsibilities isn’t likely to do it, but “a resume will stand out when a student lists a top skill and then supports that skill with specific work experience or project experience where they utilized that skill,” Smith adds.

What types of experience do you like to see on a student's resume?

All the recruiters we chatted with emphasized wanting to see a student’s passion come through in their resume. “Projects—internships or academic—that involve object-oriented coding on the software side and the use of Cadenced EDA tools on the hardware/IP side. It is also great to see personal projects that highlight your general engineering interest and ability,” Myers explains.

“The best new grad hires are people who can demonstrate that they really want to be engineers because they like the work, and not just the earning potential,” he adds.

Applying for your first internship? “For an upcoming intern, it's okay if you don't have previous internship experience. The resume should show what types of classes you've recently taken,” Matsuda encourages.

What types of roles are available at Cadence for students?

“General software engineering, EDA software engineering, IC and physical design. The people we hire usually work as software engineers, semiconductor design IP engineers, or customer-facing application and product engineers,” says Myers.

But Abucay emphasizes, “We have opportunities available across all Cadence business groups (finance, IT, HR, etc.).”

What does the interview process at Cadence look like?

“The interview process is slightly different depending on the group a candidate is interviewing with,” Myers says. “Generally speaking, the first step will be a phone screen with a recruiter. This is followed by one or two phone interviews, which might include a coding test or other "homework" assignment, and then one or two rounds of on-site interviews.” He adds, “Candidates normally meet with six to eight Cadence employees during the interview process.”

Where do you suggest students go to find out more about Cadence?

“The Cadence Careers page is a great resource for information about our careers and working at Cadence,” Smith recommends. “Additionally, you should ask your recruiter and interviewers about Cadence and our culture.”

And don’t forget to follow us on social media! Find Cadence on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to learn more about the company.

Any other tips you'd like to share with students interested in a job at Cadence?

“As a recruiter, I screen several hundreds of resumes a day and do not always have a chance to see all of them,” Smith says. “Reach out to the recruiters directly through LinkedIn to express interest in specific opportunities,” he encourages.

“It’s also good idea to be specific about the job you want,” advises Myers. “Take the time to learn about Cadence's products, and find the jobs associated with those products. This will definitely help you to stand out from the pack.”

And when it’s time to interview, don’t forget to think of questions you’d like to know about the company, team, and culture, Matsuda advises. “We are screening/interviewing you to see if you are a technical/cultural fit, but it is also your opportunity to see if you see your future at Cadence as well!”

Cadence University Recruiting 

Are you ready to work alongside the industry’s brightest people, helping to solve some of technology’s toughest problems? If so, head to our Events page to see where our recruiters will be next and explore our Careers page for open opportunities.