The Returnship Journey — Part 1

Life happens! Depending on the circumstances, we must sometimes press the “pause” button on our careers. Rejoining the workforce is not always easy, especially when taking a longer break. The journey back to work is even more challenging for people trying to re-enter in high-tech, where the pace of innovation grows in leaps and bounds.

As Cadence’s Vice President Technical Field Operations, I lead an organization of application engineers who are very technical and have BSEE/MSEE and sometimes even a PhD. We enable our customers to deliver their products on time through extensive support and deep technical partnerships.

In this highly competitive market, we want to help bring talented employees back into the workforce. We started a returnship program for electrical engineering professionals who might have a difficult time re-entering the workforce after taking a break due to caregiving. Our returnship program is 16-weeks long with the right mix of technical training, hands-on projects, and customer interaction. 

In this returnship program, our candidates will have an opportunity to work with the best-in-class EDA tools, collaborate with R&D and sales teams in a dynamic, yet supportive environment. Let’s not forget, application engineers at Cadence work with some of the most innovative companies in the world. All of this prepares “returnees” in their journey back to the workforce.

We had phenomenal interest in our returnship program, even during such unprecedented times, that we have opened additional “returnship” positions for the second half of the year. We have been fortunate to onboard three women who all bring different expertise in the application engineering field spanning across printed circuit boards (PCB) and integrated circuit (IC) package design, functional verification, and digital place and route. Here’s what they have to say about the program.

Sharon Munoz, Returnee

“I worked with Cadence from 1997 to 2002. My experience with Cadence was such a good one, and I learned so much. What I loved most about Cadence was the people. I loved the integrity, the professionalism and those qualities always made me want to be a better person…I designed PCBs for 30 years, and how could you not keep up with the industry? Traveling back and forth to San Jose for caregiving, I visualized that one day I would be working again in my career, I just didn't know how that would happen. In March 2020, I received an email from a recruiter at Cadence. When I read about the returnship program, I knew that this was a miracle just for me. It's a blessing and I am motivated!”

Madhu Comandur, Returnee

“Joining the Returnship program has empowered me to feel that I can contribute to work much more than I thought I was capable of…It is a much-needed opportunity for people like me who are very eager to return to tech after a break and willing to give our best. I am very thankful to Cadence for this stepping-stone opportunity, especially during this unprecedented time.”

Sanjita Chokshi, Returnee 

 “I found Cadence to be a very welcoming place, given the number of people I got to meet and connect with…the Cadence returnship program allowed me to ramp up and catch up with the industry from where I left off. I would like to thank Ale for offering this program at Cadence. Availability of such opportunities can definitely help women be more courageous while faced with tough options to choose from. While the debate still continues on whether women can "have it all," such programs definitely offer a staggered approach to having it all.”

Stay Tuned

Stay tuned for The Returnship Journey: Part 2 as each of our returnees share their journeys on what they’ve learned and how they’re making their mark at Cadence.