Texas Instruments

Basic Information

Name Aditya Sanjog Kabare
Curriculum: DD
Year of Study: 4th
Company/University of Internship: Texas Instruments
Role during Internship: Signal Processing Intern
Year of Internship (eg. '24 Summers, '23 Winters): ‘24 Summers
Mode of Internship (Online/Offline/Hybrid): Offline
Duration of Internship: 9 weeks

Getting into the Internship:

What specific domain or field did you target to get an internship in?

Back in July 2023,I had started to look for potential companies to target during the internship season. I was clear on not going for a research internship as the best options meant going abroad, which I was not ready for. Within the multitude of profiles potentially available, I was dead-set on a core internship. I had no interest in any non-technical profile, and with no preparation in coding, data analysis, ML and such topics, the target was simple. EE, in general, felt interesting to me from the courses I had. I felt I was the most comfortable with topics related to signals and probability; analog and digital needed much more practice from me. In hindsight, I recognize that it was a very risky move to target such a specific area, as SP internships are much rarer than Analog and Digital profiles. Fortunately, it paid off.

What resources did you utilize to prepare for the tests/interviews?

I relied squarely on my notes from EE229 and EE325 for the tests. I also studied from my EE204 notes because I also took the Analog test. As I was selected only for the Signals interview, I studied once again from my notes and from the resources TI had provided. I utilized some internet sites and videos to brush up on some fourier transform topics.

Can you elaborate on your interview and the type of questions which were asked?

Interview round was more of a conversation on the fundamentals of signals theory. I had a one-on-one interview where he asked questions on linear time-invariant systems and on fourier transforms. Questions were simple but needed a little focused thinking. The interviewer’s focus was on the process. Even if I was stuck, he would guide me on the thought process. At the end, he even asked a fun puzzle question unrelated to the topic

Were there any significant roadblocks or challenges that you encountered during the internship application and selection process? If so, how did you navigate or overcome them?

There weren’t any notable challenges during the process. The only real tough part was the wait for the interview on the day as there were many candidates and I was scheduled at the very end

How did you handle any rejections that you faced (If any) during the internship application process?

I had not applied for many companies. Before TI, I had applied for Google hardware, which went nowhere, and took a punt in a Quant profile where I got into the waiting list for the interview on the same day as TI’s. I had not prepared well for Google so I was not surprised with the result. But it did wake me up for the challenge ahead.

During the internship:

What was your specific profile or project topic during the internship?

The team I was interning with were working in data transfer in automotive applications. I was given the role of analysing the performance of different Forward Error Correction codes over different noise+interference channels. This was given to me on knowing I had done EE605 during my 5th semester.

How would you describe your overall experience as an intern?

The experience was amazing and pleasant. I was assigned a mentor with whom I had regular conversations on the progress I was doing. Getting a learning experience on the applications that are actively used was fulfilling. It was exciting to note the real world challenges to applying the simple models that we learn during our courses. I also learnt about the constant work that goes on in the industry to get better results.

Could you provide insights into the organizational culture of the company/university and what your peers were like?

Although the company has a hierarchical structure from a management perspective, the people themselves are relaxed, helpful and have friendly conversations. There are plenty of meetings and reviews but they have freedom in how they pace their day. I made friends with my fellow interns as well as some recently graduated employees

Were there any networking opportunities or professional connections that you established during the internship?

Yes

After the internship:

The fact that what I was learning, researching and doing was related and potentially useful to an active piece of work makes it worth recommending. Although I personally did not use much of signals theory, elements from various theory courses came in handy. Signal processing is all about trying to make information transmission be robust and recoverable in noisy environments. This internship gives a small tour through it