Where does your interest in hardware and software engineering stem from?
As a youngster, I loved messing around with broken audio equipment like amplifiers and speakers. I spent hours taking these devices apart to see how they worked. I guess that’s where my curiosity for electrical engineering first originated – which led to my interest in hardware. And, like many kids, I also enjoyed playing video games. From this, I had a burning desire to make one of my own so, around age 12, I picked up programming.
Do you have a personal preference for hardware or software?
I’ve always found systems that combine both hardware and software the most interesting, which is why I chose a university degree that marries these two disciplines: Mechatronic Engineering.
As a Mechatronic Engineer, you’re focused on the design of smart technologies such as robots, computer-controlled mechanical equipment, and creating the software that controls them. Not only do you need a good understanding of mechanical and electrical engineering fundamentals, but also strong programming skills and knowledge of languages like C++.
Can you talk us through your career path so far – what led you to IMC?
When applying for internships I saw an advert for IMC which caught my attention. As a summer intern for a combined hardware and software role, I would have the unique opportunity to work on both of my interests at once. A win-win!
When I applied, I was nervous because I thought I’d totally messed up the video interview, but here I am, having returned as a graduate in 2021 and now working as a both a Hardware and Software Engineer!
How much crossover is there between the two sides of your role?
There’s a lot of crossover between hardware and software in terms of general engineering practice. The principles that underpin good software code also apply to hardware and vice versa, so bridging the gap isn’t as difficult as some might assume. The tricky thing with hardware is that there isn’t as much open-source information out there as there is for software, but you can always connect with your colleagues to help solve the problem.
In terms of my role, IMC consistently takes into account my interest in both hardware and software. When there’s an interesting project that I want to learn more about, my manager always enables me to work on it.
For me, what’s most interesting, is determining which parts of a problem are best solved in hardware and which in software. Making these decisions early on in a project have big impacts down the line.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
As part of the Execution team, my main objective is to support the Traders to complete the trades they want. This involves working on a combination of software and hardware – specifically field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chips, which I program to carry out processes at speed. (You can read more about FPGAs here).
The mornings usually involve a team meeting, where we each outline what we’ll be working on that day or week across software and hardware execution developments. I then check in with the Traders using the features I have developed to see how they are working in practice and if there are any follow ups I can do to assist them.
The rest of the day is generally spent implementing new features for the trading systems. As I sit with both software and hardware execution developers, it’s easy to collaborate and make sure we’re getting the best out of both disciplines.
In general, I’d say I spend roughly 70% of my time on software. This is because, across our hardware development, we use a C++ framework to test our code, so our FPGA development involves a lot of software skills.
You’re two years into your IMC career – what’s next on the horizon for you?
I’d like to stay close to hardware, as I find the concept of designing at a low level of abstraction very motivating. Over the next few years, my main goal is to continue learning as much as possible, this is a huge benefit of working with such smart people – it’s a really great place to learn.
Colleagues always make themselves available to share their knowledge, and there are lots of great resources for continuous learning. In particular, I want to learn more about optimising FPGA designs as well as further develop my understanding of high-performance C++.
What advice would you give someone looking to kickstart a career in engineering?
IMC is a great place to build a career in technology engineering. From day one, you’re given lots of responsibility and technical autonomy. The projects you work on are meaningful and interesting, and you receive great support as an intern and graduate to learn and develop your skillset based on your interests.
If you decide to apply and are invited to a technical interview, do your research (obviously), but also work on your communication. Explain your thinking and ask questions about anything you’re unsure about. The interviewer is on your side and will nudge you in the right direction!
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