INTERVIEW
Electrical Engineering
Intern at Information Network R&D Center of Radio Transmission Systems Department
Puneeth is from India, currently studying at the University of Texas, Dallas. He is pursuing a Master degree in Electrical Engineering. Puneeth interned with us at our Information Network R&D Center of Radio Transmission Systems Department at Osaka Works for 10 weeks.
Why did you want to intern at Sumitomo Electric?
Joining Sumitomo Electric as a global intern would give me the opportunity to work hands on in a professional environment. Such an internship would not only give me industrial experience, but also global exposure in my field. As a student who wanted to shape his career in the field of radio frequency, I was very fortunate to have found this internship. Also, I was very interested in Japanese working culture. I wanted to not only sharpen my skills that I picked up in college, but also improve my efficiency and time management and this internship was the perfect opportunity for it. It was almost like this program was custom tailored to my needs.
What has been the most interesting thing you have learnt from this internship?
During my internship, I casually expressed my interests to my mentor about how I wanted to design active devices like low noise amplifiers and power amplifiers later in my career. My mentor then gave me a new task, apart from the existing task, to design and implement a driver stage amplifier using the load-pull contour data. I had constant support and guidance from both my mentor and my supervisor during the tasks. These experiences in designing such circuits will truly help me build my resume and more importantly, be a better RF engineer.
What was a typical workday like for an intern at SEI?
After taking the train from my dormitory to the office, I would greet my mentor and supervisor with the words – ‘Ohayō gozaimasu, Go anzen Ni’, which means good morning, safety to you. Then, you are expected to do morning exercise. After that, I set my schedule for work for the day. I was assigned to the Radio Transmission Department of the Information Network R&D Center. This involved working in a lab, making measurements on a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) and Spectrum Analyzer to characterize a power amplifier for base station. I would constantly interact with my mentor through SEI’s webmail by sending him results of my measurements in the lab. By the end of the day, I would summarize my measurements and results then say – ‘Otsukaresamadesu’ (thank you for your hard work) to both my mentor and supervisor before leaving.
How has the internship help shaped your career?
I had the chance to work on something which is directly related to what I want to do in my future career. The skills that I have learnt here are not limited to just academic skills, but also time management, social skills, real world experience and most importantly, a foundation for my RF career. I am convinced that the things I have gained during my internship will come in handy when I graduate and start working for a company.
What advice do you have for future students considering to participate in this internship?
My advice to those students would be to not miss out on a unique opportunity like this. Let your passion drive you to step out and experience the world in a different perspective. You will also be exposed to a lot of Japanese culture and chances to explore places in Japan. You will surely have one of the most memorable times of your life here during this internship!
