Appetizers

Starting with some basics.

Fun Starters

Getting to know the human side.

 Main Course

A quick deep dive into the day-to-day job.

Tell us about yourself and your job.

I work as a Business Development Analyst at Qualcomm specifically within the Internet of Things (IoT) Business Unit. A few of my key responsibilities include tracking key customer performance indicators, assisting in developing market forecasts, and analyzing customer forecasts to identify trends and opportunities for the business.

How did you end up in your field? What do you like about it?

To be quite honest, I never envisioned working within the Telecommunications/Semiconductor industry specifically at Qualcomm. I randomly came across this opportunity in my job search upon graduation and there were a few key aspects that made me interested in applying and have continued to make me interested even after working for 1.5 years:

1. Working within the IoT business unit means I get to have a lot of exposure to different technologies within a plethora of industries (Healthcare, Smart Cities, Retail, Transportation/Logistics, Agriculture, etc.)

2. The nature of my work doesn't confine me in one space, I do a little bit of everything from financial analysis, to market research, to working on customer-facing presentations.

What does a typical morning look like on the job?

Usually, I wake up around 8:45 AM to get ready for my day and log on to my computer at around 9:00 AM. If it's a Monday I'll have an IoT staff meeting with the whole department to align on tasks, ongoing projects, or any issues.

Upon finishing any additional ad-hoc meetings, I usually jump straight into working on some of the projects that have been assigned to me, or I check my e-mail to see if any new tasks have been given to me.

Cool, then what does a typical afternoon look like?

My typical afternoon doesn't stray too far from my typical mornings. I usually make lunch at around 12:00 PM or 1:00 PM (or buy take-out if I'm lazy, which is most of the time), and then resume working on whatever I started in the morning. However, I usually have more meetings in the afternoon so if I'm not working on projects, I'm usually in the meetings taking notes and trying to learn as much as possible.

What types of projects and meetings are you involved in?

The best thing about my work is that it isn't clearly defined. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, but in my case, I believe it's a good thing. While a decent portion of my work is project-based, the other amount is usually on an ad-hoc basis and that's where it gets more interesting. I'll sometimes be working with Business Operations to assist in forecasts, and sometimes I'll be on calls with Finance to help analyze financials. Some of the meetings I'm on also include customer calls as well as internal meetings with other departments to align on projects.

Who do you collaborate with in meetings and projects? Cross-functional teams? What's it like?

I touched upon this in the previous answer but to be more in-depth on which teams I consistently collaborate with, I collaborate with Finance, Marketing, Business Operations, as well as Product Management. Aside from interdepartmental teams, I also collaborate within the business unit with other team leads. It's great at Qualcomm because everyone is very welcoming which makes the job a lot easier since it requires a lot of communication.

 Dessert

Now for some juicy insights in the tea room.

What's the most challenging thing about your job?

The most challenging aspect of my job is understanding the technical aspect of Qualcomm's products. Qualcomm's main products are chipsets that are used in a multitude of industries and use cases. This makes it hard to understand the ins and outs of each product as well as the business knowledge attached to each of them. There'll be times where some technical terms are being thrown out in meetings and I usually have to take note of them and research them later to make sure I understand.

What are some characteristics that can help someone succeed in your role?

I think the most important characteristic that'll help someone succeed in my role is the ability to adapt. As mentioned before, the work I do is constantly changing. One day you might be researching competitors within the Healthcare industry, and the next day you might be doing research in a completely new industry you've never had exposure to. So having the ability to adapt and ask questions when they arise is crucial to stay atop all of the work you have to do.

Any advice on how to stand out and get hired for those just starting off?

The most important thing anyone can do to stand out in terms of applying to jobs is the ability to understand your strengths and develop a compelling story to sell those strengths.

When I was interviewing for jobs, my prep included a variety of things, but the thing I spent the most time on was crafting an answer to the question: "Can you tell me about yourself?". I spend the most time on this question because it's almost always going to get asked, and it's usually the first chance to make a good impression on the interviewer.

What's something that surprised you about your job?

The thing that surprised me most was that I was able to make an impact starting from day one. Judging from the job description that was posted, I thought most of my work would be on a smaller scale, but I've actually had the opportunity to work on a lot of meaningful projects during my first year and a half here.

Any last thoughts, advice, or recommendations for someone who wants to do what you do?

Don't be afraid to ask questions! I think I spent most of my first few months at Qualcomm being scared to ask questions because I was worried if I would sound clueless. But in reality, asking questions is the best way to learn and demonstrate your ability to listen. I would give this advice to anyone whether it be in an academic setting or a professional one.

 Drinks

Chat more over coffee or tea?