Interview with Mythili - Importance of learning electronics
Meet Ms. Mythili Arunachalam, who makes a push for upskilling in basic electronics and developing hands-on skills.
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ACG: Tell us about yourself
Mythili: I did my schooling in Coimbatore and then joined Government College of Technology (GCT), Coimbatore for a BTech in ECE, and got placed in the firm Bosch from campus placement, and I have been here for the past 8 years. I joined as a software developer, and I am currently a senior software engineer and I hope to become an architect soon!
ACG: Why did you choose ECE?
Mythili: Though I liked programming, I was much more interested in hardware and electronics. I got my inspiration from my father, who was also well-versed in electrical tinkering!
ACG: Were you able to sustain the interest during college?
Mythili: Yes, I liked math, control systems and devices, but was less interested in communications. I enjoyed the courses that involved electronics.
ACG: How did you get placed on campus placement? What helped?
Mythili: I used to visit Prof. Ananthanarayanan at Amrita University, and got exposed to various devices and experiments in his lab. He also used to conduct mock interviews. These helped me gain enormous confidence. The actual selection was based on an aptitude test and interview questions that tested my basic knowledge of electronics and software development cycles.
ACG: Bosch is one of the top companies in embedded systems. Are you happy with your job and career progression?
Mythili: Yes, I am quite happy. As I am in a product company, I feel that I have a lot of opportunities for innovation and creativity.
ACG: Tell us about your current job. What do you do?
Mythili: We work on the software development for the ECUs ( engine control unit) for passenger cars and trucks. We do model-based development for code generation and verify it via unit tests and system qualification tests.
ACG: What are other companies doing similar things?
Mythili: There are many car companies including Tata, and Mahindra, though not all have presence in Coimbatore, where I wanted to live.
ACG: What are other options for an ECE graduate like you? Where are your peers?
Mythili: Semiconductor manufacturers are hiring big time. Some of my peers are also doing VLSI programming.
ACG: What is your final message to budding students?
Mythili: In these times of big changes, it is important to keep updating with the latest. Your life is in your hands. While you have to get hands-on skills outside your courses, do also your courses in the curriculum sincerely. While one may be able to develop programming skills over a period of time, it is important to pick up the basics of electronics in college. All the best!
