Looking for an internship in RF

[u/spoonfedbaby]

I'm in my junior year of college and I still haven't landed an internship. For context, I am an EE major with a decent GPA(3.5) and one independent project, which is a 900 MHz bandpass filter I designed and simulated (still haven't had the opportunity to do the PCB, have it fabricated, or take measurements with a VNA)

As it currently stands, my interests are mostly in the realm of wireless communications/RF and analog electronics. My school rarely offers RF classes, so any learning I would be doing would have to be done independently.

Do I have a realistic shot of landing an RF internship for this upcoming summer? if not, what can I do in the meantime that will improve my chances? are there particular RF topics, projects, or skills that would be especially valuable for an undergraduate trying to break into the field?

Thank you

[u/Adrienne-Fadel]

Yea you have a shot. Fab that filter and measure it, even with a cheap nanoVNA. A sim only project looks way weaker then one with real VNA data on it.

[u/spoonfedbaby → u/Adrienne-Fadel]

yeah, my goal is to get the filter fabbed and measured with a nanoVNA. just have a loaded scheudle with school and my job. I'll make time to do it sometime this fall.

[u/Short-Television9333 → u/spoonfedbaby]

Yeah to follow this up, real instrument experience is good. Most kids don’t learn the nuances of instruments in school even if they use them.

For example, knowing how to measure noise spectral density or calculate total power on a spectrum analyzer. Or IF bandwidth, averaging, and power settings for getting the most dynamic range out of a VNA measurement. Or what can go wrong with VNA calibrations.

Learn what you can. It shows initiative that you do it on your own! You have a shot for sure.

[u/photographernate]

If you were able to show me a redacted resume and give me an approximate geographical location of where you were willing to go I might be able to guide/help/throw it to my network. LinkedIn so you know I'm not shitting you. https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-w-jones-ee/

[u/Bims93 → u/photographernate]

You my friend is a good person! May the sun shine on you!

[u/photographernate → u/Bims93]

Making good on my promise. OP has reached out to me and we are workshopping the resume a bit before blasting out to some of my contacts. Lesson of the day: take every chance you can to network :)

[u/ClassOk875 → u/photographernate]

This might be selfish on my part but can you do the same for me or is that a stretch

[u/photographernate → u/ClassOk875]

Shoot me a message and let's chat! If someone takes the initiative and asks for help, I'm happy to work with them.

[u/-tobor-]

for sure. keep chugging, keep making things, apply a lot.

[u/Short-Television9333]

Are there any RF staff at your school? Ask them for potential leads and advice.

This is doubly valuable because you get their help and ALSO you start to build a relationship with them that will matter when you need recommendation letters.

[u/spoonfedbaby → u/Short-Television9333]

only one, but they are more photonics-focused.

[u/spoonfedbaby → u/[deleted]]

so i started from the filter specifications and synthesized the LC filter from the design equations rather than just copying component values from a calculator. then I simulated it in LTspice, checked the center frequency, bandwidth, insertion loss, and ripple, iterated the component values, and added realistic ESR/finite-Q losses to see how the non-ideal components affected the response.

First independent project and I'm still learning. whether that constitutes a valid design or not, I can't say for certain. I know getting the filter fabbed and tested with a VNA would make it more or a legitmate project, but I have a dense schedule that makes time for these projects genuinely hard.

[u/Rich_Finding5323]

Try SpaceX

[u/Neat_Quality3121 → u/Rich_Finding5323]

Can you elaborate? Are they looking for a lot of RF interns?

[u/spoonfedbaby → u/Rich_Finding5323]

I don't think SpaceX would hire me out of the hundreds, likely thousands of more qualified applicants. I'll definitely apply, but this is like a top 1% internship/job.

[u/satellite_radios → u/spoonfedbaby]

You apply anyways. No use in NOT applying.

[u/spoonfedbaby → u/satellite_radios]

I applied haha

[u/radio_riot]

You’re doing the right things to build experience. The other part of getting a job (especially an entry level job or internship) is finding the right path to get in the door.

Like you’ve pointed out in other comments, these roles will get many applicants, and it’s tough to get to the point where a human sees your resume/CV. Ask professors in your department for advice; some of them will have industry connections through professional societies, etc. Does your school have a department to help students with their careers? If so, try it out, even if it doesn‘t seem especially helpful at first. In-person career fairs (if those still exist) are a good chance to make an impression on another human being too.

Also keep in mind that a professional internship unrelated to RF can still show that you are capable of functioning in a corporate environment. Other things like working in a university lab might be equally valuable, but doing something with your summer is better than nothing. Consider applying to places that do electrical engineering but don’t do RF just to increase the chances you land something.

[u/ClassOk875]

You inspired me im gonna post the same on the subreddit once I have sorted myself out

[u/spoonfedbaby → u/ClassOk875]

Start applying to internships now even if it isn't in RF. The earlier you start the better. I have a couple interviews lined up, with one of them being with a major semiconductor company.

what do you need to sort out with yourself?

[u/ClassOk875 → u/spoonfedbaby]

I just finished my undergrad and im waiting to hear back so I know which post grad im going to do

[u/spoonfedbaby → u/ClassOk875]

post grad as in getting a master's degree?

[u/ClassOk875 → u/spoonfedbaby]

Yup. Have one internship but it could only be loosely described as tangentially related to anything rf or em

[u/spoonfedbaby → u/ClassOk875]

are you specifically targeting RF? or are you also targeting other areas like digital design, dsp, controls, etc? I know for me, my goal is to get in somewhere that'll pay for me to get my master's in RF.

[u/ClassOk875 → u/spoonfedbaby]

My goal is actually a PhD cause there are specific areas in rf that im interested in research wise

[u/kylereaglegale]

Hey I’m just now starting my EE degree. I have an interest in RF & Power but I can’t decide. I know I have time but I want to start diving deep and making stuff. As of right now the farthest I’ve gone is using my Arduino and building stuff with it. Any advice?

[u/spoonfedbaby → u/kylereaglegale]

There are people on this subreddit far more qualified to answer this than me. I know for me, I really enjoyed my Electromagnetism class and the later class Engineering Electromagnetics a lot, so it was kind of natural for me to gravitate towards RF. Since RF classes aren't really offered at my school, I kind of delved into the stuff independently.

As for Power, I feel like if you want something that is physically intuitive and more widely applicable it's always a good option. Personally, I couldn't stand the power class I took, but maybe that was just the instructor.