ENT 601 SME Interview
By: Semir Ajsic
Interview with: Mr. Javaid Ikram, the Engineering Manager at Intel Corporation
Short Intro:
Ladies and gentlemen, today I have the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Javaid Ikram, the Engineering Manager at Intel Corporation. I have known Javaid since 2006; we met during my undergraduate studies at UNC-Charlotte. Mr. Ikram graduated UNC-Charlotte with Masters of Science in Optical Science and Engineering and is currently pursuing his Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Electrical Engineering at Arizona State University. Javaid joined Inter Corporation in 2008 as an intern and has been working with Intel Corporation since then. During his tenure, Javaid authored and co-authored several publications for the Intel Assembly & Test Technology Journal, SPIE – The International Society for Optics and Photonics, and the American Society of Precision Engineering.
Mr. Ikram, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to grant me this interview today. I greatly appreciate your willingness to share your journey with us as we go through some questions regarding your journey at the Intel Corp.
Let’s get started:
Semir: Tell me a little bit about how you started with Intel Corporation, sort of an overview, please…
How did you first enter your line of work?
Javaid: While at UNC-Charlotte, I was lucky enough to do an internship at Intel Corporation in the summer of 2008. During the internship, I was able to apply much of the knowledge and skills I had learned during my graduate studies to implement a measurement system for Intel’s latest processors. This experience motivated me to apply to the company when I graduated. 10 years in, I look back fondly at the journey.
Semir: Could you give me some examples to illustrate the challenges you faced in starting with Intel Corp, as an Intern or any other roles?
Javaid: I quickly discovered that life in industry is very different from academia and requires an integrated approach to work-life balance. Intel corporation is the largest manufacturer of top of the line processors in the world with “Intel inside” being as ubiquitous as computers themselves. Behind the scenes this requires a lot of research and development as well as high volume manufacturing of millions of processors. The biggest challenge has been to maintain the high level of sustained focus over a long period of time. Any mistake could result in loss of money and time so there is always a lot of pressure.
Semir: That must be very challenging, could you describe for us a typical day at work?
Javaid: A typical day starts early at 6am. We review all process control indicators and respond to any issues in the manufacturing facility throughout the day. As leader of the team, I am responsible for allocating resources and coming up with a gameplan for execution. It is critical to engage with various teams to make sure they are not impacted with any of our work. At the end of the day we make sure we have a cogent passdown for the next shift to continue the manufacturing process.
Semir: What advice would you give to someone who was considering a career in Engineering?
Javaid: I have found my career in engineering rewarding in every way. Engineering is a broad field and my recommendation would be to acquire as many relevant skills while in school as you never know when you will need them. Volunteer in a research lab or a machine shop and really work hard on your craft.
Semir: What kind of formal education and additional specialized training would you recommend that a person should acquire to enter into a profession like yours?
Javaid: A Bachelor in engineering is typically required, while an associates is useful for technician roles.
Semir: When someone joins your company, how do you orient them as a member of your team?
Javaid: We have a very good new employee integration system at Intel. First we have a new employee orientation which is led by someone who has worked at the company for a while. There are a series of web based trainings which range from technical information to behavioral and cultural aspects of the company. Finally, we assign a buddy with the new hire to make sure they get acclimated to the new job.
Semir: When problems arise, how does your management team (or how do you) resolve them?
Javaid: We try to resolve issues using data-based problem-solving. We let the information guide the conversation
Semir: How do you motivate and reward people?
Javaid: We have a robust rewards program. It ranges from annual performance review rewards to goodie drawers and recognitions.
Semir: How are things going in your company in general, right now: are you hiring, downsizing, or “staying as you are” in terms of your company’s workforce; are sales up, down, or flat?
Javaid: Intel corporation is one of the original Silicon Valley companies, has been in existence since 1968 and has over a 100,000 employees worldwide. It remains profitable and stocks are at a 20 year high. However there are several issues in the global economy as well as a technology shift to data centers. As a result the job roles are undergoing a transition.
Semir: How do you keep up with best practices in your industry?
Javaid: Intel supports career development by supporting employees education initiative. As a result I am pursuing my PhD in electrical engineering and hope to graduate this year.
Semir: That sounds very exciting. I wish you the best in pursuit of the PhD and many more achievements and accomplishments on business as well as personal levels. It was a pleasure conducting this interview and conversing with you. I appreciate your kindness in accommodating this interview, please let me know if I can ever return a favor in helping you in some way!
