Earlier this month we chatted with Qualcomm about their internship program and how you can start your tech career. During this session, we learned from Rami Mouro, Engineer (Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.) and FIRST alumnus, and Samantha Welch, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist, about Qualcomm’s career paths and how to prepare for them.
Rami shared his journey to Qualcomm Technologies and provided insight on his day-to-day as an embedded software engineer and how skillsets from FIRST translates into his role. Rami stressed that problem-solving and communication skills he learned with FIRST are skills that benefit him until this day.
“Building and programming robots and figuring out why and how things work and what we can do to make them better helped me both in college and at work.” – Rami Mouro
What was Rami’s path?
- B.A. Computer Science from the University of Colorado Boulder (focus on embedded courses)
- Applied to a Qualcomm internship and participated in Qualcomm’s interview process
- Interned for two consecutive summers with Qualcomm then returned Full Time after graduating as an Embedded Software Engineer at Qualcomm Technologies
- Involved with FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST Robotics Competition – FIRST Technical Advisor (FTA) and community resource in CO (and typically FTA at FIRST Championship); FIRST Robotics Competition – lead technical mentor for Team 2972
How can you best prepare for an internship at Qualcomm?
Explore
The Qualcomm team hires students and engineers in roles across software, hardware, systems, and more! Learn how to prepare for these roles by identifying technical and foundational skills to build upon in high school and beyond.
FIRST students become well-versed in crucial skills for careers in tech including programming in C/C++, teamwork, perseverance, communication, public speaking, and more.
Prepare
Consider furthering your education. This may look like a 4-year degree or an alternative path.
Develop a resume. Highlight your FIRST experience via a “Projects” or “Involvement” section.
Tell us about this experience via bullet points, sharing what skills you utilized, how you used them, and the result of your efforts.
Connect
Stay connected to the FIRST Alumni network to engage in career talks, workshops and activities that will help launch your career into tech.
Campus Involvement
At college, connect with the Career Center to learn about Qualcomm and other top-tier companies.
Continue working on projects and sharpening technical and foundational skills.
Get involved with a student organization or become a teaching assistant.
Apply
When eligible, apply for the roles most aligned with your skills and interests. For our Summer USA internships, please check our career page around September annually.
Eligibility for most Qualcomm internships is pursuing a Bachelors (Junior or higher), Masters, or Ph.D.
Experience Qualcomm
We support your success! You will be assigned mentor who will help you navigate your new team, provide you resources to solve complex problems, and welcome you to the Qualcomm community.
Intern events include: Executive Speaker Series, Networking Events, Social Events, Homerooms, Intern Days of Service, and more!
What specific qualities or skills does Qualcomm look for in candidates?
- Tech stack: C, C++, Python
- Juniors and seniors pursuing bachelor’s, master’s or Ph.D.
- Involvement! Join a student organization, partake in leadership roles, tutor or TA for a class
- Highlight projects on your resume
Next Steps
- Apply now to Internships and Career Opportunities – Internship and Career Opportunities | Students and Early Career Professionals | Qualcomm
- If you qualify, submit your resume via the FIRST California Resume Book by Dec 13, 2024.
- Follow us!