60-min 1:1 on your VLSI career with Deepika Ahlawat

Most professionals build their profile around what feels productive, be it certifications, courses, whatever a senior recommended, without ever checking if it's what actually gets you shortlisted for your next move. That gap stays invisible until you're actually applying, when it's too late to fix quickly.

I've sat on the other side of hundreds of interviews as an Engineering Manager at Synopsys. I know exactly what gets a profile shortlisted, what gets a candidate rejected in the first two interview questions, and what professionals waste a full year building because nobody told them it doesn't matter.

What you leave with:

— Whether your current track (RTL, DV, physical design, or analog) is still the right fit, or if a switch makes sense based on how you actually think and work, not based on what's trending

— The skills to prioritize right now, and the ones you can stop chasing because they don't move the needle for recruiters at your level

— A direct read on your current profile: shortlist-ready, close, or not yet — and exactly what closes the gap

— What actually happens in interviews at your target level (the real questions, not the ones on YouTube) so you know the shape of it before you're in the room

— A concrete plan for your next 30/60/90 days, written down before you leave the call, not a memory of good advice you'll forget by next week

Why this call and not a peer, a forum, or a YouTube video: they're each guessing based on one data point, their own experience, or one company's process. I've screened resumes and run interview loops across Synopsys, Intel, Xilinx, and MathWorks. You get the pattern across companies, not one person's anecdote.

Book this if: you're a working professional in VLSI/semiconductor roles and want a plan instead of more opinions, whether you're weighing a switch, aiming for a level-up, or just want a second opinion on where you stand.

Come with: your current resume, and 2-3 specific questions. Walking in with "just guide me" wastes half the call on questions I could've answered if you'd sent them ahead.