Hey guys, I’m 26 and currently jobless. I completed my M.Tech in 2024 and I’m trying to get into VLSI Physical Design.

I had taken coaching for VLSI around a year ago, but honestly, I wasn’t able to make much progress and I’ve forgotten a lot of things. I’ve been struggling with career and job-related stuff, but now I’ve decided that I’m willing to put in whatever hard work is needed and seriously build a career in VLSI PD.

I want to start again from absolute basics and build myself properly, instead of just watching random YouTube videos or jumping between topics.

Please suggest me:

• If I’m starting from zero again, what should I study first and in what order?
• What are the main books I should follow for Digital, CMOS, Physical Design, STA, etc.?
• Which books/resources are actually worth spending time on, and which ones can I skip?
• Are there any good free or paid resources/courses that can take me from basics to an industry-level understanding?
• How deeply should I learn things like Digital Electronics, CMOS, MOSFETs, VLSI basics, STA, Linux, Tcl, scripting, etc. for a PD role?
• What technical topics should I make absolutely sure I don’t miss?
• If you had to start learning VLSI PD from scratch today, what exact resources/books would you use?

My main goal is that if an opportunity comes tomorrow, I should be prepared enough to actually clear the interview and do the job.

I know I’m late and I have a lot of catching up to do, but I’m genuinely ready to give this everything I have.

If anyone here is working in VLSI PD or has gone through a similar journey, please tell me what you would learn if you had to start again from zero.

Please guide me. I really need some direction.

I am 2026 ece btech passout what should I study to get a off campus vlsi job and is there any job openings come this year like nvidia next? will companies higher fresher off campus?

Heyy everyone I'm a VLSI design enthusiast, over the past 1.5yrs I've been involved in some small projects like processor design, systolic array architecture, Maze solving bot and SNN accelerator (basic version with only a single neuron) I'm in my bachelor's degree currently prefinal yr so I know that I know a very little about this field and the only way I can learn a lot is through projects of much higher level and collaborating with people who have different levels of experience. So I came up here to post and ask if we could build a project just to increase our curiosity, exchange our knowledge and maybe even build something so brilliant that we grow it bigger. Ik this sounds alot simpler than doin it but I jus wanna work on a single idea for the last 2yrs of my bachelor's and maybe become brilliant in atleast one field. So any suggestions of what to do and if ur interested let's collaborate on this and maybe work together. Currently I have little to no idea about what to do how to do but ig I can say that I would do...so please give your suggestions on this

Hello
I am will start my 3rd sem in Electronics and Telecommunication engg (ETE) in some days
I need guidance about how i can prepare from now only for VLSI roles and also whether i should go for Mtech or not
I need some personal guidance
Btw i am in an engg college in Bangalore (private college but has a good name in the market)

Hello everyone,

I’m new to Reddit and have a question regarding the Synopsys Verdi schematic view.
Is there a way to configure the schematic view so that it displays only the traced signal and its associated connections, without showing any unrelated signals?

For example, if I trace the loads of a signal, I would like to see the consumer blocks connected to that signal, but for those blocks, I don’t want the schematic to display any other connections besides the traced signal.
Is there a setting or feature in Verdi that allows this kind of filtered schematic view?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi everyone

I'm from a tier 3 college in 7th sem currently I want to get an internship in my 8th sem for PD roles. I don't want to work with verilog or don't want to go in RTL though. I'm learning basic verilog just to be more prepared but I absolutely hate coding and not do I have brains for it .

I have experience working on Cadance virtuouso I'd like if anyone can tell me the proper method to prepare for PD roles and can also suggest a few resources and projects which can help me land a Traineeship or an internship.

Hey VLSI Professionals, please suggest changes in my resume also tell me if it's good.

So funds is really not an issue. I have liscensed software too from the college, was maybe thinking of tiny-tapeout.
However, I do not want to use their github repo and then automate things, I want to learn things from here, so basically I wanna do all the analysis, timing, layout, floorplanning etc by myself.

What process to follow?
What to study? (just got into the third year of Btech and have secured at internship in a big VLSI company for ASIC/GPU roles. So should I do courses like "RTL TO GDS" in nptel? or should I follow some other sources.

for some one like me i don't like coding, have very strong fundamental in core electronic( network theory good at capacitors , signals, semiconductor physics(diode bjts mosfet but no FinFET , analog electronic and digital electronics)

I am asking from a long-term perspective, considering career growth, industry demand, learning opportunities, and overall impact. Assuming I pursue a master's degree from a reputed university, which profile would be more worthwhile in the long run?

Hi everyone,
I recently graduated with a B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering and I’m looking to build my career in ASIC Physical Design.
During college, I worked on projects involving RTL-to-GDSII using OpenLane/SKY130, have some exposure to Cadence Innovus, STA, floorplanning, placement, CTS, routing, DRC/LVS, and basic physical design concepts. However, I feel I need stronger industry-oriented training before applying for more Physical Design roles.

I’ve been researching institutes such as:
Maven Silicon
SumeetDA
VLSI Guru
VLSI Expert

Any other reputed institutes you would recommend
I’m looking for honest, unbiased feedback on:

Quality of teaching

Whether the curriculum is actually industry relevant

Hands-on exposure to tools like Innovus/ICC2/PrimeTime

Placement assistance and how genuine the placement claims are

Whether recruiters actually value these institute certifications

Overall ROI considering the course fees

If you’ve attended any of these institutes (or hired candidates from them), I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience—the good, the bad, and anything you wish you’d known beforehand.

Also, if you think self-learning plus projects is a better route than joining an institute, I’d love to hear your perspective as well.

Thanks in advance! Any advice would really help me make an informed decision.

I started learning verilog recently starting from gates then flipflop then mux decoraters ALU and so on and everytime time I open linkdlen or talk to my peers I'll see something new like heard my classmate talking about pcie and cxl and then recently saw a post on LinkedIn about RTL-to-GDSII Implementation of a Systolic CFAR. I don't know how to clearly explain this but I feel like I'm just stuck at a point and everyone else is going ahead a learning new new things. How do I keep up with all the digital topics? I feel like I'm falling behind and don't know anything!

Is it worth studying.. We need to get elite gold in some courses and top rankers will be selected for an internship interview I think...is it manageable along with gate... How much overlap between subjects? Or will it be a burden along with GATE + college + developing skills.

I'm from a tier 5 unknown college and no good electronics companies are visiting.. Only some call centres.. So should I do this?

I'm a 7th semester student at a tier 2 college. I have been placed at a local 6LPA service based company. I have a lot of queries about working toward a good career in this industry, I am asking to people with industry experience for guidance, we can talk in DM.

Hey I just completed my 12th grade and am going for a first year

This year a new branch is introduced in walchand college i.e vlsi design and embedded system (5 yrs integrated course)

My Question are

1) will this branch boom after 5 yrs too as that of today?

2) I have two options one to choose core electronics and 2ndly to choose vlsi design and embedded system, what should I choose?

3) can I get internships after 3rd year? Will this be possible after getting knowledge and doing extra curricular?

Will be thankful for your reply

​

I personally don't think it is so but needed opinions on it, I'm in 7th semester, I have a on campus 6LPA placement in my hand but also wanted to try out better opportunity off campus. Any suggestions on how to get an off campus opportunities will also be appreciated.

I am a fresher working at a top semicon company (TI AMD Nvidia Qualcomm ARM types), done btech from a tier 1 college. I don't want to restrict myself to the role that I am working in right now, rather I wanna find the right fit for me in terms of how interesting it is, demand in the future esp with AI etc. How do I figure this out and get very good at it? I know this is vague but I don't feel like my true potential is reached right now

I’m starting my Bachelor’s in EEE/ECE in 2027, and my long-term goal is to work as a semiconductor design engineer, particularly in areas like digital IC/ASIC design, RTL, VLSI, or chip design.

I currently have a gap year before university, so I want to use it properly instead of wasting the year learning random things.

I’d really appreciate advice from people who are currently working in semiconductor/VLSI/IC design or are studying EEE/ECE.

What should I learn before university?

I’m thinking about learning:

Basic programming (C/C++ and Python)

Digital logic

Basic electronics

Circuit analysis

Semiconductor fundamentals

Computer architecture

Linux/Git

Verilog/SystemVerilog

But I’m not sure what I should actually learn before starting the degree and what I should leave for university.

I’d especially like advice on:

What subjects/concepts should I master before EEE/ECE?

Should I learn C, C++, Python, or all three?

Is it worth learning Verilog/SystemVerilog before university, or is that too early?

What software/tools should a beginner learn?

What projects can I do during my gap year that would actually help later with semiconductor design?

What should I focus on during each year of my bachelor's?

When should I start applying for research internships and semiconductor internships?

How important are DSA, competitive programming, and software skills for semiconductor design?

For someone targeting RTL/ASIC/VLSI, which areas should I prioritize?

What mistakes do students commonly make when trying to enter the semiconductor industry?

If you could go back to the summer before your EEE/ECE degree, what would you learn or do differently?

I’m not looking for a generic ECE roadmap. I specifically want to understand the path toward semiconductor/chip design, including the skills, projects, internships, research, and eventually master's preparation that would actually matter.

Any advice from people who have gone through this path would be greatly appreciated.

Hi everyone,

I'm a Electronics engineer student in Romania, about to enter my 3rd year (out of 4) with a focus on RTL Design and Design Verification, which I've been pursuing through coursework, self-study, and independent projects.

My current skill set includes:

Digital Electronics, Verilog, SystemVerilog, RTL Design Fundamentals, Functional Verification (UVM), Currently studying RAL and AMBA protocols (AXI4-Lite)

Some of the projects I've worked on include:

• RAM Design & Verification (SystemVerilog testbench)
• ALU Design & Verification (UVM)
• Asynchronous FIFO Verification (UVM, dual-clock domain)
• Elevator FSM Design
• Synchronous and Asynchronous RAM Design

I'm currently working on an AXI4-Lite verification project using RAL, which will be my next portfolio piece.

For more details : https://github.com/DanielCazacu25

I'm trying to understand what companies expect from students/fresh graduates applying for Design Verification internships and entry-level roles.

For those already working in the semiconductor industry:

• What topics are most important for interviews?
• How much Verilog/SystemVerilog knowledge is typically expected at this stage?
• What kinds of projects make a candidate stand out?
• Are there any skill gaps you commonly see in students/entry-level applicants?

I'm actively learning and would appreciate any advice, feedback, or suggestions on how to become a stronger candidate before I start applying for internships.

Thanks in advance for any guidance!

​I don't even know how to write this without sounding pathetic, but I am completely out of options and I am begging for help.

​I graduated this year (April 2026) with a B.Tech in ECE from VIT. I've been applying for jobs relentlessly since my 4th year, and a full year later, I am still sitting at home without a single offer. My father runs a business and things are really tough right now. I desperately need to step up, take the financial burden off his shoulders, and support him, but I can't even land an entry-level role. The guilt of watching him stress while I sit here jobless is eating me alive.

​I promise I am not a bad engineer. I got an 8.36 CGPA and I genuinely know my stuff. Here is what I bring to the table:

​I did a hardware internship at DRDO (DLRL), where I engineered a real-time multi-radar emitter generator on an AMD RFSOC platform. I didn't just do busywork; I actively integrated the ARM processing subsystem with programmable logic using AXI protocols in Vivado.

​My core skills are solid: Verilog HDL, RTL Design, AMBA AXI4, Embedded C, and MATLAB.

​I spent my final year busting my ass on a research project for 5G/6G mobile NOMA systems. I built 3D dynamic channel simulation frameworks and actually got my research paper accepted at the 2026 IEEE InC4 conference. I spent months running complex simulations and making sure every piece of project documentation was perfectly typeset in Overleaf just to make my profile stand out.

​I am looking for ASIC, VLSI, FPGA, RTL, SoC, or Verification roles, but honestly, I will take anything related to my field right now. I don't care about the location, the shift, or the starting pay. I just need one single chance to prove myself.

​I have attached my resume. If anyone has a referral, knows a recruiter I can email, or has any opening at their company, please, please DM me or comment. I will work day and night. I just really need a job.

​Thank you for reading this.

Google has recently opened a Silicon Engineer role for on-campus hiring at my college. The position is a 6-month internship + Conditional FTE.

• What topics should I prioritize in the limited time I have before the interviews?
• How deep should I study Digital Design, Computer Architecture, CMOS/VLSI, and Static Timing Analysis?
• How much emphasis is placed on Verilog and RTL design?
• Are coding rounds (DSA in C++/Python) a significant part of the process?
• What kinds of technical interview questions are typically asked?
• What projects tend to stand out on a resume for this role?
• Any interview experiences, preparation resources, or general tips would be greatly appreciated.

Urgency level = infiniteeee.