When the SEMI Professional Development Seminar kicked off on the morning of Nov. 7, 2025, on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, a room full of eager students anticipated learning critical information about the semiconductor industry and discovering career opportunities. They sat attentively as they heard from a series of morning speakers, but the clear highlight of the day happened after lunch hour, when a panel of professionals invited them to “Ask Me Anything”. 

The panel, organized in a partnership between the SEMI Midwest Chapter and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering, involved four growing players in the industry, working in key positions across four of the most significant companies in the semiconductor space. Students heard from: Brendan Aird of IBM Semiconductors, Nicholas Cys of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Arizona, Maggie Kamman of Polar Semiconductor, and Anna Albert of Tokyo Electron America. 

It likely came as a surprise that each of these professionals, as much as they enjoy their work, did not begin their careers with the semiconductor industry in mind. 

“I distinctly remember Googling, ‘What is a semiconductor?’ before my (first internship) interview, but what I learned throughout the (experience) is that the industry was really exciting,” said Kamman, who enjoys being on her feet as a process engineer for Polar Semiconductor. 

“My initial background was in computer science, and I wanted to be software engineer coming out of college,” said Aird, a global strategic technology business development executive with IBM. “But I love talking to people. I love talking to clients and trying to figure out how we move forward strategically.” 

Advice to students

Each panelist talked at length about the valuable lessons they learned as they climbed the corporate ladder from internship beginnings to full-time roles. They especially emphasized the value of soft skills. While technical knowledge is always important, it isn’t necessarily the most valuable part of career growth. They encouraged students to value teamwork, communication and adaptability as they enter the professional world. 

“I really believe that everyone here is smart. If you spend time on training, PowerPoints and going to classes, you will learn the technical information with no problem,” Cys, a senior process integration engineering at TSMC Arizona, told the room at large. “What’s going to be the dealbreaker is, can you work with other people to achieve the goals for your project?” 

“You’ve got to have an edge,” Aird added. “If you’re going up against other interns, and they’re technically just as sound as you, you’ve got to find ways to stand out. Communicating is huge. Being in a team environment is huge. Being outgoing is huge.” 

A common experience when joining the industry ranks is imposter syndrome — the creeping feeling that you don’t belong, Kamman stressed that she has been in this exact situation and proposed an effective solution.  

“I think imposter syndrome can hit a lot of people hard, especially for us women, with it being a male-dominated industry,” she said. “It’s just important to remind yourself that you belong and to not be afraid to ask questions or say that you don’t understand.” 

“Curiosity is your friend,” added Anna Albert, a technical support engineer for Tokyo Electron America. “I find that people who come in and ask more questions seem like they’re invested and they want to learn more.”

Students might also feel pressure in long-term planning, if they feel they need to have their careers mapped out before joining a company. It’s OK to slow down and think it through, Aird said.

“Try as many things as you possibly can when you’re young,” he noted. “Because then you have a wide variety of skills on your resume. If you have aspirations to get into management and higher levels in companies, that’s the way to go.” 

Albert echoed this thought as someone who pivoted roles early in her semiconductor industry career, She made a lateral move from working in process engineering to a hardware role that better suited her skill set. 

“Don’t be afraid to make those changes,” she said. “You’ll find that a lot of people in the semiconductor industry do not have the same job for 30 years. They’re changing companies and changing positions.” 

A sentiment from Albert’s mentor might serve as a succinct guide for young professionals: “College is a sprint, and working is a marathon.” 

While students want to be as prepared possible, they don’t need to have all the answers right away. The right mindset can equip a person with patience and persistence to tackle challenges as they come.

Why semiconductors — and why now?

Chips are the backbone of every technology we rely on in the modern world, from smartphones to cars. While the need for semiconductor technology won’t go anywhere anytime soon, the industry finds itself at a crossroads. According to the Semiconductor Industry Association, the number of available jobs in the United States is expected to grow by nearly 115,000 by 2030. About 67,000 of those roles risk going unfilled, due in large part to an insufficient number of students number of students pursuing STEM career paths to meet market demand. 

In response to an urgent need to improve, the United States government heavily invested in semiconductor industry growth in the 2020s. The CHIPS and Science Act, signed into law in 2022, earmarked $53 billion to enhance U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, research, and development, along with building a future industry workforce. 

“We have a lot of talented people who have been in the industry for a long time that are retiring, and so there’s kind of a talent deficit right now,” said Kamman. “Companies are going to have to be more competitive when it comes to benefits and training. So it’s a really good time to enter the industry, and I’m just excited to see what our generation is going to do with it.” 

“The industry has been important for a long time, but it’s going to get even more important as artificial intelligence comes into play,” Aird said. “It’s going to get more demanding. Economies run on (chips), but it’s going to be the economy as time goes on here.” 

Cys’ experience at TSMC Arizona higlights just how rapidly the industry is growing. The organization is led by President Rose Castanares, a 1988 graduate of the Illinois materials science and engineering department. The company currently has $165 billion in funding to build out its semiconductor facilities across Arizona — the largest foreign direct investment in American history. 

“We’re going to have six new fabs being built, and so there’s just so much to learn, so many different process nodes that we need to learn,” Cys said. “What I’m most excited about is getting to learn something new every day.”  

The semiconductor industry isn’t just looking for the next generation of engineers. It needs them, and the door is wide open for Illinois students to seize the opportunity.