애플과 엔비디아에서 일하며 느낀 ‘최고’들의 특징 | 글로벌마인딩 S2 Ep.5

Brief Summary

In this interview, Seunghoon Choi, a semiconductor design engineer at NVIDIA, shares his experiences and insights on career growth, the tech industry, and personal development. He discusses his education at Minsago and Caltech, his work at Apple and NVIDIA, and offers advice for those starting their careers. Key takeaways include the importance of mental strength, continuous learning, proactive communication, and adapting to change.

Mental strength and self-reliance are crucial for success.
Continuous learning and adapting to new technologies are essential in the fast-paced tech industry.
Proactive communication and collaboration are key to career growth.
Balancing work with personal interests and health is important for overall well-being.

Intro

The interviewer introduces Seunghoon Choi, who works in semiconductor design at NVIDIA, and highlights his previous experience at Apple. The conversation sets the stage for a discussion about why Apple and NVIDIA are leading companies, emphasizing their responsiveness to feedback and willingness to adapt quickly. The intro also touches on the importance of luck alongside hard work in achieving success.

자기소개

Seunghoon Choi introduces himself, mentioning his current role at NVIDIA in the semiconductor design team. He briefly mentions his educational background, having graduated from a private high school in Korea before moving to the US.

(민사고) 민사고를 다니면서 가장 크게 배운 것

Seunghoon discusses his time at Minsago, emphasizing the school's focus on academics, civil affairs, physical strength, and mental fortitude. He highlights the development of mental strength and self-reliance through activities like mandatory morning kendo and strict self-management. He also mentions the school's open atmosphere, where students could request new classes, fostering independence.

고등학생 때부터 유학을 생각했나요?

Seunghoon explains that the decision to study abroad was influenced by his parents. At the time of his entrance exam, Minsago required students to choose between international and domestic tracks, essentially deciding their path early in high school.

(칼텍) 칼텍에서 들었던 수업 중 가장 기억에 남는 것?

Seunghoon recalls the "Einstein Paper Project" as his most memorable class at Caltech. In this class, students digitized and computerized Einstein's unpublished notes, combining the study of Einstein's life with practical digitization work. He also shares that Einstein was a visiting professor at Caltech.

칼텍은 어떤 특징을 가진 학교인가요?

Seunghoon describes Caltech's characteristics, noting its small size with just over 200 students per grade, which allows for small-scale classes and personalized attention from Nobel laureates and NASA experts. He also points out the school's strong focus on natural science and pure science over engineering, requiring all students to take physics classes regardless of their major. This emphasis leads many graduates to pursue academia rather than industry jobs.

칼텍에서 가장 크게 배운 게 있나요?

Seunghoon shares that he developed the ability to think about and solve difficult problems over a long period. He also learned humility, realizing the vastness of knowledge and the importance of collaboration. He mentions that assignments often involved difficult problems to be solved over a week, encouraging collaboration and open-book approaches.

글로벌 무대에서 주눅들었을 때 극복한 방법

Seunghoon discusses overcoming feelings of intimidation in a global environment by recognizing that it's impossible to be the best in every field. He focuses on his strengths and acknowledges his weaknesses, understanding that he can contribute uniquely. This self-awareness helped him to overcome his initial insecurities.

(애플) 애플에서는 어떤 일을 하셨나요?

At Apple, Seunghoon worked in the semiconductor team, verifying semiconductor designs. He explains that Apple, like NVIDIA, designs its own semiconductors and that his role involved finding and fixing errors in the design drawings.

애플의 입사 과정은 어땠나요?

Seunghoon recounts his Apple recruitment process, which began during his master's degree internship at another company in Silicon Valley. Encouraged by a housemate, he applied to Apple and connected with a recruiter on LinkedIn, leading to a quick interview setup and a successful job offer.

어떤 방식으로 본인의 역량을 회사에 어필하세요?

Seunghoon explains that he demonstrates his abilities by embracing new technologies and skills required by the company. He proactively learns and masters these new areas, showcasing his adaptability and delivering results.

애플에 다니면서 가장 크게 배운 게 있나요?

Seunghoon shares that he learned world-class industry knowledge from Apple's semiconductor team. He also emphasizes Apple's systematic approach, where every detail has a procedure and is highly digitized, illustrating how well-organized a global company can be.

애플은 실제로 사내에서도 비밀이 많나요?

Seunghoon addresses the rumor of Apple being a secretive company. While communication and cooperation are important, security protocols require additional steps, such as checking permissions before sharing project information.

애플이 세계 최고의 기업이 될 수 있었던 비결?

Seunghoon believes Apple's success stems from people's love for its products, which fosters a strong sense of ownership and meticulous work. This dedication to quality and attention to detail has propelled Apple to the top.

(엔비디아) 엔비디아에서는 무슨 일을 하시나요?

Seunghoon is working on AI chips at NVIDIA, unlike Apple, which focuses on consumer products.

엔비디아를 다니면서 가장 크게 배운 것?

Seunghoon learned that NVIDIA, despite being a large company, operates quickly and fluidly. He observed that even large organizations can be flexible and adapt rapidly when necessary.

엔비디아가 세계 최고의 기업으로 거듭나는 이유?

Seunghoon attributes NVIDIA's success to its quick response to feedback and willingness to make changes, even in large projects. The company also invests heavily in research, contributing to its leading position.

(커리어) 살면서 들었던 가장 기억에 남는 커리어 조언?

Seunghoon shares that the most memorable career advice he received was to be proactive, ask questions, and voice his needs rather than passively waiting for the company to provide everything. He emphasizes the importance of speaking up and sharing thoughts, even if they seem insignificant.

이제 막 커리어를 시작하는 사람들에게 해주고 싶은 말?

Seunghoon advises those starting their careers to be brave, proactive, and not timid, even with a lower rank. He also encourages them to see colleagues as partners in growth rather than competitors.

커리어 성장의 원동력을 어디서 찾으세요?

Seunghoon finds his drive for career growth in the vastness of the semiconductor field and the endless learning opportunities. He focuses on continuous learning and skill development rather than worrying about future positions.

하루 루틴이 있으신가요?

Seunghoon describes his daily routine as a typical office life, including waking up, going to work, exercising (swimming and gym), and doing additional work before sleeping.

워라밸은 어떻게 잡으세요?

Seunghoon balances work and life by dedicating time to exercise and continuous learning. He also spends weekends considering broader life goals and potential career changes, especially with the evolving landscape due to AI.

반도체 설계 엔지니어가 되려면 어떤 준비를 해야 하나요?

Seunghoon advises aspiring semiconductor design engineers to have a strong understanding of computer structure and architecture. They should also be proficient in programming, particularly hardware programming languages like Verilog or VHDL, and software coding for chip verification.

일을 잘하는 사람의 특징?

Seunghoon identifies strong communication skills and a deep understanding of tasks as key characteristics of successful individuals. He emphasizes the importance of questioning and understanding the reasons behind tasks to provide better assistance and perform the job effectively.

실리콘밸리에 이처럼 많은 인재들이 모일 수 있었던 이유?

Seunghoon believes that the abundance of opportunities in Silicon Valley attracts talented individuals. The presence of numerous companies across various fields, including semiconductor design, software, and big tech, creates a natural gathering place for talent.

(사회&삶) 막연히 꿈꿨던 미국과 실제 미국의 차이?

Seunghoon notes that his imagination of America was similar to reality, with people being laid back. However, Silicon Valley was different from his expectations, as it was not filled with state-of-the-art buildings but was more rural.

미국이 기회의 땅이라고 표현되는 이유가 뭐라고 생각하세요?

Seunghoon attributes America's reputation as the land of opportunity to its well-established social systems that allow for recovery after business failures. He also notes that the US values ability over rank or age, promoting a meritocratic culture.

어릴 적의 자신에게 하나의 조언을 해준다면?

Seunghoon would advise his younger self not to give up on learning piano and to avoid fixed ideas, recognizing that there are many ways to succeed with passion, effort, and luck.

살면서 갖고 있는 가장 큰 후회?

Seunghoon's biggest regret is neglecting his health in high school, which led to feeling unwell. He advises others to prioritize health, sleep well, and eat well, even while working hard.

어릴 때는 별로 안 중요하다고 생각했는데, 지금 와보니 중요한 것?

Seunghoon emphasizes the importance of luck alongside hard work. He believes that increasing the odds of success involves trying as much as possible and creating more opportunities.

지금 행복하신가요?

Seunghoon does not focus on finding happiness but enjoys the process of living.

10년 후에는 어떤 모습을 하고 계실 것 같나요?

In 10 years, Seunghoon envisions himself as an engineering leader, a mentor, or even a restaurant owner. He emphasizes the importance of adapting to change and remaining flexible, echoing Bruce Lee's words to "become water."

엄청나게 빠른 기술의 변화를 어떻게 따라잡고 계세요?

Seunghoon keeps up with rapid technological advances by using LinkedIn to follow experts and attending offline events to meet diverse people and hear stories that are difficult to find online.

과학과 공학 좋아하시나요? 왜 좋아하세요?

Seunghoon enjoys science and engineering because he finds the process of thinking enjoyable. He is particularly interested in physics and the process of explaining natural phenomena using formulas.