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2003 Notice from the President

Notice from the President

There has recently been a slight increase in customer activity and Signalogic now has several projects pending and a few new ones active. Because of this we are looking for embedded system engineers. However, based on a few recent interviews, I feel the need to explain the situation to people who may not have realized yet just how competitive the engineering field has become in 2 years, and how many U.S. jobs are moving permanently overseas to India, China, Russia, and other locations. Many engineering jobs, especially ones with specialized requirements and straightforward performance measurement, simply are not coming back, regardless of what the various economic experts and pundits happen to think.

Below are some requirements; please read carefully. You need to be 100% comfortable with these before even considering to apply at Signalogic. Your resume must be accompanied by a cover letter that includes 3 or so paragraphs which explain clearly and thoughtfully why you are suitable and why you meet the requirements. Otherwise, you will receive no response from Signalogic one way or another regarding your resume and any other information that you might send to us.

Skills. You must be able to perform expertly at least TWO (2) of the skills listed below:
- complex logic design, including high-speed signal integrity, simulation, skilled at Verilog and VHDL development, including multi-programmer approaches to project development, knowledge of Xilinx and Altera tools
- complex (up to 14 layer) board design including advanced component identification and specification, schematic capture, guidance and specification of layout process, and communication with PCB fab
- microprocessor and DSP programming, BOTH, including advanced algorithms, IDEs such as CCS and CodeWarrior, assembly language programming, peripheral drivers, and peripheral and other hardware-level debug
- low-level drivers under WinXP, Linux, or Win9x for boards that you design or debug
- interface library (e.g. DLL or shared object) software development

We are willing to teach you skills listed above other than the two or more that you already know.
Salary level. If you seek year-2000 or prior salary levels, then you will be disappointed with our offer. Regardless of how many years of experience you have, if you cannot perform ALL of the items listed above, then our offer to you will be in the 45 to 65k range, and no higher.
At each of the skill items listed above I am expert, and my salary is deliberately less than any engineer working here (which ranges from 55k to 72k for full-time staff engineers). In the last year during several difficult periods, I worked 14 hrs per day, and another 16 hrs on the weekend. Other engineers here also work hard, and they too are experts. Imagine other companies with engineers trying to compete with that, and then multiply that to about 15 or so companies in our market area around the world. That should show you clearly, with no room for doubt, that for surviving companies who are managing to grow and introduce new products and technology under the current difficult economic conditions, competition is stiff!!! You had better be good if you want a high salary, and you had better be able to prove it to me and other Signalogic staff engineers. Otherwise, don't even think about applying at Signalogic, and certainly do not complain about a low initial offer. If you prove that you are worth a larger salary, then you will be paid a higher salary. That's how it works now, that's how it's going to stay, that's it. This is the 21st century, year-2000 thinking is dead (it was bogus in the first place). I hope we are clear on that subject!
Debug. You must be extremely good at debug. Any engineer can design, only a few are talented enough and sharp enough to debug in a reasonable amount of time. Even fewer enjoy the challenge and complexity of advanced debugging, and only a rare few reach the level where finding and fixing a tough bug becomes a personal battle to win at all costs. If your resume does not include the actual word "debug" then you will not be considered. Even if you are not expert, your willingness to debug and learn how to do it efficiently and effectively should be noted.
Performance. You must consider your level of performance to be such that you will "make your own job". By that I mean you will be directly responsible for designing, implementing, debugging, and delivering new products that bring in revenue. You have to be willing to consider the big picture, focus on deliverables, and ensure that we deliver fast enough, with appropriate functionality, that the company gets paid, and therefore you get paid. You CANNOT treat the position as insulated and routine, where you work by yourself, focus on a narrowly specialized task, and remain oblivious to the customer situation.
At Signalogic, you must have enough confidence and ability to be able to create your own success. In a business sense, by that I mean contribute directly, in a tangible and easily recognized manner, to the company being able to win in a highly competitive environment. We provide a framework of support, an established position in the marketplace, talented and hardworking colleagues, and a leading-edge, creative working environment. But you have to bring top 5% ability and hard work to join us; you cannot be a "role player". We have enough projects and business and new products to support engineers with this high level of ability, but we do not have enough to support role players. I hope that makes sense.
Communication. You must be excellent at communicating. This includes a true belief in teamwork, guidance and teaching subordinates, asking for and providing help, using news groups, communicating in writing both with customers and colleagues, and detailed status reports. If you think these are corny buzzwords at Signalogic, you're absolutely wrong.
Work ethic. You must have no problem with long work hours if you get behind. If you get stuck, if you get behind schedule, then you eat here, you sleep here, you do whatever it takes to fix the problem and get back on schedule. If you think you're going to walk out at 5:00 p.m. on Friday afternoon, and leave me or another engineer to work over the weekend on your problem that is causing you to slip the schedule, you can just keep walking. The rule is: if someone else has to do your work, you no longer work. Again, I hope we are clear!
Additional salary consideration may be given for engineers who prove to also exhibit business sense, effective customer communication, and who demonstrate they can contribute to capturing new business.
For applicants who now think Signalogic is a grim place to work, it most definitely is not. Now that you've read this far, I'm happy to tell you that in addition to salary ranges noted (applying only to engineers who have proven themselves, as noted), we provide 3 weeks PTO per year for new empolyees (more with time served), fully company paid medical and dental plan, 401(k) plan option, and compensation days for long hours incurred during deadline situations. If you should turn out to be an H-1B applicant as our only qualified candidate for a given position, then also please note that Signalogic pays for all visa expenses -- all.
In addition, as I've been an engineer for many, many years, I will mention some things I think you will appreciate about the Signalogic working environment: a) everyone in our group is an eagle, there are no turkeys -- there is no chance of being dragged down by a co-worker not pulling their weight or not bright, enthusiastic, and helpful, b) every product and project we do is leading edge and new technology, every day is a learning experience and a challenge, c) the chance to be directly responsible for your own income and job security by doing a top-notch job, and d) openness and honesty from your employer (obviously).

Thanks for taking the time to read this far, and for applying at Signalogic if you choose to do so.

Jeff Brower
President and CEO

P.S. If you think that I'm an AH after reading this, I'm not. Actually, I am accused most of the time of being too nice. But this is an important subject, very, and it needs to be crystal clear. If you don't believe me, then at least know that I'm an equal-opportunity AH :-) Follow-Up -- the Discussion Starts

Over the last few months, the above notice was circulated on job discussion boards and forums, and eventually reached the Dallas Morning News, where business employment columnist Victor Godinez wrote an article that mentions it.

Also, Jack Ganssle of Embedded Systems Journal recently ran a column critical of the notice. Ok, a classic example of state of denial. Here is my reply to Jack:

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: response to your column quoting my company's job page
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 22:55:41 -0500
From: Jeff Brower 
Organization: Signalogic
To: Jack Ganssle 

Jack-

"But this ad is egregious. It stinks of Nike's deplorable Asian employment policies".

  --Jack Ganssle

How?  Am I sending work overseas?  I am the person working many, many hours and very
hard to maintain American engineering jobs.  What are you doing to restore our
engineering economy?  Complaining?  I have no patience for people who whine and
cannot adapt and fix the problem, none.

Why are you not writing about large corporations abusing the L-1 visa system,
bringing foreign managers and engineers to their US locations for several weeks to
give them all necessary knowledge to do their American counterparts' work?  Followed
of course by sending the foreign personnel back overseas, then layoffs of the
American engineers who are no longer needed.  And even worse and almost inhuman: 
forcing those American engineers to TRAIN the people who are about to take their
job!  I'm far, far from that despicable corporate behavior.  There's something that
stinks if you're looking for s---.

My main point, which I think you miss completely, is that the world is a very
competitive place, INCLUDING engineering.  I cannot understand why you -- or other
engineers -- think engineering should be exempt from a worldwide trend.  We need to
compete right here in the US, and we need to compete now and hard.

Here is a comment I got from one of your readers:

  "Your position of embracing the loss of American engineering
   jobs to $12K.yr peasant programmers could easily make your
   company the poster child for greater restrictions on
   technology exports."

Engineers in Bangalore and Shenzhen are "peasants"?  Do you agree with this reader
who appears to be exhibiting a most un-American and bigoted attitude?  It strikes me
that this is the type of person who sympathizes with your column.

Please remember that I'm fighting tooth and nail to do my part to re-build
engineering jobs -- and the status of engineering jobs -- in this country.  The
highest salary at my company is 72k -- that's not mine (as mentioned on the website,
mine is lower).  The person I reference has 4.5 years of experience; she went to high
school in Richardson, Texas, got her BSCS and MSCS at Univ of Texas at Dallas, and
has been working at Signalogic since 1999, when she started part-time while still a
student.  She can write Verilog on one keyboard, write a complex math-based DSP
algorithm an another, and create an MFC or .NET based program on another.  In other
words, she is extremely, extremely good.  With my current approach, it takes an
engineer some time and hard evidence of outstanding performance to get to that salary
level at this company.

Engineering is returning to its roots, when engineers were treated with the same
respect as doctors and lawyers, when not just everyone could get a quick software
degree and jump in there.  Year 2000 thinking is dead, exactly as it should be.  If
you think I'm part of the problem then you are in a state of denial -- people like me
are working hard to fix the problem!

Hey thanks very much for your thought-provoking column.

Jeff Brower
President
Signalogic

P.S.  You quote an Oct 2002 salary survey.  My understanding is that more than 2
million tech jobs were lost overseas in the last year, which would make Oct 2002
ancient history.  I would suggest to quote something current.

A recent Washington Post report on a speech by Andy Grove, Intel Chairman, puts into clear terms the consequences of the US failing to be competitive in key tech sectors, (you can also see the article on the original Washington Post page, but you will have to pay a fee to see the archived article).

He is precisely correct. He sees a big picture, I see the one on the ground. In either case, the conclusion is the same: our engineering economy is not competitive, and we need to be fixing that problem now.

And here is the best big-picture description of the current situation I have found yet, an unbelievably frank and candid Business 2.0 interview with Intel CEO Craig Barrett