Rookie of the Year

Eswar Saravanan Kumar

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An electrical engineer turned ace Python coder, Eswar Saravanan Kumar, winner of the Rookie of the Year, talks about his first-year experiences at Soliton – his internship and learning journey, the transition from college to the corporate world, and how despite being a host at the award ceremony, he was unaware of the BIG announcement! Read on….

Kudos on winning the Rookie of the Year award! Let’s start with how it all began. How was your placement experience with Soliton? 

The pandemic delayed our placement process, and we were on the edge for more than six months, waiting for Soliton! But Soliton, being a core company in the semiconductor domain, was worth the wait. I gave it my all at the interview; thankfully, it went well! I realized that Soliton had great mentors from my interactions during my interview. And our CEO, Ganesh, interviewing us was the most unexpected part! But it was a very smooth interaction, and I truly enjoyed it! I’m happy that all my efforts bore fruit, and I finally landed my dream job. 

 

How was your internship program? What were the key lessons that you learnt? 

The internship provided a great platform to explore and learn. The major difference in a corporate environment is that we shoulder greater responsibilities, exploring more solutions than conforming to what is the most straightforward one. We get to work with more like-minded people, discussing different approaches, but being guided all the while 

 

WFH has its own set of challenges. How did you feel about onboarding virtually for your internship and for full-time work as a Project Engineer?

Of course, the biggest drawback is the social connection, which I miss a lot. But Soliton found a very nice way to overcome this through weekly video interactions with senior engineers, where we could talk and network. But on the other hand, WFH has its advantages where you can plan your day as per your schedule and work accordingly. 

 

How was the experience of interacting with a whole new bunch of people, virtually? 

The internship program provided a wonderful platform to make friends. Also, I was part of the organizing team for a few events at Soliton, that helped me socialize with my teammates better. The connection makes an impact. The more you get to know a person, the easier it becomes to work with them. 

 

What were your biggest achievements over the past year?

I received a Milestone Recognition for my project for bringing in sustainable changes that helped improve its efficiency. Also, I was awarded the Best Performer title in the four-week training program for Project Engineers. 

 

How was it to host a mega event like the Soliton BIZ Day in your first year at Soliton? 

The BIZ Day was the third event I hosted at Soliton, and so I felt confident. Also, I had received positive feedback previously that helped me perk up. I had a great co-host, Roshana [Anathakumar], which eased things. But the beauty was – despite being part of the hosting team, I never got the slightest clue about the Rookie award! Such a well-executed plan! [laughs] 

 

What does your typical day look like?  

I begin my day with my scrum meeting at 9 am which goes on for about 40 mins, following which I do some focused work until noon. I prepare for my customer meeting at 2 pm and then go back to development. I take breaks intermittently that helps me stay fit as well. 

 

What are your hobbies/interests?

I love playing the guitar and take up classes for the same. I also play video games at times. I love exploring any new term I come across or a topic that might be related to my job or interest. I love to learn and explore new domains, however small or big they may be!!

 

Written by

Arundhathy S

July 26, 2022