Meet Marta Chmiel, a system-on-chip designer at Intel Poland. She is a member of the FPGA and Programmable Devices team located in Gdańsk.A STEM evangelist and champion for women in technology, Marta Chmiel and her small-but-mighty team are hard at work impacting the future of technology.
We recently spoke with her about her journey to Intel, the exciting work her team is doing, and the importance of diverse perspectives in the design process.
A riddle wrapped in a mystery…
My job might sound mysterious (and sometimes is), but the core of it is hardware design. My job is to verify our designs and prevent any pesky bugs from getting to the customer.
It can sometimes seem tedious, but the key is to approach it like a riddle. It is challenging and extremely important work that saves lot of time in the long run.
What that really means
I could try to explain what we’re working on in detail, but I’ll go with the cooler option. Search the internet for the Intel® FPGA Programmable Acceleration Card N3000… I’ll wait. Yep, it was designed in Gdańsk.
My team is on the small side by Intel standards. It’s comprised of around 20 people with very different technical backgrounds. This is our strength! Most of my colleagues have tons of experience, so there’s a lot of knowledge to absorb.
Jumping at opportunity
After I earned my Master of Science degree and working in the field for three years, I was ready for a change. When I heard that Intel was hiring, I thought to myself: “How cool would it be to work there?”. I sent my resume, crossed my fingers, and here I am.
I think working for one of the industry leaders is great, especially in the formative years of your career. You can learn a lot (and I mean A LOT), not only technically, but also in terms of working culture. I believe that every single experience I have here is valuable. What’s super important to me is that working at Intel means a lot of challenges and opportunities, and this equals growth. You just must be motivated to learn.
The chance to inspire others
Feeling like you’re making a difference is really boosting. Not only do I have the chance to work on state-of-the-art technologies that are changing our future, I’m also driven to encourage students (especially girls!) to join Intel.
I’m very dedicated to the idea of STEMinism. It’s awesome that more and more girls and women are intrigued by STEM fields, but we still need more! We must stress how empowering it can be to work in technology.
I strongly believe that diversity enriches every team, different point of views can only be beneficial. I’m glad that Intel supports this idea with its work culture and mentoring programs.
Final thoughts
Girls – don’t hesitate! You have a place in STEM.
Interested in joining Marta and her team at Intel? Check out open job positions in Poland.
