I'm now at the stage where I'm vetting candidates for IBM's Quantum Computing team. Here's what I've learned from both sides of the interview table (not IBM-specific): ➡️ Your network matters most. Referrals always win. ➡️ Technical skills are critical. You need real hands-on experience. ➡️ Show that you can learn fast. Stories about jumping into new situations and succeeding are highly effective. ➡️ Quantum is a small world. People will look you up and ask around. Don't burn bridges. Everyone knows everyone. ➡️ Communication matters. If you're super awkward or can't communicate well, you won't get hired. ➡️ Job descriptions lie. Ask questions before and during interviews to figure out what they actually need, then sell yourself on that. We recently interviewed someone for "design and simulation" in the job description but really wanted someone who could get hands-on in the lab measuring and debugging stuff. ➡️ You might get rejected for absolutely no reason. HR screens resumes first at big companies, and for technical roles they have no clue what they're looking at. Your resume might get filtered by AI or someone making $2/hour in a 3rd world country before the real hiring manager ever sees it. ➡️ Hiring is annoying. Make it easy for them. ➡️ Control the narrative. Give concise, memorable responses that make it easy to pull out the positives. ⁉️What's been your experience? Have you seen any of these play out in your job search? Also, what would you add to the list?

Hi everyone, recently I started to apply for quantum firmware engineer jobs. I upload my resume here and hope you could give me some suggestion if you're convenient. Thank you so much!

Hi, recently I started to use a open source quantum control tool called QubiC to do measurement on transmon qubits, and I think it's a good time to write a roadmap that I would like to achieve in the lab. 1. Use QubiC by programing python code to implementations, such as one tone / two tone measurement to find resonators' and qubits' frequencies. 2. Setup FPGA board + RFSoC with quantum computer, to learn how to deploy the hardware controller. 3. Learn FPGA design, from entry level to advanced level, by online resources. 4. TBD I start to learn hardware stuff is because it's not easy to apply for a job only with firmware skills. Honestly, the number of hardware engineer positions is more than firmware engineer ones. Welcome to have a discussion with me, and hope everyone can achieve goals!

What was your initial drive to want to build a career in quantum computing? It’s not like CS where it’s perceived as an “easy career that pays well”. For me, I started with the simple notion “I like computers, and quantum computing seems like a more interesting and advanced version of normal computers”. Of course my first inclination was a little naive, but that’s OK. It eventually grew into a genuine passion. I feel like everyone’s interests originate from some visceral and unconscious gut feeling and can build to a true passion with real experience. What was your gut feeling that has drawn you in to quantum computing? I shared my naive start, so it’s OK if yours is simple too.

Hey everyone, I’m in the middle of building out the Quantum Engineering Roadmap course, and I want to make sure it’s actually useful for you, not just what I think should be in it. So I’d love to hear: - What do you feel is missing in your Quantum Engineering career development path? - Where do you usually get stuck or overwhelmed? - Any other feedback or suggestions you have Your feedback will directly shape how I build this out. I’ve got my own roadmap and experiences, but this community is about helping you define yours, so the more you share, the more I can make sure this course actually moves the needle for you. Drop your thoughts in the discussion below 👇