Given that I have a pretty good understanding of my skills, experience, and where I want to go, I thought I'd combine these milestones into one post to save some time (plus its exam season!) What TECHNICAL work do you look forward to doing? I've always been better at and enjoyed my hardware/electronics/devices classes more than my software classes. This has been reflected in my grades, and where I choose to spend my time on. I know that if/when I enter the quantum engineering industry, I will somewhat prefer to be physically tinkering with, debugging, and building things in the lab rather than sitting in front of a monitor. As a result, I choose to focus my efforts in improving those skills. This is reflected in my experience with materials fabrication and characterization, and in my RF lab work. What's one thing you will do to deepen your technical skills? The technical skill that I have in mind is RF engineering. So far, I have done coursework on it, and I have done a undergraduate research project that exposed me to MATLAB, HFSS, and VNA testing. I intend to complete an internship next summer on this topic as well, where I will be exposed to Python scripting, circuit design, and fabrication. I hope that after these experiences, I will be able to apply to quantum positions beyond my senior year. I will also be taking some electives in quantum physics and computing. What is your unique starting point? As approach the end of my undergraduate degree (3 semesters left), I will have had a lot of research experience (with results hopefully soon), internship experience, and a good GPA. My most competitive asset in industry is my RF engineering experience, while my research experiences prepares me for graduate school. My biggest qualm is that I was not able to directly get any quantum experience to apply my RF skills to before graduating. I goal is to hopefully do a capstone related to quantum computing, and then apply to graduate programs where I can apply my RF skills to a quantum computing lab. I already volunteer a lot in different leadership positions in both technical and non-technical clubs, so I'd say I have a good grasp on the soft skills.

I’m an undergraduate engineering student deciding between Electrical Engineering (EE) and Computer Engineering (CE) with long‑term interest in quantum technologies. What I enjoy most lab experiments, tuning parameters, and writing my own analysis/visualization code. My dilemma is that EE seems essential for quantum hardware (analog/RF, devices, control). However, CE seems to offer more “ready‑for‑market” skills (systems, security, networking, robotics) in case I don’t land a quantum role immediately. Access to internships is limited where I live, so I’m weighing foundation vs employability. I’ve listed the course plans below (sanitized):– EE core: circuits, signals/systems, electromagnetics, analog/mixed‑signal, control, devices/semiconductors, RF/microwave, lab.– CE core: computer architecture, OS, networks, embedded systems, digital design/HDL, security, algorithms, lab. My question is give all these factors and for someone who loves hands‑on lab work and coding for experiments, which path would you prioritize? What electives/minors would best keep both doors open (quantum hardware and broader industry)?

So far in my journey, the technical work I most look forward to is designing and building the high-frequency or mixed-signal hardware that directly interfaces with quantum systems. This comes from the trial and error system that I have conducted where I have dabbled in hardware, software, and theory. When I realized hardware is what I truly enjoyed, I switched out of Computer Engineering and into Electrical Engineering. Because I know hardware is what I'm passionate about, I tried to get involved in as many hardware projects as possible that are applicable to quantum computing. I was essentially filling out my roadmap without even realizing. Thanks to this community, I am now bridging the gaps for areas that I have neglected or missed. This is why my senior design project is heavily involved with RF engineering, and I started a new research project involving RF engineering to build a system that interfaces with the atomic experiments. I have found through this process that getting in the lab and getting things done is what I truly enjoy doing. Building the actual hardware that solves the tough experimental challenges, like control, readout, and noise suppression even when they are a headache.

My calling towards quantum computing came in bits(qubits? haha) and pieces before I was able to string them together into one cohesive mission. In one such story, I was 12 years old when I first started learning about computers. As I read that they are just manipulating “1s and 0s,” my first thought jumped immediately towards, “Why are we stuck with base 2? There has got to be something better.” This was before I knew what quantum was. As a kid with hyperphantasia, my mind has always been filled with vivid scenes. I often daydream about highly advanced infrastructure that would help all humans prosper. Whereas other kids may have appreciated the fights and character development in sci-fi franchises like Star Wars, I was captivated by the control all the sentient species had over their dominion. I was so passionate about moving up on the Kardashev scale and wanting to contribute my efforts to such an enterprise. That belief still resides in me today. It was those types of thoughts stuck with me as I was deciding what to do with my life after my sophomore year in university. I had chosen electrical engineering for its versatility and practicality, and there were too many desires pulling at me in so many directions. I thought about what drove me as a child, and what choices my innate self would make. Quantum computing actually came to the table after I reflected over those things with a trusted supervisor. We both went over the things that excited me in the classroom, such as analog circuitry, electromagnetics, and signals and systems, as well as the impact I wanted to make after starting my career. With experience in microwave engineering, and nanofabrication, along with my deep seated desires, quantum computing just felt so correct, like a relief across my body. That was the moment I knew that a career in quantum would be something I would love to put much of my energy towards. I have read some of the other answers here and they are really methodical and analytical (in a good way!). I fear that my story may be too emotionally/whimsical to be taken seriously if I tell an interviewer or even others in general. However, this is more or less the story of how I decided I wanted to be a quantum engineer, so… thanks for reading!

I have spent the last few weeks pondering this question so I can really come up with a genuine question. I know passion alone is not enough to get me through the door. So I took this time as an opportunity to really answer this question honestly, and relate it to my current experience. My passion for quantum computing comes from my dual background in both physics and electrical engineering. My physics coursework gave me the fundamental understanding of quantum information theory and qubits. But my electrical engineering side, especially my research, is what gives me the “how”, and that's what truly excites me. For the past year, I’ve been designing the specific hardware to control sensitive atomic physics experiments. I’m not just running simulations; I’m building FPGA-based control systems from the ground up to solve real-world problems, like suppressing 60 Hz line noise and designing analog feedback loops for precise timing. I have also recently started an RF engineering project where I am designing and building RF electronics to control laser power/ antennas for the manipulation of atomic states. Alongside that my senior design project where I am building a qubit readout system using an FPGA and RF DDS signal generation. This experience showed me that the biggest barrier to scalable quantum computing isn't just theory; it's a massive hardware engineering challenge. It's a problem of noise isolation, signal integrity, and real-time control at an extreme scale. I want to work in quantum computing because I want to be one of the engineers in the trenches solving those specific, difficult hardware problems. I am open to any opportunity in quantum computing, but I am mainly focused on IBM. The reason I'm so focused on IBM is that, frankly, no one else is closer to solving those hardware challenges. The work on quantum hardware is exactly the kind of engineering I've been preparing for and want to be a part of.