Kimberly Hall: Seeking NXP’s New Breakthrough Talent and Leaders

Kimberly Hall is a University Recruiting Program Manager at NXP. Based in Austin, Texas, she is responsible for intern and new college grad hiring for the U.S. and Canada regions. The University Recruiting Team won an award from Handshake - a tool used to connect with students at over 2000 universities. The team was recognized as an Early Talent winner, based mostly on how they leveraged ambassadors to connect with students on the platform (you can find out more on Handshake’s blog here.) When not recruiting the next generation of NXP bright minds and leaders, Kimberly likes to do yoga, drink Belgian beer and hang out with her partner and dogs. We caught up with Kimberly to talk about her work.

Kimberly Hall

NXP: Why do you feel proud to work at NXP?

Kimberly Hall: For a number of reasons. Firstly, I really like the technology aspects of our business. Our engineers are designing and building the components for cool consumer products that make the world a better, safer and more secure place to live. Secondly, I also value the company’s commitment to Diversity, Equality and Inclusion that I truly believe comes from the top of the organization. In the university space, we have the opportunity to make a real difference! We can connect with students through organizations like the Society for Women Engineers, the National Society of Black Engineers, and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and share with them NXP’s purpose and values. Students want to know they are looking at a company that is making a difference in the world, and I’m able to sincerely say I think NXP is one of those places!

NXP: How would you describe the spirit of NXP to potential recruits?

KH: The NXP purpose statement really says it all: Bringing together bright minds to create breakthrough technologies that make the connected world better, safer and more secure.

NXP: Why is NXP Austin such a great place to work?

KH: I work at the Austin site but recruit for all our U.S. locations. The managers I work with are so smart and engaged and want to find top quality candidates for both internships and new grad roles. The internship experience we provide is top notch – meaningful projects, personal and professional development, technical and social mentorship, and lots of fun activities as well. This summer we have 150 interns across all the U.S. sites. The program starts with a full day of orientation, where we invite leaders from the local site and business lines to come in and chat with the interns about what they are working on, their NXP journeys and what to expect while they are with us. Everyone encouraged the students to ask questions, challenge assumptions and to make the most of their time with us.

NXP: Are there any programs at NXP Austin that specifically target interns and new grads?

KH: Our interns are our main pool of candidates for filling our new graduate roles so it’s important to us that they have a great experience, as well as learn the skills they need to be successful with us after graduation. Our new in career (NiC) development program was designed to help our new college graduates (NCGs) transition more smoothly from university life to corporate life at NXP.

NXP: What does the program entail?

KH: There’s a study plan that recommends going through the content in a methodical way; first, getting to know NXP overall, starting with an introduction to all the business lines (not just your own), Semiconductor 101, Finance for Non-Finance Majors, and an introduction to our corporate strategy. Then it’s on to the soft skills – things our past NCGs and their managers said were sometimes missing, so needed a leg-up, including business communication, cross-cultural communication and project management. Finally, it’s about connection and mentorship. NCGs are assigned a peer mentor to help them learn the rules of the road over their first few months with us. They are also encouraged to build and expand their networks.

NXP: How can they expand their networks?

KH: I’m glad you asked that because building and leveraging networks across the company is a big focus for the work we do with interns and new grads and there are so many opportunities for them to meet people at their local sites as well as around the globe. NXP Engage! is a program that randomly pairs employees for 30-minute chats, as often as the person wants, and most of the interns participate in that program every summer. We also encourage interns and new grads to get involved with our ERGs, which are a great way to connect with others, find mentors and get involved in the local community. Additionally, we also invite site leaders in to talk to the interns in both large and small groups.

NXP: Are our leaders easily accessible to newcomers?

KH: Yes, the interns have direct access to leaders in our business and they can ask them anything – and believe me they do! It’s by building and expanding networks that NiC employees can learn about what’s going on in other parts of the business and help them prepare for their next role. One of the best things about working for a company the size, breadth and depth of NXP is that when you’re ready to move on and do something else after a few years in your first role after graduation, you don’t have to change companies to do that! We want new hires to have all the tools they need to have a long and successful career with the company.

NXP: What types of roles are you looking to fill with new college graduates at NXP USA?

KH: We fill all types of roles at the Intern and NCG levels, and we’re just getting ready to kick off our Student Engagement activities for this fall (see below for how to sign up for those events on Handshake). We’re looking for about 200 Interns for next summer, and about 160 New Grads to join us in January or June.

NXP: What application tips do you have for candidates interested in joining NXP?

KH: Make sure you’ve included all your project work on your resume, including results of the work you did. This kind of thing is way more important than the part time jobs you may have held over the summer or during the school year, in terms of its relevance to the roles you’re seeking now. It’s important to get those “keywords” like tools and software you’ve used on the resume, but it’s better to include how you used them rather than just including them in a list with no context – the resume scanners will pick it up either way! I also encourage students to sign up for Handshake (anyone with an .edu email address can sign up, even if your school doesn’t use the tool!).This is where we host virtual information sessions about NXP overall, our business units, specific roles and give students the opportunity to connect directly with NXP employees at many levels, including our recent grad hires. We also post all open intern and new grad roles here. When you set up your profile, be sure to add all the skills you have in the skills section! That way you’ll come up in the searches we run to find qualified candidates!

NXP: Finally, what is the most frequent question you are asked as a recruiter?

KH: Do you sponsor international students? Yes! Do you provide relocation if I need to move? Yes!

Learn more about Careers at NXP.