Interview with Henry Crandall – Scholarship Winner

Henry Crandall is a Senior at the University of Utah studying Electrical Engineering and Russian and plans to graduate in the Spring of 2021. He chose to major in Electrical Engineering at the advice of some trusted mentors.  He mentioned during the interview that “I always knew that I wanted to study engineering, but deciding which discipline was not easy.” Henry understands the value of connecting to real-world engineers and attempted to gain this valuable experience through internships and projects.

He was part of the founding members group of the IPC Student Chapter at the University of Utah. In 2019 he was named one of the IPC Student Member Scholarship winners. When asked about this accomplishment he said:  "I appreciate being awarded this scholarship because it shows me that IPC cares about students getting involved with IPC related industries while still in school. I plan to use these funds to help pay for education and living expenses so I can continue my internship in the electronics manufacturing industry."

Charlene Gunter du Plessis, Sr Director of the IPC Education Foundation connected with Henry to learn more about his current journey especially regarding his professional experiences to enhance his profile for employment after graduation.

Charlene: “Why have your chosen this career path?”

Henry: “I ultimately decided to study Electrical Engineering for its high demand, breadth, and for its presence in the booming tech industry.  I have always had a passion for learning about the cutting edge of technology and for engineering to improve society.  I have found that this major is the perfect combination of both my passions.” 

Charlene: “Please share any professional work experiences you have had.”

Henry: “Here is a list of my experiences:  I was a Technical Market Analyst at the University of Utah Center for Technology & Venture Commercialization and during this internship, I performed high-level market analysis and competitive landscape reports for ongoing research at the University of Utah.  I learned to think about technology through a business mindset. I also served as a Test Engineer at Sanmina Corporation. During this year-long internship, I became an essential member of the PCB/Electronics test team.  I participated in the debugging and reworking of over 500 defective PCBs.  I also had the responsibility of overseeing the testing flow including creating innovative process improvements. My most recent position is as Product Engineer at Micron Technology. As a member of the Product Engineering Reliability team, I participated in statistical yield analysis and reliability grades for emerging technologies.  I was given the main responsibility of automating some of the most commonly used statistical analyses." 

Charlene: “What valuable tips do you wish to share with likeminded students about internship opportunities?”

Henry: “I have made internships a main focus of my education experience.  I have found that internships have benefitted me with insights into how engineers work in the real world.  There is no better way to learn which skills engineers use daily than working alongside them.  Moreover, internships have helped me to narrow down which industry/engineering role I want to make a career in.” 

Charlene: “What are your plans to grow professionally during the summer?”

Henry: “This summer I am participating in a full-time (remote) internship with Micron and starting to work on my senior design project.  I also plan to begin preparing for graduate school by studying for the GMAT/GRE.”

Charlene: “What attributes of an employer are attractive to you?”

Henry: “I value a company that has a well-established culture.  Especially the ones that value their employees.  My dream employer would have an established company culture that financially rewards engineers for their work, maintains a healthy work-life balance, and provides opportunities for growth.”

Charlene: “Do you have short-term goals?”

Henry: “My short-term goals include completing my undergraduate degree with honors, find a job with a top tech firm, and get admitted into a leading MBA and/or MS program.”

Charlene: “Thank you, Henry – I look forward to hearing about your career progression.”

Henry: “Thank you, Charlene.”