You’ve built a career in ASIC verification, but now you’re asking what’s next? How do you stand out from the crowd and move into more senior impactful roles? Today, I’ll break down the key strategies to take your career to the next level. I speak to mid to senior engineers every week who feel stuck.
Their experience technically strong, but not sure how to position themselves. So for the bigger projects, leadership responsibilities, or even that architect path, the truth is it’s not about working harder, it’s about working smarter and building the right profile.
Step one, go deeper into protocols at this stage is not just about knowing UVM and system Verilog employees want depth of PCIe Gen 5/6, NVMe 2.0, CXL, SATA, SAS. If you can design verification strategies around these, you become indispensable.
Step two, own the methodology. Move beyond just executing test benches. Show you can design verification environments, lead test strategies, and to introduce improvements to coverage and efficiency
step three, build leadership skills, even if you’re not managing people yet, act like a leader. Mentor juniors document best practices and demonstrate that you can coordinate across design verification and firmware teams.
Step four. Broaden your exposure. Get involved in System level work, not just block level chip integration, mix signal or security Verification are areas where senior engineers add huge value.
Step five, position yourself as a problem solver. Update your CV and your LinkedIn to highlight challenges you’ve solved, not just tasks you’ve completed in interviews. Focus on where you’ve drove improvements, cut regressions or enabled tape outs. Leveling up in verification means showing more than technical skills.
It’s about being a leader of methodology, going deep in on protocols and positioning yourself as someone who drives outcomes. That’s what employers are looking for at the senior level.
If you’re a mid to senior engineer looking for your next step, reach out. I’ve helped experienced verification engineers move into lead architect roles across the UK, Europe, and the US and I’ll be happy to help you do the same.
