My seed is curiosity about technology

Misa Yamaguchi

Career hire Semiconductor Engineer (Semiconductor) Altima Company
1st Technology Division, Applied Technology Department 1

Yamaguchi joined Macnica with the desire to "be exposed to a wide range of technologies." He continues to grow as an engineer by listening to customer requests, seeking cooperation from various stakeholders, including veterans on his team and external specialists.

Q1: What is your current job and what is rewarding about it?

Customer-facing engineers

I worked in circuit design and development at a home appliance manufacturer for about three and a half years before joining Macnica. After joining the company, I was assigned to a specialized team called "Backend" that provides technical support to customers, where I spent about two and a half years learning about FPGAs, a type of semiconductor device, and for the past year and a half, my mission has also been sales promotion activities.

Although I am an engineer, I sometimes accompany sales representatives to propose devices before customers introduce products. I introduce the most suitable devices based on the customer's requests learned through interviews. I also play a role in post-sales support, dealing with problems that arise during the customer's equipment development.

The project I am currently in charge of often involves cooperation from various people both inside and outside the company, and sometimes we even have semiconductor manufacturers, our suppliers, join us in meetings.

As an engineer, being able to hear the knowledge of specialists about cutting-edge technology is a very valuable experience, and acquiring knowledge through these efforts is something I look forward to every day. Also, because I am often in charge of large-scale projects, I feel rewarded when these are brought up in large-scale internal meetings.

Q2: Why did you choose Macnica?

Come to Macnica for a wide range of technologies

The reason I started looking for a new job was because I was surprised at the lack of technical skills I had at my previous job at a manufacturer. Before joining, I thought I would be able to get more involved in technical aspects, but home appliance manufacturers have to release new products almost every year, and the work I was actually assigned to was mainly specification updates and the like.

Although there are exams to be conducted at that time, the changes are limited to specific details. I began to question whether this type of work would be beneficial for me, and so I considered changing jobs.

Through my job search, I learned that Macnica 's semiconductor engineers are responsible for everything from listening to product specifications, proposing devices, and providing QA support for prototyping and mass production to troubleshooting, and I felt that I would be able to gain a wide range of knowledge.

Because my previous job was with a manufacturer, I was mainly looking at manufacturers when I was looking for a new job, but I wondered, "If I choose a manufacturer, how will it be different from my previous job?" and so, thinking of it as a challenge for me, I chose Macnica.

2025 will mark my fifth year at the company, and I believe I made the right choice by choosing Macnica because it has a culture that supports new learning and challenges, and an environment where I am surrounded by flexible and kind people.

Daily Schedule

8:45

morning assembly

Sharing everyday events as part of team building
Conducted daily in English
9:00

Internal meeting (weekly)

Sharing updates on projects you are in charge of
A meaningful time that clarifies what needs to be done next to move the project forward
11:00

Meeting with suppliers (every other week)

Sharing project progress and issues that arise
I am very grateful that you are so kind to me when I ask for advice.
12:00

Lunch

Time to chat about trivial things with colleagues

13:00

Negotiations with customers (online)

Checking project information
We will ask what is necessary to adopt the device.
15:00

Document creation

Prepare materials to be used for the next day's report
17:00

Closing ceremony

Share and consult with department members about the issues you are currently struggling with
18:00

End of Business

Q3: An episode that made you grow

The joy of being recognized as someone who can be relied upon

For the project I am currently in charge of, we have been holding meetings with not only the customer but also the semiconductor manufacturer, a supplier, for the past year or so. All of the people who attend are veterans, but at first I didn't understand the customer's specifications, so I couldn't keep up with the conversation and I felt frustrated because I wasn't able to respond adequately.

I wanted to at least be able to understand the questions I received, so I started using the tools myself little by little. At first, I didn't even know how to use them, but now I spend hours researching and working on things that can be done in minutes. As a result, I gradually began to understand what customers want to know and how to use the products I am responsible for.

I also took advantage of the opportunity to learn about the technology from the manufacturer's specialists, deepening my understanding of the products by asking them various questions directly, and relying on veterans within the company to provide support as a team.

As a result, more customers have come to trust me, and I now have more opportunities to receive words of gratitude and contact me directly instead of through their superiors. Knowing that customers can rely on me is what gives me great satisfaction now.

MY VISIONFuture goals and aspirations

Since joining the company, I have been given the opportunity to work on large-scale and challenging projects, so I would like to continue to hone my own technical skills while relying on the knowledge of the professionals around me. Currently, I have only worked in a limited number of industries, so I would like to expand my skills by working with customers in other industries and become an engineer who can do anything on my own.
Another goal is to be able to use English when reading update information for overseas products and when conducting QA with semiconductor manufacturers that are our suppliers.

Message

The unique appeal of Macnica as a technology trading company is that you can continue to be involved in cutting-edge semiconductor products while learning the knowledge and market information necessary for product development. This is a company recommended for those who want to gain a wide range of knowledge and continue to be exposed to new technologies.

There is also a lot of technical communication with people outside the company, which broadens your horizons.
Furthermore, Macnica has a culture where you can take on the challenges you want to face and are given responsibility, so I feel that it is a great environment for growth. If you are looking for such a place, come work with us!